What is a Drysuit?
“They’re waterproof suits that are designed to keep you completely dry.
If you’re not familiar with drysuits, here’s what you should know. Drysuits are the ultimate protection against cold water, cold weather, or a combination of the two. The idea behind drysuits is pretty simple. They’re waterproof suits that are designed to keep you completely dry. Theoretically, you should be able to get into a dry suit with your street clothes, and then hop out at the end of a long, wet day of paddling completely dry.
Drysuit or Wetsuit?
“While drysuits are considerably more expensive than wetsuits, their primary benefit is obvious – they keep you dry and arguably more comfortable.”
Both drysuits and wetsuits are good solutions for paddling in cold, or extreme cold, conditions. Wetsuits are designed to provide insulation and warmth when they’re wet. Drysuits keep you warm by keeping you dry. The benefit of wetsuits is that they’re more affordable than drysuits, and they fit like a glove on the body. While drysuits are considerably more expensive than wetsuits, their primary benefit is obvious – they keep you dry and arguably more comfortable. A drysuit also provides more versatility, because you can use as many (or few) layers as required underneath them to accommodate the conditions.
Who Are Drysuits For?
“Drysuits are a good option for people who get cold very easily and for people who want to extend their paddling season.”
Drysuits are a good option for people who get cold very easily and for people who want to extend their paddling season. When air temperatures or water temperatures approach freezing, drysuits aren’t just a matter of convenience and comfort, they’re a matter of absolute safety. Without an appropriate wet suit or dry suit, swimming from your kayak could quickly result in hypothermia, which can be a deadly condition.
The Level Six Emperor Drysuit
“The Emperor is a paddler’s drysuit that’s designed to withstand any weather that you can throw at it.”
Level Six's Emperor drysuit isn’t a new piece of gear, but it has been updated for 2021. The Emperor is a paddler’s drysuit that’s designed to withstand any weather that you can throw at it. It’s for whitewater kayakers, sea kayakers, canoeists, or even flatwater paddlers who want to continue paddling when the water or weather turns cold.
The Emperor dry suit retails for $1300 Canadian dollars. It has latex wrist and neck gaskets that are covered by neoprene gasket protectors. It has a rear entry zipper, as well as a relief zipper. The suit has cordura reinforced shoulders, elbows, knees, and seat, and features 3-ply, built-in socks.
The Level Six Emperor Dry Suit Gear Test
“In my opinion, the Emperor’s fit is very good, and the sizing is what I would expect.”
The only way to effectively test a dry suit is to take it for a swim, and so that’s what I did. In fact, I took it for two swims – the first on flat water, and the second through a significant rapid on the Ottawa River. Here’s what I can tell you from the testing I did…
I’m 6’2” (with long legs and arms) and 195 pounds and the dry suit I tested was an extra-large. I felt that it fit me pretty much perfectly. It felt too big and baggy when I initially put it on, but that’s natural for a drysuit designed for paddling. Not only do you need extra space in the suit to add additional layers for the really cold days, but you need the extra space to accommodate the sitting position you’ll assume in the kayak. If the suit feels perfectly fitted standing up, that often means you’ll get tightness in the feet, legs or back of the suit when sitting down. While paddling, the articulated elbows and back offered great range of motion. In my opinion, the Emperor’s fit is very good, and the sizing is what I would expect.
Is the Emporer Drysuit effective?
“Emperor drysuit did its job wonderfully”
An effective dry suit should keep you dry on the inside. After my whitewater swim, I wasn’t completely dry, but that’s due to user error. I made the rookie mistake of allowing a portion of my underlayer shirt sneak out under the wrist gasket. This shirt acted like a wick, allowing a little bit of water into the arm of the suit. That aside, the Emperor drysuit did its job wonderfully, as I was otherwise dry.
Is the Emperor Drysuit worth the price?
To sum it all up, the Level Six Emperor Drysuit is a solidly built and high-performing dry suit and, in my opinion, worth the investment. But the bigger question might be whether or not any dry suit is worth the hefty price tag. The answer to that question is very simple. If you're going to be dealing with extreme cold conditions, then a wetsuit or drysuit isn’t just a luxury, it's a safety necessity. The question you have to answer is whether the additional comfort is worth the extra cost of a drysuit (rather than just sticking with a wetsuit). For me, it is. But that decision may not be the right one for everyone.
Watch PaddleTV
I hope you enjoyed this article. For more information, check out my gear reviews, tips, and adventures on PaddlingTV.
