In market for new drysuit. Suits seem similar in retail price / features, NRS claims eVent more comfy... could get the Kokotat much cheaper though... not sure what to do ..advice?

Both are great suits. The NRS suits are all coming with latex booties now vs. the gortex booties. Unless you like clammy feet go with the Kokatat but you should double check on the type of booties that the NRS comes with.

I feel like we have this thread every few months when someone is looking to justify the added expense of investing in Kokatat Gore-tex this or that.

Buy Kokatat, then you won't have to buy another one in a year or two.  There is a reason you see lots of old school kokatat gear on the river:  It lasts and works well longer than anything else.  Ask anyone who paddles one, most people would buy it again.  Kokatat also has great repair service and guarantee on their stuff if you wear it out (my first drysuit lasted more than 200 river days, and 100 more after a $50 repair/ water testing).

It IS more expensive, but so is any Gore-Tex anything.  North Face Goretex jacket is $350 while the REI Equivalent is $200, same story.  Buy the Kokatat, you'll be glad you did.

Touche Tobin...  you know if you stopped being such a nice guy and letting everyone else use your gear, it wouldn't get destroyed so fast...  You know, its better to take it off using the zipper, not the surgical scissors;  they last longer that way...  =)

Oh and 17 to go.

Edited by newtobin - 07 Mar 2008 at 4:35pm

The one person I know that has a palm has problems with the zipper.

Keep your eyes out for Nookies new Dry Suit in the works.  I am psuhing them to make a latex free version too.  The non latex gaskets on their dry tops last 4x+ longer then latex and don't give you the grape head effect, and are just as www.nookie.co.uk/products/index.htmy.  

I am really not for one or the other but I have had experiences with both.

Took a winter Grand Canyon trip a couple of years back and 6 people on the trip bought brand new Kokatat Gore Tex suits. All but one of those suits had major leaks by the end of the trip from wear between the legs. Some had leaks only 6 days in the canyon.

These people were bummed. Sent back to Kokatat and nothing but the run around from customer service.

My wife, who had one of the suits, sent it back and after 6 weeks with kokatat they sent it back and said 30 days on the Grand Canyon is excessive wear and they wouldn't warrentee it. We still have the suit with holes along the seam of the inside of the legs.

The one person who had an NRS suit was comfy and dry and had no problem.

Also someone said the NRS suits have latex booties. All the suits I have seen from them recently had some type of breathable material for booties.

I would like to try the Palm though, since they seem to make a nice suit.

Just my two cents