gear
Thermal Throwdown
If you’ve recently grappled with Mother Nature only to be dealt a stone-cold, underwater smackdown, you likely considered your costume at some point. And we’re not talking golden tassels here. You need a burly outer layer to protect those flying elbows and to keep you paddling, primed for the next round. The main matchup you’ll have to wrestle with then is between a wetsuit or a drysuit. On one hand, the nimble neoprene coveralls offer immersion ease, comfort and durability that have earned real rafter respect season after season. If you can stand the gasket headlock however, the one-piece challenger puts cold water into submission. Drysuits also can lay a big hit on your wallet. Fortunately, new materials mean you don’t have to be Ted “The Million-Dollar Man” DiBiase to get yourself into dry zippered bliss—or neoprene nirvana. Take a gander at the latest options and get back into the octagon already. – Dave Shively 62 | canoekayak.com | whitewater 2009
This page: Camaro Seamless Surfer, right, incorporates 5-, 4-, and 3-mm stitch-free, bamboo-lined neoprene using Seamless Bonding Construction, making for a superwarm, and super-comfy coldwater wetsuit for surf or river. ($399, camaro.at); Peak UK Creek One Piece, left, adds bottoms and an innovative leg-entry system (the zipper runs up the inside of one leg and down the other) to its proven Creek Jacket, featuring beefy X4HD multi-layer material with slots for motocross-style upper spine, shoulder and elbow pads ($799, peakukus.com). the full view: for 360-degree shots of these suits (and a few others), visit canoekayak.com. photograph by art brewer