Women's semi dry suit

Ok, trying to get my fiancée into a yak.  We looked at the Kokatat semi nova which I have and love.  My question for those with experience is the relief zipper. My fiancée looked at the womens with the zipper in back and thought that looks uncomfortable. The guys suits seem like the relief zipper is well er, designed for guys.

Anything else like fit?  Does she need a woman's dry suit?

Thoughts?

My girlfriend uses a men's medium suit with the standard relief zipper. It doesn't work very well. Pee breaks are done on shore.

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I believe there are products (sort of an adapters really) out that would let women use the standard relief zipper.   I think I saw them in a Campmor catalog once.

Lots of adapters out there that may help with this need.

You Go Girl!


http://www.go-girl.com/

Marie has one, but to use it, you have to be standing, so, like Bill said, potty breaks are on the shore.

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http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Urinal-with-Female-Adapter/dp/B000M3DCHI

Duct tape a cone to a piece of 2 inch flex pipe. Have enough slack to dangle your pipe over the side. Seems like you could turn around with your knees in your seat to get the pee flowing down hill. Problem solved....and you don't have to visit the shore.

I was going to make a joke about adult diapers but... well...there just aint nuthin funny 'bout adult diapers....

-Spot-

Reminds me if that SNL skit "Oops I crapped my pants!".

We sell the go girl, and my female staffers (who use drysuits with the "male" relief zipper) said that you really need to add an extension tube to the funnel. half inch vinyl tubing works really well from what I'm told. Aaaand cue the extension jokes...

This has been an amusing thread to read so far -- what a wealth of expertise on display.  Here's my advice for Kard's lovely fiance, for what it's worth:

1. A relief zipper is essential, whether relief is taken on shore or off.  Getting out of the suit to manage the chore, only to put it back over your head and shoulders within minutes, is a PITA.  That part isn't gender based.

2. What we women are required to do for relief and general maintenance is, well, different and more varied.  We have more to consider than just liquid management from time to time.  That fact (the women in your lives can explain) suggests that the drop seat on a woman's suit may be more useful than the male relief zipper with man-adapter discussed above. 

3. No matter whether a man's or woman's suit is in use, assuming the presence of the relief zipper, there's some extra thought that needs to be applied to what one wears underneath.  Not obvious, but even if you're going the man-adapter route with a man's suit, make sure your ladies have a fly in the fleece or other under layer.  Otherwise, that vertical zip isn't going to do any good.  AND, if it's the traditional drop seat on a women's model, make sure the under layer also has a drop seat.  OTHERWISE, a gal is hard pressed to maneuver the dropping of interior trou necessary to get the job done.  Without the right interior layer, the whole relief zipper benefit is lost.

4.  Don't diss the Depends.  When I'm out in Cook Inlet and worried about getting carried out on the tide for 12 hours, I wear one.  Haven't ever had to use it, but it's part of my "belts-and-suspenders" approach to life.  My thought is that if I were caught on a ripping tide with wind waves causing the seas to stack up -- a very possible scenario -- then I'd not want to have to get on my knees to wrestle with the relief zipper no matter what. 

For what it's worth, I've been completely satisfied with my Kokatat Women's Lightweight Goretex Paddling Suit -- it's semi-dry, and comes with a relief zipper.  It's a good fit, very comfortable, and gives me access to what I need to do whether offshore or not. 

Didn't mean to write a treatise here, but I thought it might help to get some important aspects of the female paddler's needs right out there for you gents.

I think production,marketing and distribution of the brand name 'Man-Adapter' should start immediately. That is so cleverly hilarious to me.

I vote for AKFG's "Fly in the Fleece Liquid Management".


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Thanks all for the input. Thanks Akfishergal!!! The fiancée agrees with your points!!  Maybe best now to move to the humor section...lol 


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Don't you know that we women kayak anglers only need to go to the bathroom when there are other women kayak anglers around to go with us