I recently picked this suit up in size large and I think it's great. I am 5'10 180. I have always used size large in Kokatat. I agree with Wade that it could use a waist belt. If I have to walk very far or take big steps I started using a 4-ft cam strap as a belt around my waist. Other than that I like it better than my old Idol dry suit. The arm length is perfect in this one where the Kokatat was always about an inch too long in size large
Yeah I did not even use the head cam for the drysuit review would not really help much just arms and rapids it was funny seeing the Cades from that angle the head cam I just pulled a few pics for the gram and book other then that not much use
Awesome review! I've been going back and forth with a Kokatat Meridian, NRS Axiom, and Jackl. Thanks for the pros and cons. I think I am going to go with the Axiom. See you outside!
I ended up picking this dry suit up on sale and it is worth every penny. Even if I paid full price for it, I would still be very happy with it. It does run pretty hot, and I found myself shedding layers off throughout the day, but it is definitely dry as a bone and really comfortable. Water just beaded off of the gore tex. The Neck gasket was tight at first but I stretched it out for a couple days and it's perfect now with no trimming necessary. I got the large size and I am about 5'7 and around 175 pounds, and it fits perfectly. I think Kokatat has some stiff competition now.
Yeah I paddled with a guy this weekend that had the same suit said he seen this review and got it and absolutely loves it i really gig my level six suit but if I was going to fork out for gore tex I’m going with this
Just a PSA the zippered pocket is not waterproof I believe… you see a few drain holes at the bottom of the pocket. So don’t expect to keep your phone dry in there
Wow I thought those small holes were to vent/drain the fabric like they did on the elbows and knees. I did talk about the waterproof zipper I keep my phone in a waterproofing bag as extra waterproof and it’s always in my vest pocket or drybag when I take it with me anyway.. I actually just figured that pocket would only ever be used for very small snack bars or something like that anyway. Thanks for the feedback Hayden!
It has been getting turned off here and there which makes me think they are putting water back through the generators for testing so my guess is probably this coming week it will be over…
How is the fit in the arms? I find that Kokatat size L is about 1 in or so too long so I had my last Kokatat suit custom and made the arms smaller. I feel like the material Kokatat has been using over the last couple years is a little thin and expensive so thinking of getting this nrs one. Thanks for the review.
Hey Wade you were talking about being between a medium and a large, how tall are you/what do you weigh? I seem to recall I'm a little taller than you but I'll also between a medium and a large. Medium width large height unfortunately so I almost always have to buy a large
I’m 5’11” 185lb I go medium in some gear because I usually jump between 165-190 and hate a lot of loose fabric everywhere and at my weight right now it’s little tight but it wasn’t restricted in anyway because of the way they cut the arms and legs so i would probably be in a large right now but when I trim up i want a medium but that’s just me hope that makes senses and helps
Thanks it does. I'm 6' 165 in the summer--180 in the winter. Medium t shirt, 32/32 jeans, size 11 feet, most medium drysuits are too short most larges are too baggy
Yeah was not trying to be too picky because it was all things that I have experienced along the way I think all were valid points and FYI I definitely recommend this suit yeah it can use small improvements but it is very well made and extremely dry and nrs customer service next level and all goretex fabrics I think have lifetime warranties
This was a demo actually and I had it for like a week to use so as for the durability over long use I don’t know but I ended up getting the level six dry suit as my personal one so that’s what I use now and might not be as dry as this but durability on it has been amazing and it’s warm and dry enough so does everything I need in a dry suit I have a video on it also👇👇 Level Six Emperor Dry Suit "Walkthrough/Review" th-cam.com/video/wYhPRKXBvVI/w-d-xo.html
Nice review Wade. I´m on my second year on the Crux and so far so good. Not really a fan of having the zipper on the front but it´s not a deal breaker. The Jakl looks good but I agree with you on the cons you mentioned. The devil is in the details 😈
About the zippers.... I got a Kokatat suit which uses the tizip zippers and it has the same problem as your IR suit. Is there anything I can do about it to stop the decay of the zipper? Or somehow fix it until i'll send it in for replacement? Are the YKK zippers really lasting longer? btw: love your reviews!
Look at the ykk zippers you see one on a suit somewhere they are like solid plastic edges and the Tzip are some sort of coated fabric that they might have got better now but the older ones seem to wear out and I have no clue how to fix it but to send it in for repair
Thanks for the review. Comment on the waist cinch system; what I have always appreciated about NRS is the simplicity. Adding that extra weight and items seems like an incremental improvement vs just having a simple garment without things that can cause abrasion and discomfort and just extra stuff. Same goes for extra cordurra on the suit. I have always found Level Six to be too much in terms of material, weight and bells and whistles. As a paddler, my preference is simple is better and let me move freely. I have tried the prototype of this suit and the part that impressed me the most is the mobility of it. That is one of the most important features for me as a paddler / athlete. My two cents. Again, thanks for the walkthrough.
Very True I can totally see your point of view on that one staying close to simplicity those were more minor things with it. the waist thing was more from doing a lot of hiking type runs I liked having it on others but have had few without it and made it work your right about the mobility I tried to explain that with the cut in the legs and shoulders and lower back area its very mobile they nailed that and it is very light suit when on. I do think it's still one the best on the market today. Thanks for the feedback
NRS finally got their shit together enough to make a dry suit that’s actually dry and made out of an actual waterproof/breathable membrane instead of that garbage bag material they used to use.
I have had some of their early stuff and agree was not very well made. I can tell you that’s not the case with this suit it’s extremely well made and has a very premium feel to it using some the best waterproofing product to ever exist Gore Tex pro..
@@WadeHarrison if The North Face ever decides to license their new Futurelight fabric out to other manufacturers Gore will have a real competitor in their hands. I got one of their standard rain shells and lemme tell you, it is the most breathable goddamn membrane ever.
@@ericclaptonsrobotpilot7276 I watched a comparison video of the future lite vs gore tex I agree that would be great stuff in a dry suit or at least see how it will go? Side note I was with bomber gear when they got license to use polertect and it was pretty good stuff just the drysuit design was complete garbage I fought the best I could to not put zippers in the dam legs of a drysuit! But decision were made from a guy that had zero dry wear experience and I think could care less and well we seen how that went for bomber gear!
How durable would that be compared to goretex tho? There's a lot of membranes more breathable than gtx but none that are more breathable and as durable
Also check out my review of the level six dry suit👇👇👇
Level Six Emperor Dry Suit "Walkthrough/Review"
th-cam.com/video/wYhPRKXBvVI/w-d-xo.html
Absolutely want to see a split attempt 😯
Hahhh yeah will see next trip out
Me too! I'll trade you splits for....screwdriver in the microwave 😆
@@coldwateronly Hahha both of those sound like something will be burning 🔥
The point you made about that zipper not being covered was a good one bro.
Yeah just something that seems simple until it’s not there?
I recently picked this suit up in size large and I think it's great. I am 5'10 180. I have always used size large in Kokatat. I agree with Wade that it could use a waist belt. If I have to walk very far or take big steps I started using a 4-ft cam strap as a belt around my waist. Other than that I like it better than my old Idol dry suit. The arm length is perfect in this one where the Kokatat was always about an inch too long in size large
For sure and thanks for the feedback
Great review, Wade. Honest and I learned a ton about different features of dry suits in general
hey thanks for watching
The view from the camera on the bow shows way better what is going on than a head mounted cam. Nice video.
Yeah I did not even use the head cam for the drysuit review would not really help much just arms and rapids it was funny seeing the Cades from that angle the head cam I just pulled a few pics for the gram and book other then that not much use
Awesome review! I've been going back and forth with a Kokatat Meridian, NRS Axiom, and Jackl. Thanks for the pros and cons. I think I am going to go with the Axiom. See you outside!
glad could help
I ended up picking this dry suit up on sale and it is worth every penny. Even if I paid full price for it, I would still be very happy with it. It does run pretty hot, and I found myself shedding layers off throughout the day, but it is definitely dry as a bone and really comfortable. Water just beaded off of the gore tex. The Neck gasket was tight at first but I stretched it out for a couple days and it's perfect now with no trimming necessary. I got the large size and I am about 5'7 and around 175 pounds, and it fits perfectly. I think Kokatat has some stiff competition now.
Yeah I paddled with a guy this weekend that had the same suit said he seen this review and got it and absolutely loves it i really gig my level six suit but if I was going to fork out for gore tex I’m going with this
I got this one as well and although I haven’t been out on the water with it is a good quality suit
cordura on the shoulders (like Level 6 have) is also worth having as the shoulder area can take some punishment if you are carrying your kayak a lot
Excellent point I overlooked that one and totally agree with that!
What boots do you wear with your Drysuit?
I now use the astral TR1 mesh but mostly astral rassler
@@WadeHarrison thanks Wade I was looking at the NRS Boundary Boots but these look like overkill
Just a PSA the zippered pocket is not waterproof I believe… you see a few drain holes at the bottom of the pocket. So don’t expect to keep your phone dry in there
Wow I thought those small holes were to vent/drain the fabric like they did on the elbows and knees.
I did talk about the waterproof zipper I keep my phone in a waterproofing bag as extra waterproof and it’s always in my vest pocket or drybag when I take it with me anyway..
I actually just figured that pocket would only ever be used for very small snack bars or something like that anyway.
Thanks for the feedback Hayden!
I heard that the Cascades are running for a month because of maintenance, how much longer does that go for?
It has been getting turned off here and there which makes me think they are putting water back through the generators for testing so my guess is probably this coming week it will be over…
How is the fit in the arms? I find that Kokatat size L is about 1 in or so too long so I had my last Kokatat suit custom and made the arms smaller. I feel like the material Kokatat has been using over the last couple years is a little thin and expensive so thinking of getting this nrs one. Thanks for the review.
I felt the cut was really good I’m always between a medium and large on a lot of stuff and this felt really good
Hey Wade you were talking about being between a medium and a large, how tall are you/what do you weigh? I seem to recall I'm a little taller than you but I'll also between a medium and a large. Medium width large height unfortunately so I almost always have to buy a large
I’m 5’11” 185lb I go medium in some gear because I usually jump between 165-190 and hate a lot of loose fabric everywhere and at my weight right now it’s little tight
but it wasn’t restricted in anyway because of the way they cut the arms and legs so i would probably be in a large right now but when I trim up i want a medium but that’s just me
hope that makes senses and helps
Thanks it does. I'm 6' 165 in the summer--180 in the winter. Medium t shirt, 32/32 jeans, size 11 feet, most medium drysuits are too short most larges are too baggy
Hi Wade,
How did you feel it stacked up to an IR or kokatat Icon?
I never used any of the kokata dry suits
The split I want to see I have liked my kokatat Idol the best so far of all the others but good information on the nrs
The Idol is such a good suit I agree.
Valid points, there is place for improvement, thank you. Not just saying all good, the best, etc…
Yeah was not trying to be too picky because it was all things that I have experienced along the way I think all were valid points and FYI I definitely recommend this suit yeah it can use small improvements but it is very well made and extremely dry and nrs customer service next level and all goretex fabrics I think have lifetime warranties
How's the suit been holding up? Thinking about getting one
This was a demo actually and I had it for like a week to use so as for the durability over long use I don’t know but I ended up getting the level six dry suit as my personal one so that’s what I use now and might not be as dry as this but durability on it has been amazing and it’s warm and dry enough so does everything I need in a dry suit I have a video on it also👇👇
Level Six Emperor Dry Suit "Walkthrough/Review"
th-cam.com/video/wYhPRKXBvVI/w-d-xo.html
How would you compare this suit to the IR 7Figure drysuit?
Nice review Wade. I´m on my second year on the Crux and so far so good. Not really a fan of having the zipper on the front but it´s not a deal breaker. The Jakl looks good but I agree with you on the cons you mentioned. The devil is in the details 😈
Yeah I like a back zip also thanks for the feedback
You still editing the on water x?
What the water X? You mean the scorch X
Yes sir! Waiting on the edge of my seat
@@coldwateronly I have made several videos on the scorch X now I did walkthrough and on water and few other random videos
@@coldwateronly th-cam.com/video/Kq17pcQrpgo/w-d-xo.html
About the zippers.... I got a Kokatat suit which uses the tizip zippers and it has the same problem as your IR suit. Is there anything I can do about it to stop the decay of the zipper? Or somehow fix it until i'll send it in for replacement? Are the YKK zippers really lasting longer? btw: love your reviews!
Look at the ykk zippers you see one on a suit somewhere they are like solid plastic edges and the Tzip are some sort of coated fabric that they might have got better now but the older ones seem to wear out and I have no clue how to fix it but to send it in for repair
From what I've seen the ykks really are significantly better. Several manufacturers have switched to using all ykk which is 👍👍👍
@@talaananthes yes seems Tzips are now not being used by many
hell yeah man!
It’s a great drysuit nrs did a good job in this one
Thanks for the review.
Comment on the waist cinch system; what I have always appreciated about NRS is the simplicity. Adding that extra weight and items seems like an incremental improvement vs just having a simple garment without things that can cause abrasion and discomfort and just extra stuff.
Same goes for extra cordurra on the suit. I have always found Level Six to be too much in terms of material, weight and bells and whistles. As a paddler, my preference is simple is better and let me move freely.
I have tried the prototype of this suit and the part that impressed me the most is the mobility of it. That is one of the most important features for me as a paddler / athlete.
My two cents. Again, thanks for the walkthrough.
Very True I can totally see your point of view on that one staying close to simplicity those were more minor things with it.
the waist thing was more from doing a lot of hiking type runs I liked having it on others but have had few without it and made it work
your right about the mobility I tried to explain that with the cut in the legs and shoulders and lower back area its very mobile they nailed that
and it is very light suit when on. I do think it's still one the best on the market today.
Thanks for the feedback
Noic
Thanks frog
@@WadeHarrison np
NRS finally got their shit together enough to make a dry suit that’s actually dry and made out of an actual waterproof/breathable membrane instead of that garbage bag material they used to use.
I have had some of their early stuff and agree was not very well made.
I can tell you that’s not the case with this suit it’s extremely well made and has a very premium feel to it using some the best waterproofing product to ever exist Gore Tex pro..
@@WadeHarrison if The North Face ever decides to license their new Futurelight fabric out to other manufacturers Gore will have a real competitor in their hands. I got one of their standard rain shells and lemme tell you, it is the most breathable goddamn membrane ever.
@@ericclaptonsrobotpilot7276 I watched a comparison video of the future lite vs gore tex I agree that would be great stuff in a dry suit or at least see how it will go?
Side note I was with bomber gear when they got license to use polertect and it was pretty good stuff just the drysuit design was complete garbage
I fought the best I could to not put zippers in the dam legs of a drysuit!
But decision were made from a guy that had zero dry wear experience and I think could care less and well we seen how that went for bomber gear!
@@WadeHarrison leg zippers? Were they there for dumping hot air quickly or did you put the suit on from the crotch?
How durable would that be compared to goretex tho? There's a lot of membranes more breathable than gtx but none that are more breathable and as durable