One of the first items of kayaking gear I purchased, from the Kayak Academy, was a dry suit. It came with a pretty extensive care and use set of notes which I’ve summarized below so I always have them handy. Who knew that owning a dry suit was like have a new pet.
Check Size: On Kokatat brand suits, the size is marked on a ½" wide white label under the Velcro on the left wrist except for Meridian style suits where it is under the overskirt on the left side (i.e., WS = woman's small, L = men's large).
Fitting Gaskets: To keep you dry, gaskets need to be more than just snug (i.e. much tighter than a turtleneck). The tighter they fit, the better they seal. If you've never worn a dry suit before, at first, you'll probably feel the gaskets are annoyingly tight, but generally people forget all about the gaskets once they get out on the water and start having fun. So, unless you feel dizzy or your wrists are in pain, wait until the end of a day on the water before judging whether the gaskets are too tight. If the gaskets on your suit are too tight, don't bother trying to stretch them as a loosening technique - stretching makes them thinner and weaker but seldom loosens them enough (However, they will eventually stretch a little bit with use - this is normal). If a gasket is too tight, loosen it by trimming the end of the gasket until it is tolerable but tight. Gaskets are tapered; so, the more you cut off the end, the wider and looser they will be. Simply hold the gasket in one hand and cut around the end. Some people prefer to trim gaskets with a razor blade or scalpel (with gasket stretched around a bottle); we prefer using scissors. Either way, turn the gasket inside out so you can see the ridge-like rings that are molded into the inside of the gasket. Use these rings as a cutting guide - stay between the lines. Use sharp scissors and avoid making jagged cuts or nicks. Cut one ring or about ½" off the end of the gasket and try it on. Repeat as needed.
Getting In: Remove sharp rings, earrings, and take keys out of pants pockets (they gouge holes in suit). Don't overdress, you will warm up once the suit is zipped, especially if you will be active (i.e., paddling). Front entry zippers run diagonally across the chest; rear-entry zippers run across the back from shoulder to shoulder. If suit has dry socks, wear a thin pair of liner socks inside suit. Liner socks protect the dry socks from toenails etc. and they make in more comfortable and increase the ease of slipping in and out of the suit. If suit has ankle gaskets, take your socks off before putting the suit on...otherwise water will wick into the suit through your socks. Sit or stand on your spray skirt, towel, duffle bag, etc. while stepping into the suit to prevent damage from grinding the ankle gasket or dry socks into the ground. Put your right foot in first. Open the Velcro on the ankles' outer cuffs (on suits with ankle gaskets, roll the outer cuff up toward your knee to get better access to the ankle gasket). When stretching a gasket to get in or out of it, keep your fingers straight. Bent fingers rip gaskets! If it's extremely difficult step in, you are probably putting your foot into a sleeve (one out of four beginners do this). On warm days, wait to put the top half of the suit on until everyone is ready to launch. Tie the sleeves around your waist like a sweater when not wearing the top. After both legs are in, put your right arm in first, then your left, and your head last. You can tug lightly on the sleeves to slide your hands through the wrist gaskets and smooth the gaskets out, but don't tug on the suit to get your head through the neck gasket - doing this may pull the gasket off the suit. To pull the neck gasket on, put your hands in from the top and stretch the neck gasket with your fingers flat while pulling the neck gasket down over your head. Pull the waist up and tighten the slider on the belt-like bungee cord so you can walk easier. Dry suit zippers are inherently stiffer than standard zippers, but if zippers seams jammed, there may be sand in the teeth, or the zipper may need lubricating (see maintenance below). After closing the zipper(s), check that the zipper is closed all the way. Failure to close the zipper(s) completely is the most common cause of leakage. If the suit has a drop-seat or pee-zipper, check that they are fully closed too. Finally, burp the excess air out of the suit by holding the neck open with your fingers while squatting down. You should be able to feel and hear the air rush out as you squat - if not, pull the neck gasket further away from your skin and try again. Remove your fingers before standing up. When properly "burped", the suit should look vacuum packed. You can burp out even more air by burping the suit while standing in waist deep water. Burping the excess air out will make the suit more comfortable to wear and easier to swim in.
Using it: To avoid ripping the suit, feel for sharp burrs on the bolts of your kayak seat, seat back, and hip braces - cover any sharp metal edges with duct tape or file them smooth. When carrying a kayak, be careful of sharp edges on rudders, sharp bolts around the rudder, and frayed wires at rudder cable ends. Avoid contact with thorn bushes (i.e., black berries, wild roses, etc.); thorns can poke pin holes into the fabric creating small leaks. Always wear socks inside the suit and shoes or booties over the dry socks.
Sunscreen, insect repellents, skin lotions, etc. shorten the life of the latex gaskets. So, minimize use of these products on skin that is going to be in contact with latex gaskets. If any lotions get spilled on gaskets, wipe it off. Sulfur in some rivers can affect gaskets too. You can extend the life of the gaskets by washing them with soap and water to remove traces of these products as well as skin oils. If you use a "waterproof/breathable" dry-suit that isn't made of Gore-Tex, be extremely careful not to get any lotions (i.e., DEET) onto the fabric as many non-Gore-Tex brand waterproof/breathable fabrics are permanently damaged by many of these chemicals.
Getting out: UNZIP COMPLETELY before pulling your head out of the neck gasket, failure to open the zipper completely may result in breaking the zipper. After pulling your head out, remove both arms - left arm first. Next open Velcro at the ankles. If suit has ankle gaskets, pull the ankle gasket down till it rests on the bottom of your heel. If suit has dry socks, grab the heel of the sock while sliding your foot out. Then turn the legs inside out to finish getting out. After removing the suit, turn it completely inside out (wrist gaskets, socks, and all), and leave it inside out till it has been dried on the inside, then turn it right side out. Leave zippers open. Spray and smear 303 Protectant on gaskets and latex socks (not on Gore-Tex socks) to prolong their life and make the suit more comfortable to wear the next time.
Storage: Don't leave dry suit in car trunk because the exhaust fumes and heat will decompose the gaskets (sometimes in just one day)! To prevent mold and mildew from growing on the fabric, rinse dirt and salt off the suit before storing (use a hose, jump in a river, or wear it into shower). When packing suit in a car, suitcase, or hatch, close all zippers first - they are stronger when shut, and be careful not to bend the zipper in any way that would put a sharp kink in it. When storing suit for an extended time, open all zippers to avoid permanently compressing the rubber seals that make zippers waterproof (metal zippers). Hang suit with dry suit hanger of folded at waist and placed on a shelf. Metal hangers may shorten gasket life (due to alloys in metal and paint coating it). Store suit away from high heat and humidity or extreme dryness, exhaust fumes (from cars and furnaces), and chemical fumes (paint etc.), all of which shorten the life of the latex gaskets. 303 Protectant extends the life of latex gaskets and latex dry socks by helping to keep the rubber from drying out and it is a UV sunblock for the rubber. 303 also lubricates the gaskets and latex socks making them easier to slip in and out of and more comfortable to wear. Apply 303 and about once a month while in storage.
Field repairs and maintenance: If breathable dry suit is turning white from salt accumulation as seawater dries on it, rinse salt off. Fresh water is best for rinsing the salt off, but even sea water will work if you rinse it enough. On multi-day sea kayaking trips, take an occasional swim with the dry suit on to rinse the salt off (in streams and lakes when possible, in the sea if not).
When a zipper becomes harder than normal to open or close, lubricate it. Often a quick rubbing of zipper lube wax, paraffin, or a candle will do, but best to lubricate it by rubbing zipper lube wax on all three sides of both rows of teeth (plus the bit that shows through on the inside of the suit). If a zipper is stiff in just one spot (other than the ends) or won't move at all, there may be sand in the teeth. In this case, first try to blow, flick or brush sand out with a toothbrush. If zipper still sticks, use a full water bottle to splash jammed part of the zipper from the side as vigorously as possible. If you still have trouble sliding the zipper, look to see if a tooth is out of alignment or unequally spaced. Sometimes a crooked tooth will straighten itself out with use - try applying zipper lube liberally in the stiff spot and use extra care to hold the zipper straight while opening and closing it. You may be able to straighten zipper teeth with your fingernails enough that with some extra lubricant it will work. At home you can also try straightening zipper teeth with needle nose pliers, but there is a high risk of breaking the zipper by doing this. If zipper is broken, cover the entire zipper area with duct tape. Tape will seal zipper best when tape is applied on the inside of the suit - slide a hand down neck to finish applying tape (transparent duct tape sticks best). After the trip call us to get zipper replaced.
Several times a year, use a toothpick to apply a drop of Vaseline in the pocket at the lower end of the metal zipper (not on the teeth) to seal the end of the zipper - without this, when the Vaseline dries up or washes away water will seep in. Zipper wax is adequate for the new nylon zipper.
If a wrist or ankle gasket or latex dry sock gets torn, put the suit on and wrap duct tape around your wrist or ankle to make a seal. If it is too wet for tape to stick, wrap a wide rubber band around your wrist or ankle above the rip to make a seal.
If a neck gasket gets torn, take suit off and run duct tape or tear aid vertically up and over the top (not around your neck) to cover both the inside and outside of the rip with duct tape. Transparent duct tape sticks to gaskets much better than even the best gray duct tape (and
"Tenacious Tape" doesn't stick at all). Carry some transparent duct tape wrapped around your bottle of 303 Protectant as an emergency kit. Have someone pinch the taped area together to avoid putting any stress on the tape while pulling the gasket over your head.
If fabric of the suit gets torn, cover tear with duct tape on the outside, or if suit is dry and won't be used until the next day-You can make permanent repairs of punctures and rips less than ½" with Tenacious Tape, again on the outside if you have a warranty suit. If the suit fabric is GoreTex, you can make permanent repairs of tears from ½" to 2" long with a Gore-Tex patch kit. We DO NOT use Aquaseal anymore for repairs. For coated nylon suits, if you need to make a repair that requires reinforcement (i.e., tears longer than ½") consult the manufacturer for repair. In any case, if the rip is more than 2" long, it would be best to have the manufacturer make the permanent repair.
Repair/maintenance kits: On long trips take: 303 Protectant, wide rubber bands, Tenacious Tape, Transparent duct tape, AquaSeal, scissors for trimming gaskets to loosen them and for cutting off old gaskets when replacing them (i.e. folding camp scissors, Swiss army knives with shears, some 1st aid kits include tape cutters), Gore-Tex patch kit, spare gaskets and gasket replacement tools complete with: Aquaseal, alcohol cleaning wipes (included in some 1st Aid kits), and sand paper so you can permanently replace any torn gasket.
Tear-aid- can be used like duct tape
Transparent duct tape (Scotch brand) - wrap 4 turns of tape around 303 Protectant bottles. For field repairs of gaskets suit fabric Gear Aid ProCleaner (Wash) and ReviveX Spray-On Water Repellent (first wash with ProCleaner then treat with Repellent)
Gear Aid Mirazyme Odor Eliminator (if clean looking but really smelly)
Mesh rucksack or gear bag (keeps your feet clean and dry and prevents damage to suit while stepping in and out of it)
Vaseline - seals end pocket of waterproof metal zippers
Toothpicks - for applying Vaseline to the inside of zippers ends
Scissors (folding camp scissors) - for loosening and replacing gaskets
Wide rubber bands - for field repair for failed wrist and ankle gaskets
AquaSeal glue - to glue on replacement gaskets
Tenacious Tape - to seal small punctures on the outside of the suit
Gore-Tex Patch Kit - for rips in Gore-Tex fabric
Gasket replacement tools
Spare gaskets and latex dry socks (plus supplies: alcohol wipes, sandpaper, masking tape, latex gloves)
Dry suit hanger
In the field: Rinse dirt and salt off the outside of dry suit by simply wearing the suit while swimming and scrubbing it with your hands. A fresh water rinse is best, but even sea water will rinse off most of the accumulated salt build-up. Salt itself won't hurt the suit, but it will draw moisture from the air; so even after drying your suit it can get damp again just hanging in a closet. Also, dirt sticks to salt allowing mold and mildew to grow. Over time this will stain the suit and byproducts from the mildew may weaken the fabric. Ideally, rinse the salt off at the end of each day, but skipping a day or two in the middle of a week-long trip isn't likely to cause a problem.
At home: If suit is salty or dirty on the outside, rinse it with a garden hose and scrub the dirt off with your hand or by rubbing fabric against fabric (the later technique is especially good for cleaning the inside of dry socks). You can also rinse the suit by wearing it in the shower or hand wash it in a tub. If the inside of suit is dirty or smelly, turn it completely inside out, and wash it in warm water (104F/40C) with mild soap or detergent (we use GearAid "ReviveX Pro Cleaner ®"). Whatever laundry soap you use, dilute it about 4x more than its instructions say. Avoid Woolite ®, "Ivory Snow" ®, Mirazyme B. Never use bleach, fabric softeners, top-load washing machines (the agitator may break zippers), or dry-cleaning. Either hand-wash or use a front-load washing machine (set to the delicate/hand-washable cycle with cold to warm water and extra rinse cycle). If hand washing, rinse both the inside and outside thoroughly to remove soap. After washing, drain water out of the dry socks and hang it to let suit drip-dry while inside out; then turn the suit right side out and hang it to dry on the outside. Do not use a clothes dryer -- the heat may damage the gaskets, waterproof zippers, and seam tape!
If dry suit still has odors after washing it with detergent, turn it inside out and dip it in a tub of warm water and MeNett "Mirazyme®". Mirazyme® is a biodegradable enzyme that kills odor causing bacteria. Mirazyme is gentle on the fabric, DWR (Durable Water Repellant) treatments, and zippers. However, Mirazyme may degrade the latex gaskets. So as much as possible, hold the gaskets out of the water while dipping suit in Mirazyme® water. Then rinse well and hang to drip-dry.
Chemicals such as insect repellant, sun block, and body oils are harmful to latex gaskets. So before storing suit, hand-wash the gaskets with mild soap and water to remove contaminates. When dry, reapply 303 Protectant on both the inside and outside of gaskets. Store suit away from paint cans, furnace, cars, insect fumigation, sunlight, etc.
Stain Removal, use a pre-wash treatment such as Shout® or Spray 'n Wash®, follow its manufacturers' instructions. Rinse well and hang to drip-dry.
Washing a dry suit removes wax from zippers and UV protectants from gaskets. So, lubricate the zipper(s) with drysuit zipper wax or paraffin and treat latex rubber gaskets with 303 Protectant®. The Vaseline that seals the closed end of the zippers will also need to be reapplied. Open the zipper(s) a couple inches and use a toothpick to apply a drop of Vaseline® in the pocket at the end of the zipper (not on the teeth). Then shut zipper and wipe off any excess Vaseline® from outside of zipper. Without this tiny smear of Vaseline®, water will leak through the end of the zipper. Rub zipper wax on all three sides of both rows of teeth and the bit of teeth that shows through on the inside of the suit. If a zipper becomes noticeably stiffer in the middle or just won't move, there may be sand, or salt caught in the teeth. A dirty zipper can be cleaned by scrubbing crosswise to the teeth with an old tooth brush, mild soap and warm water. Re-lubricate zipper after cleaning.
DWR & Restoring Water Repellency to Outer Fabric
When new, waterproof/breathable fabrics have a wax-like treatment on the outside called Durable Water Repellent (DWR) which causes water to bead up rather than soak into the outer layer of fabric. After many days of wear and/or a few wash cycles, most of the DWR treatment wears off. When the DWR is gone, the outer layer of fabric can get wetted-out, and there will be greater heat loss due to conduction and evaporation. We consider this cooling an improvement especially in warm weather, but this heat loss may fool your senses into making you feel wet - even though the suit is still breathing and not leaking. If you are bothered by this feeling, try wearing warmer layers under the suit or a Cag over it. There are products made to restore the DWR, but they don't last as long as the original DWR. For Gore-tex® dry suits, the best of these water repellent treatment products is "ReviveX Spray-On Water Repellent for Outerwear®, by GearAid®.
If you plan to apply water repellency to the dry suit, we recommend first washing the outside of the suit with GearAid "ReviveX Pro Fabric Cleaner®". Before washing, seal the neck, wrists and ankle gaskets (if applicable) with rubber-bands, and close all zippers. Hand-wash the suit in a tub of warm water. Then rinse thoroughly to remove soap and hang suit to let it drip-dry. For best results, apply ReviveX Spray-On Water Repellent for Outerwear® to the suit while it is still wet - shortly after water stops dripping off. Use the pump bottle it comes in to spray on the Water Repellent (on the outside of the suit only so as not to hinder the breathability. Then use a hair dryer to complete the job (the heat helps the DWR saturate into the outer layer of fabric). If this seems like too much trouble, remember that restoring the water repellency to your dry suit is completely optional. Even without any DWR, a true waterproof/breathable fabric such as Gore-Tex® and Hydrus® will still be completely waterproof and breathable because only the outer fabric gets wet and you have the membrane or waterproof/breathable coating between you and the outer fabric. But it will likely take some experience and personal testing to convince yourself that you are not getting wet inside the suit. If you are getting wet, it's either due to sweat, a leak, or loose gaskets. Test your suit for pin-hole leaks (from thorns, fiberglass, etc.) - see our "Dry Suit Owner's Guide"
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