Drysuits

[Finderskeeper]

I've been water detecting for a few years now and have been using wet suits. Since the oil spill in the gulf and now swimming bans in some of the fresh water lakes due to algae and other pollutants, has anyone been using a dry suit to detect in the water?

I've been looking at some of the dry suits that are available for kayak users and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with those type of dry suits. Also available are the survival suits that allow for total immersion and was thinking that they may be an alternative.

Or is it better to get a diving dry suit? When I hunt in the water, I am often in for at least 5 or more hours a day and it gets cold even with a wet suit and the water is at the mid to upper 70's.

 

[EZrider]

I'm an avid kayaker as well as detecting. I use Kokatat brand for both hobbies. Nice thing about the dry suits. You can layer up with thermals and be fine in the water. I don't use the one picse but a two. Pants and a top.

 

[Finderskeeper]

Kokatat was one of the brands I was looking at.

Does it leak at all? The Kyak dry suits seem to be designed for splash protection more than in the water protection but I could be wrong about that. Are they that good that they will keep me dry all day long in say 5 feet of water? How is the ability to keep me dry around the neck and wrists? I have tried the neoprene dry suits and they seemed to be really bulk and pretty uncomfortable around the wrists, neck and ankles.

Is Goretex my best bet or is there another material I should consider when looking at a dry suit?

 

[EZrider]

gortex is nice. Dry suits have rubber gaskets around the cuffs and neck. If your going into chest and neck depths. I would go with a full suit. Dry suits give you alot of room for thermals etc.There really the best way to go for cold water hunting. Allthough not cheap.

 

[Cupajo]

I've used a front entrance suit, made for kayaking, in water in the mid-40s and up.

A rear entrance suit requires someone to help you zip it up, but they tend to be easier to get into otherwise.

Trying to get in and out of mine is a challenge for me as my nearly 70 year old bod doesn't flex easily.

The neck and wrist seals must be lubricated with cornstarch or they are tough to slip into.

Getting used to the snug seals wasn't easy for me, but once I start hunting it passes.

Mine has a "Relief" zipper in the front where it has saved me a few desperate moments!! (Did I mention I'm almost 70?)

This suit isn't of breathable material and I use wicking under layers to stay as dry as I can.

Excesss air is vented in some suits with a valve, but mine is of a less expensive brand and air is vented at the neck seal when I'm waist deep in the water and bending my knees to allow the water up to chest level.

It's fun when a swell lifts me up and I don't have to worry about waders filling with water.

After several hours of hard digging I can ease my tired self into my van where I had the foresight to cover the drivers seat with a plastic bag and drive home.

Once home I have the chore of contorting my frame again to pry the suite off!

After some hard digging this is no easy feat!

So far I have had a time of it trying to regulate my temperature in the suit.

I'm either too hot when digging or too cold when not digging.

5Mil neoprene waders are my choice when things get into temps below 40.

GL&HH Fellow Hunter,

CJ

 

[Ron Lord]

I live on west side of Florida,if you live up north a dry suit might be fine but in fla.wet suits work better for this climate.The oil spill was mosty up in the panhandle,AL.Miss and LA. our water gets down to 50* for about 60 days a year.from the end of March until end of Oct. we don't did a wet suit.

 

[Finderskeeper]

I'm in Florida from the last week of February to the first weeks of April. I hunt the west coast and often drive over to the east coast and hunt the treasure coast and south beach area of Miami. I've hunted most of the beaches in Florida and found that the Gulf Beaches are the hottest for gold but South Beach is by far the best to hunt.

I wear a 6 mil Titanium threaded wet suit bottom plus a pull over Body Glove wet suit and it keeps me pretty warm. But after about 5 hours, I get pretty worn out from still being a bit colder than I normally would.

I was thinking that maybe a dry suit would extend my hunting by about an hour or two.

 

[Jiminsandiego]

In my opinion the Bare CD4 is the only dry suit to buy. DUI makes a "crushed" neoprene suit that is way over priced and not as good as the Bare at about half the price (about $1100). The Bare is made of "compressed" neoprene which is very durable and comfortable. This material is far better than neoprene or the uncomfortable laminates and offers some thermal protection so that less undergarments are needed. They also make a CD2 (2mm) but is more expensive. Be sure and get the "bare boots" which are covered in a hard shell for durability. I like latex wrist seals but for the neck seal go with the neoprene one. The back entry zipper can be zipped by the user by hooking the loop around something at shoulder level.(Lubricate every time with zipease ). Las vegas dive store is a great place to order one of these. Talk to Bill.
The trick to diving is not to get wet.
Cheers,
Jim

 

[OldBeechnut]

I've got 3 off eBay..Moby kayak/jet ski suit 65 dollars, New Mustang Survival MSD900 300 dollars, and just got a New Mustang Survival MSD575 65 dollars. Always keep a eye on the keyword....survival suit...on eBay, along with a good feedback of 100% with over 100 transactions from the person your purchasing from...And before you buy one check locally with dive shops to see what features you may want. If your older like me, get lose..larger size then needed..much easier to get into. The Moby suit I have fits like a glove when full undergarment is worn, to tight...it's just good for when the waters are in the 60 to 70 range when I can dress lite under, and Great for jelly fish protection in the bay. I've found that even if the water temp is in the low 60's with a wetsuit, my older age (58, I can go for only 3 to 4 hours and be chilled. But with a drysuit, there's seem's to be no limit, other then food, drink n go and daylite.

This drysuit was listed in collectibles, great deal at 65 dollars