Before Kokatat introduced their Super Nova Paddling Suit, two things kept many folks from owning a waterproof breathable dry suit -- the price and the tight neck gasket. Instead of a tight latex rubber neck gasket, the Super Nova suit has a soft, thin, stretchy neoprene, adjustable punch-through (APT) collar. And the price of the Super Nova suit is about half that of a GoreTex drysuit with similar features.
The Super Nova's APT collar doesn't seal as well as a latex neck gasket, but it is a lot more comfortable. As long as you aren't practicing multiple Eskimo rolls or going for a long swim, the APT neck on the Super Nova suit may be dry enough for your needs. In other words, you will get several spoons full of water down the neck each time your head and/or neck go under water, but assuming you wear a PFD (life jacket) and don't repeatedly capsize, most people consider this an acceptable compromise given the comfort of the APT neck vs. a latex neck gasket. This suit would not be appropriate for river kayaking, surfing, or snorkeling, but many recreational kayakers, touring kayakers, sit-on-top (SOT) kayakers, canoers, etc. will likely find the added comfort of the APT neck to be worth the risk of getting some water inside if they capsize or swim. The Super Nova Paddling Suit is perfect for recreational kayakers who want a drysuit in case they capsize, but don't like the feel of a tight drysuit latex neck gasket.
The Super Nova suit comes standard with latex wrist gaskets with neoprene over-cuffs, waterproof breathable dry-socks, Cordura reinforcement patches on the knees, seat, and elbows, and either a men's relief zipper or women's drop-seat zipper for convenience when nature calls. By design, the Supernova is loose fitting, comfortable to move around in and easy to get in and out of. You control your warmth with the clothing you wear under the suit -- the suit itself does not provide insulation, but you can wear as much or as little under it as needed for the conditions.
Tropos fabric is waterproof. As long as you keep the neck above water, you'll stay dry in this suit. Tropos fabric is also breathable so your perspiration will go out through the coating even though liquid water won't come in. GoreTex was the first such waterproof/breathable fabric, and if you can afford it, GoreTex is still the best. (note Tropos suits have a 2-year limited warranty, whereas Kokatat Gore-Tex drysuits are warranted to the original owner for the life of the suit).
To learn more about the difference between Tropos and GoreTex drysuits, click here Tropos vs. GoreTex .
We are small and personal, but we stock all sizes of men's and women's Kokatat Tropos Super Nova suits. That's men's S-XXL, and women's S-XLS size. To keep the price affordable, Kokatat does not offer custom sizing or any choice of optional features on the Super Nova suits. If you need a dry suit with custom sizing or special options, see our selection of Kokatat Tropos Swift Entry and Kokatat GoreTex Front Entry drysuits.
Since the concept of the APT neck on the Super Nova suit is unique, we recognize that you may need to try one out before buying to see if it works for you. We have Tropos Super Nova suits available for rent, and we ship them anywhere in the US. You may use up to $100.00 of our rental fees as credit toward the purchase of any new drysuit from us (before the end of the year you rented). So you can buy with confidence.
We offer free Priority Mail shipping within the US for all new Super Nova Paddling suit sales. Faster shipping available for an added fee.
Men's Tropos Super Nova, S-XXL
Choice of two-tone Radish (red) and Gray or Mango (yellow) and Gray
Women's Tropos Super Nova, Women's S - L, XLS (comes standard with women's drop-seat and Tropos dry-socks)
Two-tone Radish (red) and Gray only
To learn more, see our Drysuit FAQ, click here Drysuit FAQ
To view all our dry suit models and prices, go to our Equipment Catalog page Kayak Equipment Catalog
For information on what to wear under a dry suit, click here Drysuit Liner
To order a dry suit, call George or Barb toll free at: 1-866-306-1825
or if you have more questions, but are just shopping around, call us at (206) 527-1825
For rental drysuits, click here Rental Dry Suits.
Kayak Academy
Issaquah, WA (eastside of Seattle area)
(206) 527-1825
© George Gronseth 2005, all rights reserved.