Wetsuits and Drysuits??

So I am brand new to kayaking I just got my first kayak saturday actually. I plan on spending alot of time in the sound and the ocean. But I dont know anything about Drysuits and Wetsuits.Do I need both?  Are there inexpensive places to find quality products. Pretty much dont know anything so any advice that I can get would be great Im on the broker side of life for awhile so cost is a big factor. Thank you.

If your hitting it in cold weather get a dry suit. I overheat easy and wear a wetsuit and don't go in the ocean winter time as of yet so a wetsuit works well and is usually cheaper. It's a matter of personal comfort and conditions your fishing.

Isn't the thing about a drysuit that you can tailor to the temps based on what you wear underneath ? So anything from warm weather you just wear the drysuit with shorts and a t-shirt under, all the way through polypro base layers then fleece for cold weather ?

I have similar (to the OP) questions about wetsuits and hyrdroskin type clothing. First, I see "shorty" and "farmer" style wetsuits - would those be ok to keep your core body temp up if you end up in the water, supplemented with splash pants/top to keep surface water/wind away while in the boat ?

Second, is the hydroskin and 1mm neoprene gear just a base layer, or would be be suitable for immersion in...what water temps ? Again supplemented by some sort of wind/splash outer layer ?

Is a "rashguard" also just base layer ?

Thanks

If you can afford a dry suit go that direction. You want to match your base layer more to the water temperature than the air. Shorts and a tee shirt as a base layer when the water is in the 50s could be a bad combo. Practicing reentry is great but also spend 5-10 minutes just floating in cooler water and see how your base layer holds up.

Here is a good way to test what is comfortable in the water regardless of outside temps.

Put on what you want to test and go take a swim in a local bay near where you plan to fish.  Stay near shore and have a friend on shore to assist you in the event you have issues. Wear a PFD as this part of the layering.

See how long you can stand the water temps.  If it turns out you are at all cold, you didn't have the layers or materials you should have.

Try again.

Is there a specific type of dry suit that is good for Kayak Fishing? Or what in particular should I look for when selecting a dry suit and around what price range should I expect to be paying I have seen them get really expensive.

Wetsuits are 1/3 the cost of drysuits.  I'm an old surf rat so I am accustomed to wetsuits.  I wear a full 3/2 wetsuit (that means the legs and arms are 2 mm thick and the chest and core are 3 mm thick).   Such a suit can be had for $130 or so.  I also wear booties (another $20). 

A wetsuit isn't especially comfortable, but I gather a drysuit isn't too comfortable either once you get to sweating. 

Best of luck, whatever you choose.

I agree with the majority, it's an economy driven decision. If you don't have the budget a wetsuit will work. I used them for years and found the front zip farmer john type the most useful. Add layers and a waterproof layer from the waist up and it works in fairly cold conditions. But eventually your time on the water will be limited this set up. Temperature is hard to control with a wetsuit as you need to sweat a bit to make it work but too much moisture causes an evaporative cooling, so you work harder to stay warm then stop to fish and it cools too quickly. It becomes an exhaustive cycle of heat up and cool down.

Drysuits take more maintenance and cost more upfront but they extend your time and comfort on the water by a huge amount, especially in rough/cold conditions and it's hard to put a price on that.

Now I have the luxury of support by Kokatat, one of the most awesome American-made products in the kayaking industry. I get to paddle in the top of the line Gore-Tex drysuit and my clothing never limits my fishing in any condition.

Is there a specific type of dry suit that is good for Kayak Fishing? Or what in particular should I look for when selecting a dry suit and around what price range should I expect to be paying I have seen them get really expensive.

Here are some features which are desirable in a kayak fishing drysuit:

1. A front diagonal zipper.  Don't get a drysuit with a rear-entry zipper across your shoulders, because it can be difficult to get in and out of a rear-entry drysuit without assistance.

2. A gender-appropriate pee zipper.  This is really really really desirable.  There are many situations in which it isn't possible to get to shore so you can peel off your drysuit to pee, and taking your drysuit off and putting it back on every time you need to pee is a great big hassle.

3. Dry socks rather than ankle gaskets.  Your feet will be wet much of the time when fishing in a sit-on-top kayak, and dry socks are way warmer and more comfortable than ankle gaskets.  You can layer up enough fluffy socks under dry socks to keep your feet warm even in very cold water.  Wear shoes, sandals, or wet-suit booties which are loose, as tight footgear will constrict your feet and make them get cold.

4. Breathable fabric is a big plus, but not essential.  You can get a lot of condensation inside a non-breathable drysuit.

5. Collars and cuffs.  Better constructed drysuits have a collar which covers the neck gasket, and cuffs which cover the wrist gaskets and the dry socks or ankle gaskets. Collars and cuffs aren't essential, but they protect the gaskets and dry socks from UV radiation, which deteriorates them over time.  Ankle gaskets protect dry socks or ankle gaskets from being ripped when you're walking through brush.  If you rip a gasket, collars and cuffs which can be tightened with velcro will reduce the amount of water which gets into your drysuit. 

Some lower-cost fishing drysuits have neoprene neck and wrist gaskets rather than latex gaskets.  Some people prefer the neoprene gaskets because they are more comfortable.  However, neoprene gaskets aren't as waterproof as latex gaskets, and water in a drysuit is not a good thing.  You'll need to decide whether the comfort and lower cost of neoprene gaskets is worth the reduced safety.  All my drysuits have latex gaskets.

First off I really want to thank everyone for all there replys and great information it has really helped me. Ive decided to just save my money and get a drysuit. Im going to keep an eye out for a good sale (black friday) or craigslist. I need to try to find the right size too. I was wondering what kind of maintenance a drysuit needs so I can prepare and be ready.

I was wondering what kind of maintenance a drysuit needs so I can prepare and be ready.

Rinse your drysuit off thoroughly after fishing in salt water.  Always hang your drysuit up to dry as soon as you get home, with the zipper gapped open so the inside will dry.  If you don't, it may develop mildew, which will damage its waterproofness and smell bad.  If you put 303 Protectant on the gaskets, they'll last longer.  Try to keep suntan lotion off the gaskets as much as possible, as it will deteriorate them.  If the zipper gets hard to pull, rub some zipper lubricant, candle wax, or paraffin into the teeth. That's about it for maintenance.

Latex gaskets, particularly neck gaskets, don't last forever.  If you use your drysuit a lot, a neck gasket may only last a couple of years.  The latex will develop a lot of little cracks, and eventually the gasket will tear when you are putting on your drysuit.  It is a scientifically proven fact that neck gaskets invariably tear when you're putting them on, thereby screwing up a day of fishing or kayaking, rather than tearing at the end of a day of fishing or kayaking.  And the further you had to drive to get to the launch site, the more likely it is that your neck gasket will tear.  Wrist gaskets last much longer than neck gaskets.

If your neck gasket tears, they are easy to replace.  I've replaced over a dozen of them.  There are instructions for replacing neck gaskets on Kokatat's webpage at http://kokatat.com/self-repair .  If you aren't into DIY, many local kayak stores replace neck gaskets, or you can send your dry suit back to the manufacturer and ask it to replace the gasket.

Oh wow thats not to bad then. Thank you very much.

I wear shorts and a wicking t shirt under my dry suit during warm weather. I pack a fleece top and dry top so if wind and waves come up, on goes the fleece over top the dry suit and then the last layer is the dry top to keep dry. Seems to work.
T2

I wear shorts and a wicking t shirt under my dry suit during warm weather. I pack a fleece top and dry top so if wind and waves come up, on goes the fleece over top the dry suit and then the last layer is the dry top to keep dry. Seems to work.
T2

When you say it works, do you mean you are comfortable in the boat, or that you've tested the combination in the water ?

The big question I'm struggling with is I can come up with plenty of gear that will work so long as I don't end up in the water, but I think I really have to plan on the worst case scenario, which I need to be able to survive, while also being comfortable and manageable the 99%+ of the time when I don't end up in the water. Plus the setup needs to not impair my ability to get back on the boat.

I currently have semidry pants and a hydroskin top on order. I am thinking about the hydro top in combination with a farmer wetsuit, or under a drytop with the aforementioned dry pants.

Very open to comments on the different combinations. I also have breathable waders I can throw into the mix.

 What I wear is partly specific to where I fish. In other words I fish most of the time in Juan de Fuca Strait with powerboats at every location. Yesterday I was at a spot  where there was a charter boat guy that I know very well who would be over to help me in a flash if I overturned. That being the case and given that I am usually fighting current(peddling steadily) I choose to go light under the dry suit. Comfort matters in your  enjoyment of kayak fishing. But it depends on where and how your fishing and what conditions. JDF can be very  dangerous at times but i choose the conditions to go fish always erring on the side of caution. I guess what I'm trying to say is there is no one way to be safe in terms of clothing.
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