#drycag

Kokatat Rogue Dry Top – First Look

Joining the Kokatat HustleR in the Unsponsored kit bag is the Kokatat Rogue Dry Top.

Kokatat Rogue Dry Top – First Look

The Kokatat GORE-TEX® Rogue is the industry benchmark for performance paddling dry tops. Backed by Kokatat’s limited lifetime warranty.

Kokatat

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I think that originally the Sabrosa was not designed to be a full on dry top and was billed as a spray top. However on arrival at Unsponsored HQ it is clear the the Sabrosa is a full on short sleeve dry top. It even states it on the swing tag.

The neck and bicep gaskets are a twin affair with both a latex and neoprene gaskets in place.

The twin waist is very deep and has a good amount of adjustment.

This is the same system used on the entire range of paddling tops from Sweet so I know that it will be up to the job. The Sabrosa is constructed from Gore-Tex Paclite so it’s both breathable and light weight for warmer weather paddling.

There are quite a few seams on the top but it has been very well put together and is extremely well shaped. The top shown here is a size large and fits me really well.

There is even a little hanger loop so that you can dry your Sabrosa off in between days on the water.

The Sabrosa is available in blue and this red/orange that Sweet call Cyclops Orange. I quite like it.

The Sabrosa will be available very shortly.

From Palm:

A midweight shortsleeve jacket for warm weather paddling. With a soft GlideSkin neck and bicep seals, and made in XP 2.5-layer fabric, the Zenith is the one for alpine trips, summer surfing or freestyle.

XP 2.5-layer fabric YKK AquaGuard zipped chest pocket 630 g (L) 4D cut Ultra Stretch neoprene gasket Ultra Stretch neoprene bicep gaskets Velcro adjustable neoprene waistband Twin waist Reflective details

So what makes this year’s Zenith so different to last years. Well the most obvious is the new colour scheme. The main body of the top is now one bright single colour. The inner skirt tunnel is in a contrasting bright colour.

This particular jacket is Sherbet (orange) with aqua contrast. The other colour way is Aqua with a lime green contrast.

Less obvious is the new neck and arm seals. The Glideskin seals have been significantly updated with a newer material and is now all black. Seals of this type are sometimes not as dry as latex versions but they do handle sun screen much better and tend not to create neck rash. I have used several Palm products that have used older versions of the seals without issue and have found them to be almost as dry as latex based seals.

On the subject of material the 2.5 layer fabric has improved taping throughout. Palm had a few quality issues with taping in the past and have been working on improving the system. The taping on this top is superb. Look at the precision.

The intersection of joints is kept to a minimum reducing the chances of problems later down the road.

Inside of the top is also a little hanger loop. It’s not something seen in very many kayak/canoe tops, but why not. I think it’s a great feature and very much welcomed.

The outside of the Zenith includes a very large zip accessed pocket. This pocket isn’t waterproof and includes a drain hole to allow water to escape.

The double waist of the Zenith is nice and deep as per the previous model and includes a fair bit of adjustability via the two Velcro tabs. The inner tunnel also includes a rubber strip which is sticky to the touch and will help to keep the inner tunnel in place.

The 4D cut is superb. I don’t know what is special about 4D, but what I do know is that the top fits me very well without any restriction of movement.

So the new 2015 Palm Zenith is lined up and ready to go. Hopefully there will be a couple of warms days over the next few weeks so that I can hit the water and start to begin the review process for real.

The Zenith is also available in a long sleeved version.

Arch Rival Short Sleeve Dry Top – In For Review

This week as been a huge work for deliveries at Unsponsored HQ. Immersion Research have kindly sent over a brand new Arch Rival short sleeve dry top review. Bring on the water and the sun.

From Immersion Research: (more…)

Now I must start off with the fact that Sweet kit is pretty expensive. The Goretex Pro shell Supernova retails at a huge £399. Now that this is out in the open and out of the way lets consider what you are getting for your hard earned cash.

Now this is the third piece of paddling kit that I have tried that uses Goretex as its main fabric material. It’s hard to judge whether or not this makes the top drier on the inside than any other as conditions of use are so variable but I can say that the face fabric has a great feel and you can guarantee that due to Goretex’s strict conditions of use that all of the seems will be taped and sealed to exacting tolerances. After many years of use all of my other Sweet kit is holding up really well.

On the material, well it feels pretty robust and is noticeably much heavier than the Shadrach. This suggests to me that the Supernova will stand up to some pretty harsh use and come back fighting for more. Certainly from the time I have spent with it and the number of portages and climb outs that it has gone through it is holding up well. The elbows have some additional and even heavier duty ripstop Cordura fabric to defend against rock hits and potential tears.

The fit of the Supernova (for me) is simply superb. Rather than being a jacket that has been designed and built up as a basic shaped garment the Supernova has been built to ensure that it fits a paddler well and has been shaped to ensure that this happens. It has to be one of the best fitting cags that I have worn. Arm length is spot on as is the body length. At 6ft 2” I with a long body I sometimes find that some tops are a little short in the body and arms but this is not the case with any of the Sweet products I have tried. Now don’t make the assumption that the sizing is out of proportion. A few mates of mines of various sizes (but all require a large top) have tried the Supernova and have found the fit just as good. Once on the superb fit negates the heavier feel of the fabric. There is no restriction of movement from either the design or fabric as I was able to achieve full movement whilst both paddling and swimming!

Both the neck and wrist seals are of a high quality. The neck seal is protected by an additional neoprene neck cone and the wrist by Velcro adjustable neoprene seals. On arrival I did cut the rubberneck gasket to ensure that I could wear it in comfort and still remain dry. This was a super easy process and a much-preferred approach rather than hoping that the seal will stretch out over time, or even force it to stretch which I know some paddlers do.

I haven’t experience any noticeable leaks at any of the seals or the waist. I did get the odd drip down my neck but this is comparable to every other cag I have owned and says more about the shape of my neck rather than the design and fit of the top.

A chest pocket with contrasting zip is also included but this is not fully waterproof, although I have found very little water if any actually gets in there. Both this pocket and the outer neck gasket have water drain vents just in case water finds its way through.

The body tunnel is an interesting one and has been taken from the design of the Shadrach. The inner part is made from the same fabric as the main jacket and includes a rubberized strip along its bottom edge to help the tunnel stay in place. The outer is a combination of the normal jacket fabric and neoprene. It has been designed to give a nice wide opening for getting on/off yet can also be adjusted (without excess fabric) to produce a good seal around the spray deck tunnel. It works incredibly well.

The Supernova is available in two colours the Gunmetal Blue as seen here and Catchup Red. Now the gunmetal blue isn’t a colour I would normally go for, however after testing the Intergalatic dry suit last year in the same colour I do really like it. It’s definitely a colour that looks better on the water and is a little bit different from the usual. To contrast the blue there are several little details in orange. The Sweet Strutter helmet and Shambala shorts are also available in the same colours if you want to be fully colour coordinated.

The Supernova is a highly technical dry top with all of the key features you would ever need. It’s tough, robust and should happily give season after season of top service. I love the fit and I love the performance. Buying a dry top at £399 is an investment and should really be seen as such. My Sweet Shadrach has provided a great level of protection over the last few years and I can see that the Supernova will clearly do the same.

Specs:

Super elastic Yamamoto neoprene, lycra on both sides Thick latex bottleneck neck gasket inside Engineered for unsurpassed freedom of movement in GORE-TEX® Pro GORE-TEX® Pro inner waist tube with taped seams and super grippy silicone elastic hem Neck tube drain hole Articulated arms for unrestricted movement Thick latex bottleneck wrist gaskets inside Wrist cuff and gaskets with cuff grab made of unnapped velcro Yamamoto neoprene Waist seal tube of unnapped Yamamoto neoprene with grippy rubber inside Chest pocket with zipper access All-new Hypalon Velcro waist adjustment for a tight and secure fit towards spray skirt.

The all new Supernova is a highly technical dry top with all the features you need for the most demanding conditions.

Made from the most durable and rugged GORE-TEX® materials available, and further reinforced with Cordura® in critical areas, this versatile dry top offers the very best in on-river performance.

Specifications:

Super elastic Yamamoto neoprene, lycra on both sides Thick latex bottleneck neck gasket inside Engineered for unsurpassed freedom of movement in GORE-TEX® Pro GORE-TEX® Pro inner waist tube with taped seams and super grippy silicone elastic hem Neck tube drain hole Articulated arms for unrestricted movement Thick latex bottleneck wrist gaskets inside Wrist cuff and gaskets with cuff grab made of unnapped velcro Yamamoto neoprene Waist seal tube of unnapped Yamamoto neoprene with grippy rubber inside Chest pocket with zipper access All-new Hypalon Velcro waist adjustment for a tight and secure fit towards spray skirt