By Joe Bousquin
February 1, 2004
Upside: The low, low price for the high, high quality.
Downside: Neoprene waist may be a bit snug for rotund paddlers.
Rating: ^^^^^ (5 out of 5 peaks)
Ideal User: The average dirt-bag kayaker (this means
you) looking for an affordable, heavy-duty dry suit to
stay warm and dry in the chilly
months.
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Photo courtesy of Palm |
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So you're finally ready to buy a drysuit. After years of soul-wrenching torment, you've reconciled yourself to the fact that paddling isn't really about getting wet. It's about staying dry, no matter what your friends say.
Don't worry, they're just miffed they couldn't scrounge the cash together to buy this ultimate piece of paddler's plushness. (Smirking toward them at the
put-in won't help, though.) But maybe now, they can afford one too.
In the Stikine, newcomer Palm offers a burly drysuit for the as-yet uncovered kayaking masses, a piece of body-armor that's tough enough for the nastiest patch of manzanita yet cheap enough for the, well, cheapest dirt-bag kayaker.
At a suggested retail price of $650, this 4-ply, breathable, expedition-weight drysuit comes with a standard relief zipper, and for $100 more, breathable
feet, leaving everything comparable all wet. For instance, the 3-ply Kokatat Meridian Gore-Tex drysuit outfitted with relief zipper and socks sells for a suggested retail price of $910. For the price, and head-to-head, the Palm can't be beat.
I put my Stikine through the trials of a particularly sick play session last week, and it passed with flying colors. Now, I know what you're thinking. Play boating? How is that a good test of the bomberness of this suit? Well, for me, there are few times kayaking when I get as wet as play boating. Think about it: How often are you upside down on your friendly, neighborhood Class V, compared
to the myriad rolls you pull off at your favorite play spot? In my book, it's the acrobatics of play boating that push gear to its limits.
On the Chamberlain Falls section of the North Fork American, I had plenty of chances to see how dry this drysuit really is. I found it did its job remarkably
well, even when I didn't.
One of the nicest things you encounter about this suit, right off the bat, is getting into it. Palm has installed a rear-entry, industrial-strength, metal zipper across the upper back of the suit, which lets you avoid the contortions -- and near shoulder dislocations -- that come with front-entry suits. You simply climb in feet first, sort of like your favorite, latex-sealed sleeping bag, and then pull it over your head.
Getting the zipper closed by myself was a cinch. I did need help from a buddy to get the zipper open at the end of the day, but hey, you're not supposed to be paddling alone anyway, right? (If you are alone, attaching a short piece of cord to the rubber grab loop will get the job done, too, but detach it while paddling.)
Having the beefy zipper right across the back of your shoulders feels a bit odd at first, but I soon got used to it. This design also has huge advantages for kayakers over front-entry dry suits, whose across-the-chest zippers like to pinch and squirm and otherwise hinder torso movement.
A nice feature of this suit is its tailoring, which Palm calls the Mobility Cut. This means elbows come pre-bent, shoulders have more room and the waist is tapered to cut down on bulk around your midsection. I felt remarkable freedom of
movement, even play boating. My range of motion was so unimpeded, in fact, I found myself being more aggressive. In other words -- and I'm not just saying
this to justify the bank I laid out -- wearing this suit made me a better boater, at least for a day.
One thing I will say about the tapered waist, though. This neoprene band at the midsection, which doubles as your sprayskirt tunnel, means the suit is snug in the middle. If your gut has grown in the off-season watching paddle porn, your first springtime wriggle into the Stikine might be a bit tight. The advantage of this band is that the suit won't hang down to your knees if you decide to pop your head and arms out during a sunny lunch stop.
Of course, the best "pop out" on this suit is the standard, built-in relief zipper. It worked just fine as I tested it mid-way through the run, and was easy to close back up. Palm claims that its size and front-and-center placement is suited for both men and women, but as one rep confided in me concerning female usage, "I haven't witnessed it and hope I never do." Because Palm doesn't offer a drop seat, ladies might need to pick up a Freshette at their local gear shop to carry with them. (If you don't know what this contraption is, you're outta luck; I'm gonna have to echo the rep's sentiments here.)
The seals on the dry suit seemed about status quo to me. They were nice and tight, and kept me dry, except during one less-than-graceful roll attempt where I felt water trickle in my sleeve as I jerked about for air. I lay the blame for this seepage on my flailing, though, as I've never known wrist seals that stay completely dry when you're doing your best to twist out of them. At the end of the day, my polypro wasn't bone dry, but it was barely damp. I can't say if that was from my own sweat or the aforementioned trickle. In any case, the seals are protected by nice, velcroed, neoprene cuffs that include rubber pull tabs for easy opening.
The Stikine is constructed from Palm's own heavy-duty, breathable, waterproof fabric known as XP 200. The company boasts that this is a 4-ply fabric, backed by an extra, water-repelling layer as opposed to the 3-ply weaves most other heavy-duty drysuits use. I'm not a big enough gear head to understand the distinction; all I know is the Stikine's fabric is comfortable and rugged. Think of it as having the same thickness as your heavy-duty mountaineering shell. Palm reinforces the butt, knees and elbows with Dupont's abrasion-resistant Cordura, a nice touch when you fall on your caboose making your way down to the river.
Other thoughtful details include the standard reflective piping at the shoulders and neck, good for dusk take-outs, and a handy, water-resistant, zippered
pouch on the chest that will keep your candy bar dry and accessible during your paddle. As with everything, it's these little things that matter. One look at the careful stitching (no hanging threads here), the well-laid seam tape (smooth and subtle) and the rubber grip on the inside of the tunnel to keep your sprayskirt in place tells you Palm knows a thing or two about quality construction.
Okay, so this all sounds great, especially for the price. But who is Palm, you say? Neverheardovum? Well, don't fret. They're a British firm that's been making good paddling gear in Europe since 1979. If that doesn't reassure you, the company's lifetime warrantee on materials and workmanship ought to. The reason you haven't seen them before is they didn't get a good distribution deal in the U.S. until 2002, when they teamed up with MTI Adventurewear. Since then, they've slowly but surely been making their presence known in more U.S. paddle shops, but you still might have trouble finding Palm gear near you.
You can check out Palm's U.S. dealers, many of whom offer web sites so you can order online, at
www.palmequipmentusa.com
--Reviewed and written by Joe Bousquin
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