alan Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Hello All, Quick question... I've seen a few of you that have yellow, hooded, reflective, hand-warming, paddling jackets that fit over your PFD and over the sprayskirt. Can someone tell me the name of these and where i can get one? Thanks, Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Allen Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Hi Alan- Generally called a "seal suit" or a "storm cag". Vendors/manufacturers I know of are kokatat (waterproof/breathable tropos), Expedition Essentials (windproof/water resistant parachute cloth) and Valley (treated cordua, I think). If you're near New England Small Craft, they had the Kokatat on the rack a few weekends ago. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Hi Alan- Generally called a "seal suit" or a "storm cag". Vendors/manufacturers I know of are kokatat (waterproof/breathable tropos), Expedition Essentials (windproof/water resistant parachute cloth) and Valley (treated cordua, I think). If you're near New England Small Craft, they had the Kokatat on the rack a few weekends ago. Phil Hi Alan, A seal suit is a great piece of kit to have. I could be wrong (surly wouldn't be the first time) but a storm cag is more like a spray or dry top..."but I digress". I have seen all 3 of the tops mentioned. The Expedition Essentials (www.seakayakingusa.com) is the lightest & will pack the smallest. It is not seam sealed so it will leak in the rain which defeats my purpose for having one & is not breathable. On the other hand the designer (Dale Williams) says this is intentional & feels that it will be more effective in a hypothermia situation. The Kokatat piece is is very well made, water proof & breathable. My personal choice is the Valley seal suit. It maybe important to note that the Valley seal suit made in the US for GRO is made by Seals (made in the USA, I like it!), the one made for Valley in the UK is made by...Rasdec I think. Looking @ it I don't think it is cordua, but again I shurely could be wrong. It waterproof / breathable & seam taped. It has lots of reflective tape, an adjustable hood, large draining front pocket & hand warmer pockets & is probably beefier than the rest. I ordered mine from GRO in RI. Well, anytime I can confuse the issue don't hesitate to ask, Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Allen Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 One feature to mention (though I dont have one of these yet, I've been window shopping) is that the Valley lists zips that provide access to the PFD. The others dont list access to the PFD. Since that's where us yakkers are / should be keeping the majority of our safety gear, this could be considered a strong selling point. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 One feature to mention (though I dont have one of these yet, I've been window shopping) is that the Valley lists zips that provide access to the PFD. The others dont list access to the PFD. Since that's where us yakkers are / should be keeping the majority of our safety gear, this could be considered a strong selling point. Phil Phil, very good point, I noticed that after my post. The hand warmer pocket is behind the mesh gear pocket & has fleece on one side. These pockets are held closed by velcro. Just to the outside of the hand warmer pockets are the zips to allow access to the PFD. These zips are coverd by a flap to help keep the water out. The Valley will be the most expensive of the 3 but I think is worth the investment. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Crouse Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 The fleece lined pocket on the Kokatat has a sealable opening that allows access to your PFD. Also I don't believe my old RasDeck (sp?) is breathable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Gwynn Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I didn't think my old rasdex was breathable either, but everyone tells me it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Millar Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I have an older Expedition Essentials that I use constantly. However, the new ones are made from a very crinkly, noisy nylon and don't seem -- although they might -- to be of the same quality as the older models. If I had to buy one today, I'd get the Kokatat cag. It's more expensive than the EE but well made and very sturdy. Reed, a UK manufacturer, makes a gorgeous cag that I think Nigel Dennis might have designed. The only drawback: $$$$$. No matter what you get, a cag is wonderful to have on a cool, windy day (or even a warm calm cloudy day, especially if you've been in the water a bit). It's especially useful over a dry or wet suit. One of the bonuses of a cag is that it can be worn over your gear and then attached to the coaming of your boat over your sprayskirt. I've used it this way when it's been raining and I'm not wearing a lot of gear, or, me bad, forgotten a light paddling jacket and I'm playing in chop 'n slop or surf. Definitely a must-have. Deb M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pintail Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 The Rasdex cagoulles are highly breathable. I do not know who stocks them anymore (NESC?); but the Kokatats are easy to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Millar Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 The Rasdex cagoulles are highly breathable. I do not know who stocks them anymore (NESC?); but the Kokatats are easy to find. The Kayak Centre in RI carries the Valley Cag or, as they also call it, a Seal Suit. Here's the link: http://store.kayakcentre.com/browse.cfm/4,236.html Keep warm and dry. Deb M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 The Rasdex cagoulles are highly breathable. I do not know who stocks them anymore (NESC?); but the Kokatats are easy to find. Here is their web site www.rasdex.com. I didn't find any seal suits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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