My hand has been forced!!!!

Hey everyone.

Name is Mark.  Live in Elkton.

Float on a Big Game Prowler
Wife floats on a Predator 13


Been itching for ocean fish.  Trying to figure out how to do it in cold ass water without killing ourselves.


There.  Long and short.   

Welcome!  I used to own a Big Game Prowler.  It is a beast of a kayak but super stable.  It was a great kayak for the Ocean. 

For the cold water- a drysuit might be a good start

easy peasy-

1-  get some good immersion gear.  and floating VHF radios.

2-  I have found this to give good condition predictions for Sunset Bay, I do double check hourly wind at normal NOAA weather website:

https://magicseaweed.com/Coos-Bay-Surf-Report/320/

3-  look for a day with total swell at 3' and ideally a 12s period (or more), plus wind under 10mph. (last year, Feb.8 was my first 'go' day out of Sunset.  the first 'go' day this year is going to be Pepper and my first day out on the ocean in our new Outback!).

4-  head out and have fun.  you will have lots of company out there on a smooth day, PB and kayaks.

I've posted lots of videos of my trips out of Sunset and also in lower CoosBay, good way to get an idea of the conditions.

cheers, roger

Roger,

Thats exactly what I'm looking for.

Who locally (coast, eugene, etc) has dry suits on hand?  My rotund ass needs to try-before-I-buy on this sort of thing?

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a whirl.

Roger,

Thats exactly what I'm looking for.

Who locally (coast, eugene, etc) has dry suits on hand?  My rotund ass needs to try-before-I-buy on this sort of thing?

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a whirl.

When you try on drysuits, be sure to get one which has enough room for both your rotund ass and several layers of insulating clothing, so you can stay dry, warm, and comfortable even in cold, windy, and rainy weather, while getting regularly splashed by cold water.  If you go for a trim sleek stylish fit for your drysuit, and discover that there isn't enough room under the drysuit for the layers which you need to stay comfortable, you won't be happy with the drysuit.  Go for a relaxed baggy look.

Because I frequently kayak when water temperatures are below 40 degrees, and when it may snow during a day of fishing, my drysuit is big enough for light polypro, heavy polypro, and three sweaters on top, heavy polypro and three pairs of pile pants on the bottom, and two pairs of thick socks on my feet.  With this clothing, I can stay genuinely comfortable even in pretty inclement weather.  You initially may not want to go out in weather that nasty.  But if you get a drysuit which is big enough, you'll be able go out in that kind of weather as your skill and confidence increases.

Roger,

Thats exactly what I'm looking for.

Who locally (coast, eugene, etc) has dry suits on hand?  My rotund ass needs to try-before-I-buy on this sort of thing?

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a whirl.

you might give Waxer's in CoosBay a call, I think they carry some in stock.  I don't hide being a big fan of the Kokatat Supernova Angler, my Hydrus3 version served me well for 5 years, I donated it to HOW (who replaced the wrist cuffs and put it right back to work) when I upgraded to the GoreTex version last May.

Roger,

Thats exactly what I'm looking for.

Who locally (coast, eugene, etc) has dry suits on hand?  My rotund ass needs to try-before-I-buy on this sort of thing?

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a whirl.

When you try on drysuits, be sure to get one which has enough room for both your rotund ass and several layers of insulating clothing, so you can stay dry, warm, and comfortable even in cold, windy, and rainy weather, while getting regularly splashed by cold water.  If you go for a trim sleek stylish fit for your drysuit, and discover that there isn't enough room under the drysuit for the layers which you need to stay comfortable, you won't be happy with the drysuit.  Go for a relaxed baggy look.

Because I frequently kayak when water temperatures are below 40 degrees, and when it may snow during a day of fishing, my drysuit is big enough for light polypro, heavy polypro, and three sweaters on top, heavy polypro and three pairs of pile pants on the bottom, and two pairs of thick socks on my feet.  With this clothing, I can stay genuinely comfortable even in pretty inclement weather.  You initially may not want to go out in weather that nasty.  But if you get a drysuit which is big enough, you'll be able go out in that kind of weather as your skill and confidence increases.

Pete makes good points.  I would say that in our mild climate on the Oregon Coast, almost all of my outings are made with just thin merino wool base layers top and bottom (Icebreaker 200 weight), plus heavier merino socks.  On the coldest days, Siltcoos in November for example, I go with a heavier bottom layer (260 weight) and add a second long sleeve top layer.  we just don't have Montana sort of cold here on the coast...

also, the H3 suit from Kokatat is a bit warmer than the GoreTex version, not surprising as the GoreTex fabric is thinner/lighter and breaths better...I miss the H3 suit on windy days; I love the GoreTex suit on sunny days.

I think Waxers has drysuits. I got mine at Next Adenture in Portland, was really happy with the service and selection. If you find yourself up that way it’s definitey worth a stop.

I was born and raised in Roseburg, but spent the last 7 years in Coeur d'Alene, ID.  Definitely know how to layer up!

I have plenty of warm weather gear.  I prefer my wool to most everything synthetic, and have a bunch of under layers.

I think I'm going to have the wife try her hand at making me one.  These things are spendy!!!!!

If you own neoprene waders, then you may want to look into a dry top if you want to save money.  I utilized a drytop wader combo for a 3-4 years before transitioning to a drysuit

I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a moment and ask how many times you think you'll be out there in your kayak in really cold, really nasty weather because if you think "Never!" then ask yourself how often you figure you'll be way offshore - beyond how far you might need to swim in say 20 minutes to half an hour.  If you also answer that with "Never!" I'd suggest that a drysuit or semi-drysuit is a luxury item and you can be just as safe and just as comfortable - often more comfortable - in neoprene.

Plus, you can get three, often four, wetsuits for the price of one drysuit, and that wetsuit will most likely be safer than a homemade drysuit - with all due respect and humble apologies for dis-ing your wife, it's not a trivial project.

If you do go for a drysuit, I don't think it's wise to go into it thinking you need a baggy suit to sit many layers of insulation beneath it.  It seems to make more sense to go to the Kokatat website, follow the links to their custom shop, chose any of the drysuits shown - I used the Gore-Tex Front Zipper model - and follow the instructions for entering your measurements, and when you're done it'll tell you what size drysuit Kokatat thinks you'll need.

I did that, then bought a Supernova Angler suit in the size recommended for me by Kokatat and I have plenty of room for all kinds of base layers beneath it.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a moment and ask how many times you think you'll be out there in your kayak in really cold, really nasty weather because if you think "Never!" then ask yourself how often you figure you'll be way offshore - beyond how far you might need to swim in say 20 minutes to half an hour.  If you also answer that with "Never!" I'd suggest that a drysuit or semi-drysuit is a luxury item and you can be just as safe and just as comfortable - often more comfortable - in neoprene.

Plus, you can get three, often four, wetsuits for the price of one drysuit, and that wetsuit will most likely be safer than a homemade drysuit - with all due respect and humble apologies for dis-ing your wife, it's not a trivial project.

If you do go for a drysuit, I don't think it's wise to go into it thinking you need a baggy suit to sit many layers of insulation beneath it.  It seems to make more sense to go to the Kokatat website, follow the links to their custom shop, chose any of the drysuits shown - I used the Gore-Tex Front Zipper model - and follow the instructions for entering your measurements, and when you're done it'll tell you what size drysuit Kokatat thinks you'll need.

I did that, then bought a Supernova Angler suit in the size recommended for me by Kokatat and I have plenty of room for all kinds of base layers beneath it.

That answer is truly an ‘I don’t know.’

I tend to hope for the best, plan for the worst type of guy.  I tend to push my limits, and if the fish were biting I could see myself saying it’s not that much further. Also, a set on kayak in August.  How’s the neoprene for cooking the living hell out of a guy?  Diving in Florence with a farmer John (7 mil upper/lower) I was cooking from the lot to the water.

As for the wife sewing one up, I have complete faith. Her background, and equipment make the daunting task of a dry suit more manageable. Her background is upholstery, industrial sewing, boat tops, etc.

Right now, I’m off to find this kokatat place and have a look. Thanks for the info. Also, if you’re looking for thin skinned, it’s not me.  I like straight forward and real answers. I appreciate all the help so far. Looking forward to getting wet.

Cheers. Mark

The problem with having your wife make a drysuit is that you don’t know what you like and don’t like with drysuits since you aren’t a drysuit user.

If you do have her make one look closely at several of the commercially available ones, pay close attention to the reinforced seams and wear areas of the higher end suits, and buy sufficient extra material to be able to make changes. Build it bigger than you think you will need. Triple reinforce the neck gasket. Make the sock double lined. Let out the waist a bit. Make sure you add a relief zipper. Buy the best zippers you can afford.

Make sure you are looking at paddle drysuits and not dive suits. They are different.

A talented seamstress can make a drysuit with no trouble, it’s knowing what you want in a drysuit that’s the rub here.

If you price the water prod zippers alone it is a good chunk of change. Several hundred dollars I believe. I looked into it when creating my cooler bags.

You might look at the Mystic drysuits https://www.mythicdrysuits.com/, less of an investment to begin until you have a better idea what you want/need.  There are several on the forum that have them and are satisfied, though they are not as durable as the big names, one would get you on the open seas at a fair price.