lots of good details in this review. the tall socks to accomodate taller booties and the reinforced legs.knees all look like really good details for a multiday trip that might require a portage or two
Good review. Strongly considering this drysuit, but still concerned about fit. I paddle on the Great Lakes in the winter - wondering about heavy insulating layers in this suit.
I bought a drysuit for the first time this year. I've been paddling for 20+ years, I wish I bought one sooner. I've been through at least 3 dry tops and the suit is super comfortable. How did you like the Ozone? I bought one this year, for me it fits that river running / play boat niche that I was missing in my quiver. I had play boats and an expedition/serious water boat. The one thing I found is that the Ozone required a strong technical roll, my roll had gotten sloppy and it made me pay for it. I worked on my technique and now I have no problem rolling it.
nice review! Just got mine and am excited to get on the water. Tried it on tonight and the neck gasket is so tight I can't breathe. Must be common to have to stretch it out. Otherwise it fits well and feels very comfortable.
after some pretty cold swims in early March/April and into mid November here in Canada wearing a farmer john wetsuit and dry top as my cold weather gear, I think I am ready to make the investment into a dry suit. I was worried about spending all that money and it not lasting long but I'm glad to hear that spending just that little be extra to get the best with all the bells and whistles is worth it and that it is a piece of gear that will last for a really long time, makes the investment totally worth it and can extend my season comfortably!
Thanks Ken, great review. The feature of the overlap of the spray skirt is a good one I think. I have a Kokatat dry suit without that feature and I get leakage into the cockpit when waves wash over the boat. I’ve thought of wearing a light dry top over top of the kokatat to stop the leakage as strange as that sounds. Any ideas for solving this problem? My sprayskirts are best quality and fit well.
Don't really see anything about float bags. You have a video just on that? My wife and I stick to flat water but we are using sit insides. We just have our pumps on hand, to date no capsizes (yet) but just curious if I should be looking into float bags. Also we are paddling the lifetime charger 100's 10 footers, I'm also aware I would need a bulk head fitting for the bags but I could easily make one.
I wish manufacturers would make drysuits for those of us that are less than athletically built... Trying to find a drysuit when you're short and kinda fat is incredibly difficult without having to shell out a lot more money for a custom made one. To get one off the shelf to fit my chest and waist, it's made for someone 6'4+, and I'm only 5'7.
@@levlylove I took a gamble on a used one that's an XL. It was an older one, but it's in good shape, and the price was too good to pass on. I can put it on, but it's tight, and I can't wear more than a single base layer under it. It will work for the fall, but once the water gets below 50 degrees it will still be too cold to go out in it. I'm saving for a 2X and will just have to deal with it being long, although this will increase the likelihood of small pinholes from the material bunching up.
So does anyone make drysuits for tall, medium/skinny builds? Or do tall folks have to settle for obese folks gear? Kinda crazy to spend that much money and end up feeling like you are wearing a tent, lol. Thanks for the review!
Most drysuits are little baggy for layers, and honestly most drysuits ARE shaped for the thinner builds with longer torsos etc. It's pretty difficult for bigger people to find drysuits that fit if any at all. Kokatat, IR, Level Six etc. all fit kinda how you're describing
This is advertising hidden as a “review”. At over $1200, you could buy a Kokatat suit with the EXACT SAME FEATURES but with a true lifetime fabric warranty. Kokatat will also make custom suits with longer or shorter arms, legs, socks, torso, and more, so people outside of typical sizing can get a better fit for just a little extra cost. I call you out for even suggesting (nice use of the question mark to avoid legal ramifications) in the title that this might be an “ultimate” dry suit when Kokatat has even more options options like additional pockets, hoods, abrasion protection, and more. The fabric warranty is no joke, as just about everyone knows someone who has had a suit replaced FOR FREE when the Gore-Tex fabric delaminated. But beyond that, Kokatat also offers leak testing and repair services (for a fee) as well. Although I sound like a Kokatat rep, I’m not. But I am part of a large ocean kayaking community in New England, where the water isn’t cold for maybe a week in July, and 99% of dry suit wearers are wearing Kokatat.
Hi Robert. While you're right about Kokatat making great dry suits (I have had one for over 15 years that I've used on many epic paddling adventures, and it still works great), you're wrong that this is an advertisement. NRS makes great gear and they stand behind their products with great customer service, and this is another example of that. Bottom line - It's a great drysuit! How does it compare to a similar Kokatat Drysuit?? Well, that's another question. My guess is that they're both great, and there are pros and cons to each. I know that Kokatat is also well known for great customer service. That being said, while I appreciate your passion and love for Kokatat gear, until you test this NRS dry suit yourself, I don't understand how you can judge it so confidently?
No, they aren't paying me to do this review. NRS does sponsor my Paddle Tales adventure travel series, but my gear reviews are always unbiased and honest assessments of products.
Super happy to see you paddling some whitewater boats! Love the rec boats as well, but it’s nice to catch you shredding. Great stuff!
Ha! The feeling is mutual. I really enjoy flatwater paddling... but whitewater paddling will always have a very special place in my heart!
@@PaddleTV agree with Stephen, fun to see a little WW now and then
lots of good details in this review. the tall socks to accomodate taller booties and the reinforced legs.knees all look like really good details for a multiday trip that might require a portage or two
Good review. Strongly considering this drysuit, but still concerned about fit. I paddle on the Great Lakes in the winter - wondering about heavy insulating layers in this suit.
I bought a drysuit for the first time this year. I've been paddling for 20+ years, I wish I bought one sooner. I've been through at least 3 dry tops and the suit is super comfortable. How did you like the Ozone? I bought one this year, for me it fits that river running / play boat niche that I was missing in my quiver. I had play boats and an expedition/serious water boat. The one thing I found is that the Ozone required a strong technical roll, my roll had gotten sloppy and it made me pay for it. I worked on my technique and now I have no problem rolling it.
nice review! Just got mine and am excited to get on the water. Tried it on tonight and the neck gasket is so tight I can't breathe. Must be common to have to stretch it out. Otherwise it fits well and feels very comfortable.
after some pretty cold swims in early March/April and into mid November here in Canada wearing a farmer john wetsuit and dry top as my cold weather gear, I think I am ready to make the investment into a dry suit. I was worried about spending all that money and it not lasting long but I'm glad to hear that spending just that little be extra to get the best with all the bells and whistles is worth it and that it is a piece of gear that will last for a really long time, makes the investment totally worth it and can extend my season comfortably!
Yup! I still have a 16-year old dry suit that still works great. I've taken care of it though!
Thanks Ken, great review. The feature of the overlap of the spray skirt is a good one I think. I have a Kokatat dry suit without that feature and I get leakage into the cockpit when waves wash over the boat. I’ve thought of wearing a light dry top over top of the kokatat to stop the leakage as strange as that sounds. Any ideas for solving this problem? My sprayskirts are best quality and fit well.
Don't really see anything about float bags. You have a video just on that? My wife and I stick to flat water but we are using sit insides. We just have our pumps on hand, to date no capsizes (yet) but just curious if I should be looking into float bags. Also we are paddling the lifetime charger 100's 10 footers, I'm also aware I would need a bulk head fitting for the bags but I could easily make one.
Ken, did you plan on the axiom and the ozone matching nearly perfectly? 😄
Ha! NRS and Pyranha must have known green was my favorite color. :)
Very helpful review. Thank you.
it would be nice to see the review of sit on top "Venture Islay 14 SOT" with skudder and the wilderness tsunami 145
I wish manufacturers would make drysuits for those of us that are less than athletically built... Trying to find a drysuit when you're short and kinda fat is incredibly difficult without having to shell out a lot more money for a custom made one. To get one off the shelf to fit my chest and waist, it's made for someone 6'4+, and I'm only 5'7.
I feel that pain. Similar build, I had to get a 2XL. It's a little baggy in places, but doesn't hinder me all that much at least.
@@levlylove I took a gamble on a used one that's an XL. It was an older one, but it's in good shape, and the price was too good to pass on. I can put it on, but it's tight, and I can't wear more than a single base layer under it. It will work for the fall, but once the water gets below 50 degrees it will still be too cold to go out in it. I'm saving for a 2X and will just have to deal with it being long, although this will increase the likelihood of small pinholes from the material bunching up.
So does anyone make drysuits for tall, medium/skinny builds? Or do tall folks have to settle for obese folks gear? Kinda crazy to spend that much money and end up feeling like you are wearing a tent, lol. Thanks for the review!
Most drysuits are little baggy for layers, and honestly most drysuits ARE shaped for the thinner builds with longer torsos etc. It's pretty difficult for bigger people to find drysuits that fit if any at all.
Kokatat, IR, Level Six etc. all fit kinda how you're describing
This is advertising hidden as a “review”. At over $1200, you could buy a Kokatat suit with the EXACT SAME FEATURES but with a true lifetime fabric warranty. Kokatat will also make custom suits with longer or shorter arms, legs, socks, torso, and more, so people outside of typical sizing can get a better fit for just a little extra cost. I call you out for even suggesting (nice use of the question mark to avoid legal ramifications) in the title that this might be an “ultimate” dry suit when Kokatat has even more options options like additional pockets, hoods, abrasion protection, and more. The fabric warranty is no joke, as just about everyone knows someone who has had a suit replaced FOR FREE when the Gore-Tex fabric delaminated. But beyond that, Kokatat also offers leak testing and repair services (for a fee) as well. Although I sound like a Kokatat rep, I’m not. But I am part of a large ocean kayaking community in New England, where the water isn’t cold for maybe a week in July, and 99% of dry suit wearers are wearing Kokatat.
Hi Robert. While you're right about Kokatat making great dry suits (I have had one for over 15 years that I've used on many epic paddling adventures, and it still works great), you're wrong that this is an advertisement. NRS makes great gear and they stand behind their products with great customer service, and this is another example of that. Bottom line - It's a great drysuit! How does it compare to a similar Kokatat Drysuit?? Well, that's another question. My guess is that they're both great, and there are pros and cons to each. I know that Kokatat is also well known for great customer service. That being said, while I appreciate your passion and love for Kokatat gear, until you test this NRS dry suit yourself, I don't understand how you can judge it so confidently?
This video should be marked as a commercial, should it not?
After all, they are paying you?
No, they aren't paying me to do this review. NRS does sponsor my Paddle Tales adventure travel series, but my gear reviews are always unbiased and honest assessments of products.
I saw this as an add on an edpuzzle about drumming wtf
At £975 I wont be ordering it !! For that price I can fly to Spain for two weeks in Jan and paddle 1/2 naked.
... ok?
Never thought of it that way! :)
I appreciate the creativity you used to acknowledge how absurdly expensive dry suits are.
Well, you could do that once, but what about after that? :)
He gives good information, but he needs to cut out the attempted humor. It really does not suit him.