Dry Suit
From CanyonWiki
Drysuits are used typically when you are going to be in water temperatures between 0 and 15°C (32 to 60 °F). In these temperature ranges, a standard wetsuit may not provide enough cold-water protection to keep you from getting hypothermia. (Although it should be noted that some canyoneers prefer to use several very thick wetsuits (5mm or greater) layered on top of each other.)
Contents |
[edit] Drysuit Construction
Seals at the wrists and neck prevent water entering the suit. Even so, the canyoneer will be damp after a long period of time in a drysuit due to sweat and condensation. The seals are either made from latex rubber or neoprene. Latex seals survive for a maximum of two years but are supple. Neoprene seals last longer but let more water enter because, being stiffer, they do not make effective seals in the contours of the wrist and neck.
The material that a drysuit is made out of is an important consideration for canyoneering. Drysuits made out of nylon tend to be more abrasian resistant than those made out of gore-tex, but you pay a slight price in mobility. The drysuits most often used in Canyoneering are made by manufacturers for kayakers.
[edit] Protecting the Drysuit
A drysuit is not some magical impenetrable barrier, however, and in many canyons it may be impractical to use one because of the extremely narrow areas that will cause the suit to wear quickly. To combat excess wear-and-tear many canyoneer use Caving Coveralls made of ballistic nylon. These coveralls provide a layer of abrasion resistance to a drysuit.
 | This gear-related article is a stub. You can help the CanyonWiki by expanding it. |
[edit] References
[edit] External Links
- http://www.nrsweb.com Makes the "Extreme" drysuit, one that many canyoneers choose to use
- http://www.kokatat.com Make many gore-tex drysuits that are also popular among canyoneers
