Kokatat Women's Odyssey Dry Suit, GORE TEX PRO front entry expedition-style suit w/ Detachable Hood and Drop Seat
Brief Description
The Kokatat women's Odyssey dry suit is the best women's sea kayaking and sailing dry suit.
You could think of the Odyssey dry suit as a deluxe version of the Kokatat Meridian dry suit with a hood plus modifications that make it better suited for sea kayaking and sailing. The Odyssey comes with the most complete package of dry suit options (suspenders, reflective tape, pockets, etc.). All the bells and whistles that are optional features on other dry suits are standard on the Kokatat Odyssey dry suit.
To begin with, the Odyssey drysuit has a front-entry zipper that runs diagonally across the chest of the suit, making it easy to get in and out of (as opposed to dry suits with rear entry shoulder zippers that require teamwork to get in and out of without breaking the zipper), an over-skirt for kayakers to keep your kayak drier while rolling or paddling in waves, a Drop Seat Zipper (see A Note About Dropseats), Gore-Tex® Dry Socks that make it easier to get in and out of the suit as well as keep your feet warm and dry, and neoprene ankle cuffs with adjustable "hook & loop" tab closures to keep gravel out of your booties. The Odyssey drysuit also comes standard with: Reflective Tape on the sleeves, a removable hood, left and right Sleeve Pockets, right Thigh Pocket, and removable suspenders.
Some other reasons to buy the Odyssey dry suit even if you don't care about the removable hood: The Odyssey is the easiest Goretex suit to put on and take off because it doesn't have a tight fitting non-adjustable neoprene outer collar over the neck gasket, and it is the only Goretex dry suit with Velcro adjustments on the outer wrist cuffs that go over the wrist gaskets so you can loosen the wrist cuffs when your not paddling. When you are wearing your dry suit all day long these details really make a difference in how comfortable you'll be.
Note: if you would rather use a FUD pee system, call us to order a custom KA Odyssey-WR with a Front Relief Zipper instead of a dropseat at no extra cost.
Detailed Description
In addition to the removable hood and other features being standard on the Odyssey and not the Meridian, there are two other reasons why the Odyssey is the best dry suit for sea kayakers and sailors. On the Odyssey, the outer wrist cuffs (the neoprene cuffs that cover the latex wrist gaskets) are adjustable with "hook & loop" closures whereas Meridian dry suits have non-adjustable snug "Punch-Through" neoprene over-cuffs. For river kayaking, the punch-through wrist covers are preferred because they create sort of a double seal, but for sea kayaking and sailing trips, being able to loosen the outer cuffs on the wrists of the Odyssey makes it more comfortable to wear all day, at camp, etc. In addition, the neck on the Odyssey is more comfortable than the Meridian because the Meridian has a snug, Punch-Through non-adjustable neoprene collar around the latex neck gasket whereas the Odyssey has a collar you can open in warm weather and the hood can take the place of a double seal without adding a second tight layer around your neck. For all-day comfort while sailing or camping on sea kayaking trips, we highly recommend the Odyssey.
The hood on the Odyssey is removable, or it can be rolled or folded up and held out of the way with a "hook & loop" strap that is attached to the hood, tucked under the back of your PFD, or simply let the hood lay down flat like a very wide, low collar. The hood can also be worn inside of a helmet. The new hood design is comfortable to wear, stays in place well in wind, turns with your head so it doesn't blind you, and doesn't hinder rolling regardless of whether you are wearing the hood, have it loose around your neck. In fact, wearing the hood helps keep water out of your ears and keeps your head warmer when rolling in cold water.
If you would rather use a FUD pee system, order custom KA Odyssey-WR with a Front Relief Zipper instead of a dropseat at no extra cost. Delivery time will be 4-6 weeks, request a loaner suit if needed.
Specs
- Made of 3.21 oz. nylon 3-layer Gore-Tex® (much tougher than the Gore-Tex® used for rain-gear)
- Cordura® Gore-Tex pants
- Women's Colors:
- Mantis w/Ocean bottoms
- Ice Blue w/Light Gray bottoms
- all Black available by special order
- Women's Sizes:
- WS-WL
- WXLs (WXLs is the height of a Women's Large but its 50" chest, 47" waist, and 54" hips are roomier than that of a Women's L)
NO SALES TAX if shipped outside WA state
FREE UPS Ground Shipping (48 US states, Priority Mail AK and HI, $50 postage for Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland)
FREE KA Drysuit Care Kit included with this suit (KA Drysuit Maintenance Guide, Zipper Wax, 303 Protectant gasket lube, and Synthetic Fabric Soap)
If needed, we can help you order a custom sized or color Kokatat drysuit; contact us if you have questions about the fit.
A Note About Dropseats
A Drop Seat Zipper makes it easy to take care of all your relief needs. With the occasional exception of kayakers, most women prefer to use a Drop Seat Zipper rather than an FUD (Feminine Urinary Device) with a Front Relief Zipper. However, Front Relief Zippers are an option on most Kokatat Women's dry suits.
For some women kayakers, a dry suit with a Drop Seat Zipper can be uncomfortable in certain kayaks. This issue is unique to kayaks because kayak seats have snug fitting sides (hip braces) which, depending on the fit of the dry suit and the kayak seat, may press against the Drop Seat Zipper. With a properly fitted dry suit, most women find a Drop Seat Zipper is comfortable in most kayak seats. Ideally a dry suit will have enough slack around your hips that if a kayak seat presses the Drop Seat Zipper against your body, you can move the slack in the suit around to get the zipper up out of the way. If this doesn't work for you (and you are sure the suit isn't too small in the hips), we recommend a dry suit with a Women's FUD Front Relief Zipper instead of a Drop Seat Zipper.
If you don't know whether a dry suit with a Drop Seat Zipper will be comfortable in your kayak, we recommend renting a dry suit with a Drop Seat from us before buying a dry suit -- see our Dry Suit Rental page. If you don't own a kayak yet, be sure to buy one that is Drop Seat compatible -- to see if a kayak is Drop Seat compatible, just sit in it while wearing a dry suit with a Drop Seat zipper.
Kokatat Women's Odyssey Dry Suit, GORE TEX PRO front entry expedition-style suit w/ Detachable Hood and Drop Seat
Kokatat Women's Odyssey Dry Suit, GORE TEX PRO front entry expedition-style suit w/ Detachable Hood and Drop Seat
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