Restoring Durable Water Repellant (DWR) coating on drysuits and paddling gear

[Dan Foster]

I've been using our recent bouts of stormy weather to stress-test some of my outdoor gear, and I have been reading up more on the importance of maintaining a DWR coating on rain gear in order to maintain breathability. DWR is the stuff that makes water bead up on the outside of your brand-new rain jacket and roll off without wetting the fabric. In addition to performing this cool molecular chemistry party trick, it allows the waterproof/breathable membrane (GoreTex, eVent, etc) in your garment to pass hot, sweaty water vapor from your body to the outside. When the DWR coating degrades, the outer fabric "wets out", and water vapor can no longer easily pass through the membrane, and it builds up inside instead. This quickly leads to cold, clammy condensation which can lead people to erroneously declare that their gear is leaking or no longer waterproof.

Leaks and failed waterproofing are a topic for a different discussion - let's assume for this discussion an otherwise flawless GoreTex garment with no pinholes or delamination, with working zippers and gaskets. It is 100% waterproof, but it has lost its DWR coating. Despite the "durable" in the name, all DWR coatings degrade over time, especially in areas subject to abrasion, like under PFDs or backpack straps. All waterproof/breathable garments will eventually lose their factory DWR coating.

I've seen a fair amount of discussion about reapplying DWR in the backpacking community, but very little about maintaining DWR on drysuits and paddling gear in the salty environment we regularly immerse ourselves in. I haven't found any guidance from Kokatat, and as far as I can determine, reapplying DWR is not a service that they perform as part of their repair or evaluation of drysuits.

Do any of you re-apply the DWR coating on your drysuits and paddling gear? If so, can you talk about the products you've used (spray-on or wash-in), any improvements in functionality, and the durability/longevity of the treatment?

The other thing that can degrade a waterproof/breathable garment's ability to breathe is dirt/sweat/salt on either the interior or exterior. Do any of you wash your drysuits with anything other than plain water for this purpose, and if so, what products and what techniques do you recommend?

Edited March 28, 2022 by Dan Foster

[mhabich]

Kokatat addresses this:

https://kokatat.com/support/product-use-care

[Dan Foster]

Nice find. That Kokotat page managed to evade my searching. It says:

"Durable Water Repellent (DWR) prevents liquid from building up on your garment’s outer layer which can make you feel damp and clammy (“wetting out”). Regular wear and tear, exposure to dirt, detergents and other impurities causes DWR to wear off over time, but the good news is that it can be restored. The effective life of the DWR depends upon how the garment is cared for, and how rigorously it is used. The most effective way to maintain the garment’s water and stain repellency is to rinse it and let it drip dry (washing helps, and if it’s not a gasketed or a coated fabric, then it can be put in the dryer). DWR is not what makes a garment waterproof - it’s a treatment applied to the face fabric that keeps water beading on the outer surface rather than soaking into it. Eventually the DWR will wear out. There are many aftermarket DWR renewal treatments available from your local dealer.  DWR is not covered under warranty."

Still looking for specific products and experiences, especially now that we have Kokotat's blessing. I'm leaning toward using Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On rather than a wash-in product.

[JanetL]

I tried a spray on product by Gear Aid, twice.

First time, sprayed it on while the drysuit was wet, let dry for 48h. Didn't seem to make a lick of difference.

Second time, sprayed it on while the drysuit was dry, then dried it with a hairdrier. Managed to singe one of the cuffs a bit (below where the wrist gasket attaches, so no harm to usefulness). Also didn't make any appreciable difference.

I've heard the really helpful thing is to wash and dry it in the tumble drier, but can't do that with gaskets....

[mhabich]

Call Kokatat. They love to help. 

[Ricardo Caivano]

I have been using drysuits for scuba diving and now (the same one actually) for paddling in the winter. After each use I rinse it with fresh water and apply UV Tech on the latex seals to make them last longer. I haven't heard or found that the material they are made off need anything else. 

[Brian Nystrom]

On 3/28/2022 at 6:28 PM, Ricardo Caivano said:

I have been using drysuits for scuba diving and now (the same one actually) for paddling in the winter. After each use I rinse it with fresh water and apply UV Tech on the latex seals to make them last longer. I haven't heard or found that the material they are made off need anything else. 

The material in diving dry suits is not waterproof-breathable, so having a DWR is irrelevant. The only advantage to it would be that the suit would dry a bit faster after use.

[GregofDelaware]

This might help, I have not tried it, but plan to at least try the first step in the dryer only:

How to Restore the Durable Water Repellency of Your Raingear | GORE-TEX Brand

[Dan Foster]

I did a thorough cleaning and used Nikwax TX.Direct spray on my drysuit back in April. I can't say I noticed any difference in breathability.

[dsigall]

On 3/28/2022 at 9:18 AM, Dan Foster said:

I've been using our recent bouts of stormy weather to stress-test some of my outdoor gear, and I have been reading up more on the importance of maintaining a DWR coating on rain gear in order to maintain breathability. DWR is the stuff that makes water bead up on the outside of your brand-new rain jacket and roll off without wetting the fabric. In addition to performing this cool molecular chemistry party trick, it allows the waterproof/breathable membrane (GoreTex, eVent, etc) in your garment to pass hot, sweaty water vapor from your body to the outside. When the DWR coating degrades, the outer fabric "wets out", and water vapor can no longer easily pass through the membrane, and it builds up inside instead. This quickly leads to cold, clammy condensation which can lead people to erroneously declare that their gear is leaking or no longer waterproof.

Leaks and failed waterproofing are a topic for a different discussion - let's assume for this discussion an otherwise flawless GoreTex garment with no pinholes or delamination, with working zippers and gaskets. It is 100% waterproof, but it has lost its DWR coating. Despite the "durable" in the name, all DWR coatings degrade over time, especially in areas subject to abrasion, like under PFDs or backpack straps. All waterproof/breathable garments will eventually lose their factory DWR coating.

I've seen a fair amount of discussion about reapplying DWR in the backpacking community, but very little about maintaining DWR on drysuits and paddling gear in the salty environment we regularly immerse ourselves in. I haven't found any guidance from Kokatat, and as far as I can determine, reapplying DWR is not a service that they perform as part of their repair or evaluation of drysuits.

Do any of you re-apply the DWR coating on your drysuits and paddling gear? If so, can you talk about the products you've used (spray-on or wash-in), any improvements in functionality, and the durability/longevity of the treatment?

The other thing that can degrade a waterproof/breathable garment's ability to breathe is dirt/sweat/salt on either the interior or exterior. Do any of you wash your drysuits with anything other than plain water for this purpose, and if so, what products and what techniques do you recommend?

Dan, I used a Nikwax wash/soak in treatment on an EMS Gortex shell that must be nearly 30 yrs. It worked pretty well, not as good as from the factory but a definite improvement. That was 10-12 years ago so probably should do it again– when you find the best new thing please share.  Dana

[Brian Nystrom]

The bottom line is that you really can't restore the factory level of water repellency and whatever you use will probably have a much shorter life than the factory coating.

"Durable" is really a misnomer when it comes to these coatings (or a lie, depending on how you want to look at it). An employee at an outdoor store showed me something that really demonstrated how bad these coatings are. He took a brand-new Gore-Tex garment and poured a little water on it, which beaded up and ran off, as expected. Next, he poured some water in a little depression in the fabric, then rubbed it with his finger. Within a few strokes, the outer fabric started absorbing the water, as the DWR stopped working. I was stunned!

My conclusion is that while you probably won't do any harm by applying a repellent coating, anywhere that the fabrics gets folded or rubbed the coating will fail pretty much immediately, so any benefit is probably more psychological than real.