Kokatat Women's GORE TEX PRO Meridian
Brief Description
Sale now through Oct. 31, 2024 in-stock items only
The Women's GPME-D (Gore-Tex® Pro Meridian dry suit with Drop Seat Zipper and Dry Socks), now with the lighter, more durable GORE TEX PRO fabric, is Kokatat's top-of-the-line whitewater river kayaking dry suit for women who want a 1-piece suit with Drop Seat.
The defining features of all versions of Kokatat's Meridian dry suits are an overskirt (to sandwich your spray-skirt like the double tunnel on a dry-top) to keep your kayak drier while rolling or paddling in waves, 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), and a flap that covers the front entry zipper.
The GME-D comes standard with: latex neck and wrist gaskets with "punch-through" neoprene gasket protectors at the wrists and neck, and Gore-Tex® Dry Socks with neoprene ankle cuffs on the pant leg that has an adjustable "hook & loop" tab closures to keep gravel out of your booties, and a self-draining, zippered chest pocket with a key lanyard loop inside. The punch-through neck and wrist covers create a double seal while eliminating some of the common loose and/or scratchy things around your neck or wrists.
Detailed Description
The "D" in the GME-D name simply stands for the Drop Seat Zipper and Dry Socks option package. With a basic dry suit, the hardest part of suiting up is bending over and stretching the ankle gasket over your heel, but if your suit has Dry Socks, then it won't have any tight ankle gaskets. So in addition to being more comfortable because your feet are warmer and dry, a suit with Dry Socks is much easier to step in and out of. Other options such as Pockets, Reflective Tape, and Custom Sizing are also available by special order for the GMED. To learn more about ordering a custom fitted dry suit or one with your choice of Kokatat's dry suit Options, see our Dry Suit Option page.
The women's GME-D dry suit is primarily for river kayaking though some sea kayakers also choose it (or a EXP) for the over skirt feature, and sail-boarders prefer the GME-D because the cover over the main zipper protects their board from scratches.
Specs
- Made of 3.21 oz. nylon 3-layer Gore-Tex® (much tougher than the Gore-Tex® used for raingear)
- Cordura® Gore-Tex® seat and knees to reinforce heavy wear spots
- 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 an Women's L)
FREE UPS Ground Shipping (48 US states, Priority Mail AK and HI, $50 postage for Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland)
NO SALES TAX if shipped outside WA state
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 On 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 even on 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.
We stock women's dry suits with FUD Front Relief Zippers -- see our Kayak Academy K.A. Silver Label "-WR" dry suits. We even stock a K.A. Silver Label Women's Gore-Tex® Expedition EXP-WR drysuit with a FUD Front Relief Zipper instead of a Drop Seat.
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.