My hand has been forced!!!!

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.

I don't have any hands on experience with Mythic but I'm not sure I agree with it being that much of a 'value' proposition.

Comparing it at $399 (I'm not sure if discounts are available), with a latex neck gasket, 1 year warranty, and no angling reinforcements on the elbows, lap, legs, buns...to the Kokatat H3 that has an adjustable neoprene neck, lifetime warranty, US made, and angling reinforcements and can usually be had for 15% off at Outdoor play which means $523 (I got my GoreTex version from them for 15% off-  $723).

As someone that often spends 6 or 7 hours in their suit, the H3 at just $124 more than the Mythic seems worth that difference based on the more comfortable neck, angling reinforcements and warranty.

the way I see it, the more comfortable the immersion gear is, the more often you will wear it and that makes it more likely that you will be wearing it when needed.

I got Kokatat Hydrus 3L on sale at Next Adventure during their warehouse sale for $470.   Might be worth waiting for.

Try a wetsuit first unless your going to spend late October through early February out in the pacific. I use a wet suit, as well as my wife,and my adult son. Mine is 3/4 mil surfing suit. I don’t kayak in the winter so this works for me. I tried a dry top wader combo and since I run on the hot side being a big guy I sweated like a linebacker and smelled like a locker when I was done. You can rent a wetsuit at most surf shops and the one in seaside has an after hours drop off and let me pick it up the evening before I went with only a one day charge.

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.

Dry suits can be a one-person sauna all day, and not necessarily from the insulating value of the base layers.  Top of the line Gore-Tex may reduce the sauna effect but I don't know that since the price of admission to ultra Gore-Tex was too high for something I don't use every day.  I figure the sauna effect results from the lack of air exchange through the breathable fabrics, since the "breathable" part means water vapor can move through the fabric, not that air circulates in and out, and some folks perspire more than others.  Not me, of course.  I never sweat, I glisten.

I also own a pair of of Kokatat Gore-Tex paddling pants that I use for waders when bank fishing.  A strong storm with lots of rain and wind can (and did) create enough pressure on the outer fabric to drive water through the fabric and leave me dripping wet.  You might never encounter conditions so unfavorable when in a kayak, but it can happen, so it's good to understand that dry suits are dry only to a certain point.

Dry suits are fine, and I'm not knocking them (other than about their cost), but I've never seen them as the end-all and be-all of immersion gear; to me, they're simply one alternative, and every alternative has its pro's and con's.

Everyone's mileage may vary.

The nice thing about a dry suit is if it gets too hot you can jump in and cool off.  Also once the outer shell is soaked, evaporative cooling will help chill you further.  If you don't want to jump in bring something along you can drench yourself with.

Tinker, I think there might be something wrong with your pants fabric or you are over glistening from the inside.  Wind and rain shouldn't be getting you wet.

I wear my drysuit all year.  I use it for steelhead fishing from the bank in the winter. It can rain all day and I stay dry.  Also, if I were to fall in, it would not be the end of my day...or-- potentially -- my life. A Kokatat Goretex drysuit has been the best investment I have made in my life for my outdoor enjoyment.  I picked up a barely used Kokatat Meridian Goretex drysuit in XL last year from Craigslist for $290.  It is my winter drysuit.  I can get a nice thick fleece coat and pants under it.

I picked up a barely used Kokatat Meridian Goretex drysuit in XL last year from Craigslist for $290.  It is my winter drysuit.

Nice score.  I have the same model.  Like you I use it year round any time it's raining or I'm on cold water.

the more comfortable the immersion gear is, the more often you will wear it and that makes it more likely that you will be wearing it when needed

+1

And also, the more comfortable you are the slower you will fatigue. Fatigue leads to poor decision making which leads to avoidable problems. Comfort is a safety factor!