Does a Drysuit keep you warm?
No ! It is your body processes
that keep you warm. Clothing merely provides the insulation to preserve your
warmth. Points to note are:
1. Layered thickness is warmth.
2. Keep water, wind and rain out of your insulation because dry clothes
insulate better than wet/damp ones.
3. Keep your torso, warm (and dry) so that it can send heat to the
extremities.
4. Use your head. Keep it covered when you're cold; remove protection to
avoid heating up. If your feet are cold, put a hat on!
What Fabrics are the Drysuits
made from
?
MX2 Breathable Coated textured 4oz nylon with it's
hard wearing characteristics
high tear and abrasion resistance and it
looks good
feels great to wear
Trident's Fabric Facts
Breathable Fabrics - by their nature of how they have to work tend
not to be as hardwearing as non breathable fabrics, they tend to "wear
through" and start going porous, and/or delaminate.
Repairing all brands of Drysuits allows us to see the durability of a wide
range of suits.
The result is that we, at Trident, have been slow to manufacture a Fully Breathable Drysuit,
wanting to feel confident that the fabric we would choose would stand the
test of time
We have now had manufactured for us our MX2 which we have tested and are
confident is the most durable breathable fabric we have seen.
(We still manufacture a NON Breathable Drysuit (see
more)
Fabric Testing -
Fabric manufacturers provide many
test results to prove their fabrics breathabilty,
waterproofness, resistance
to tear etc. However they do not take into
consideration “in the field”
factors, eg.wind driven rain or spray, hitting
the water in a fast capsise
fall, etc. We test all the fabrics “on the water”
over one or two years of
sailing by various crews before introducing a new fabric into our drysuits.
Should I have a front zip
or back zip ?
Personal preference -
Team Trident tend to wear back zips, easy to put on, especially for people with
stiffness, in shoulder or neck area, it’s out of the way, gives a “tidy”
front, particularly helpful if you wear a harness, but you will probably
have to ask for help to open or close the zip.
Front zip are- designed to sit neatly across the front, can usually be
opened and closed by the wearer - and can be useful for male wearers for
going to the loo (being a female editor I can only comment from feedback I
have had !!).
We do not however recommend front zips for small sailors because the zip
does tend to get in their way - and not offer front zip in the medium child
suit.
Which is best Ankle or Sock Seals ?
We suggest the Sock -
since for
most people the whole concept of wearing a drysuit is to stay warm and dry.
Your feet tend to be the first part of your body that feels cold
and would
therefore seem sensible to keep your feet dry since they will have a much better
chance of staying warm.
Since most of us have to launch our craft
our feet invariably get wet and potentially cold before we even start!
Ankle
seals also reduce the blood flow to your feet due to the nature of the way they
work, which will also cause a cooling effect.
Also
socks are easier to put on, and last longer because they do not stretch every time
they are put on.
All
Trident drysuits are fitted with 3D socks.
If you would specifically like ankle seals on your drysuit then this can be
easily arranged.
What happens if
the Socks fill up with air or water ?
Some people are concerned about socks filling up, and whether
they would be dragged down when they are in the water - and whether
their feet will try to float up because of the air in the socks.
Comments to appreciate are:
water in your socks hardly ever happens, but if you do get a rip in your suit
and you fill up while you are in the water you get wet which isn't very nice,
and your legs will feel heavier to
move, but because the suit has very little air in you will not "fill
up" with water.
Similarly,
air in your socks do not happen because you have your sailing boots over
the top which tend to be tight fitting leaving no room for air. |
|
Is a Trident Drysuit better than a
Wetsuit
The best way to keep warm
is to keep dry
and a drysuit keeps you dry.
Staying dry reduces your heat loss which will keep you warm and comfortable.
A drysuit by design is a loose fit, a wetsuit, to keep you warm, has to be a
good fit.
A drysuit is easy to put on, is light to wear and non restrictive.
What guarantee does a
Drysuit have ?
Trident Drysuits materials and
workmanship are guaranteed for the life of the suits.
How can I make sure I order the
correct size ?
Check our Size Chart it is an
accurate guide for Men, Ladies & Juniors.
And to make sure the suit fits you there are the internal braces,
elasticated rear waist, a belt, and Velcro on the wrists - helpful if the
sleeves are a bit long
But if you have any doubts call the Sales Team and they will advise you.
Are braces important ?
Yes, they hold the trouser section of the
Drysuit up for easy bending and crouching.
Latex Seals or Neoprene Seals ?
Latex seals provide a more
efficient seal than neoprene.
They
are easy to put on and wear, especially if you cut them down so they feel
comfortable – they might feel rather tight to begin with due to their conical
shape so you just trim it down following the imprinted guides. Neck thermal
needs to be worn to provide insulation (see our snug base layer)
Neoprene seals are comfortable to wear and provide thermal protection but do
not provide as good a seal. This is because they are not as stretchy, and
might not fit as well - and they do not having the bellow in their design
which means when your head is bending forward, as when you hike or trapeze,
you might find a gap between the seal and the nape of you neck.
We do not recommend neoprene seals for Juniors since their heads are larger,
by proportion to their necks and a neoprene seal would probably be quite
loose on their necks.
We have already had to replace a number of neoprene neck seals for latex
seals for this reason
Why do Trident Drysuits not have a
neck seal collar ?
 There are a number of reasons -
"Bellows" seal with a conical,
ringed neck. The bellows portion of a neck seal allows the user
freedom of movement than a traditional tapered seal - if a collar is sown on
to the drysuit to cover the seal it will immediately restrict the movement
the wearer has.
Also collars for most wearers can get in the way or rub/catch the chin.
How long do Latex Seals last ?
The expectant life for a well looked after seal is about 2-3 years,
however this is all dependent on how often you use the seals and how you look
after them! You will be given full instructions on how to care for your seals
when you buy your suit.
303 Protectant is an excellent protector against UV light and many other
substances that deteriorate the seals It needs to be applied regularly during
the season and every 4-6 weeks when in storage.
When
they do eventually need replacing – either send the suit back to us and we will replace
them for you or we can send you a DIY replacement seal kit with full instructions.
GO TO SHOP AND ORDER
Do you have question ?
email us now
enquiries@trident-uk.com
or call
+44(0)191 490 1736 |
