Flashburn Shorty Courtesy of Bomber Gear

Wearing a shorty dry top will be the closest you'll get to not wearing a dry top at all in Oregon. Anyone that has had the pleasure of paddling without a dry-top knows the incredible agility and heightened sense of movement that comes with it. Shortys are not popular in the Northwest, and folks don't know what they're missing - MOBILITY. Paddling in a shorty offers an open and restrictive-free feeling, particularly with the cut fit of the Flashburn.

With ample storage space (including a large dry pocket - nice) there is no functionality compromise from a standard full dry top. The Flashburn has the same solid safety features the rest of Bomber's dry-tops share, including lots of reflective piping. The high cut waist adds to good torso mobility as well.

Everyone knows how painful it is to pull on a full dry top on an 85 degree day. On a hot day you'll get just as wet from sweating in a full dry top as not wearing dry gear at all. The Flashburn shorty provides a good balance of cool yet dry, particularly with the breathe-ability of Bomber's Toray fabric. I demoed this shorty mostly on Northwest creeks including the Upper Upper Cispus and Green Truss section of the White Salmon, rivers that aren't known for being "warm water." However, at low summer flows on warm days this shorty is the ideal garment.

But, let there be no doubt, the Flashburn shorty is for warm weather days only. Don't over commit if you're on a run where temperatures could drop or you expect lots of underwater time in cold water. The Flashburn is best for short runs, park and play, ocean surfing, and warm water runs. Also, you will need to get short sleeve thermal wear or a stretch top to wear under it. Bomber makes some good features on these products as well.