Wetsuits (Farmer John's, etc.)

I have the NRS Ultra Jane farmer John style wetsuit and love it. The inside is a soft material that dries super fast, and the outside is something with neoprene characteristics, but stretchier, so it's much easier to put on. I wear this wetsuit for ocean paddling in central and Northern California, where the water temperatures are in the 48-55 degree range. I've done rescue practices in this wetsuit, in this cold water, and it keeps me sufficiently warm for the short periods of time in the water during the practices, but of course without having neoprene on my arms, I do get cold if I'm in the water for extended periods of time, as would be expected. This wetsuit also has a relief zipper which means I can use the restroom without removing my wetsuit and pfd, which is a huge bonus, and it works perfectly.

I recently bought an NRS Grizzley wetsuit and wanted to point out some of its great features and one "you've got to be kidding" design issue. On the good side, the Grizzley's cut, for people who are not 16 and spend the day playing in the surf, is excellent. You can wear this suit all day and not notice it. It is exceptionally easy to enter and exit. It also looks great with a deep charcoal color and obviously high quality materials and workmanship. It is reasonably priced.

The problem with the suit is that it uses a wide strap over the shoulders that secures with a snap and Velcro. The Velcro is fitted to the front of the suit and to the underside of the strap. In theory, the strap is adjustable by not using the snap and setting the Velcro attachment where it is comfortable. However, NRS has put the scratchy side of the Velcro on the shoulder pad. If any of it touches your shoulder, under the weight of a PFD, jacket, etc. It will rub it raw instantly. A little of the scratchy Velcro even seems to find its way out when the strap is snapped and the Velcro is covered. Why they didn't put the soft Velcro material on the underside of the strap and the scratchy stuff on the front of the suit is inexplicable. It can be changed if you want to sew the reverse material into the suit, or the excess scratchy surface can be covered by a piece of non-glued, soft sewing Velcro placed over it. The NRS rep has been told of this and hopefully they will simply reverse the Velcro placement. I would not recommend the suit unless this is done and would give it an enthusiastic 10 if the change is made.

I bought the NRS Mystery long sleeve shirt this winter and found it to be very warm and comfortable. The GlideSkin outer coating is great for kayaking. When you come up from a roll, the waterproof coat keeps the evaporation to a minimum. This is a great shirt!

I Currently have the NRS Rescue Wetsuit and I Absolutely Love it. The extra padding on the butt is great for sittig in your boat all day. The padding on the knees is great if you ever have to knel on a rocky beach to pack up your boat. The rubber on the sides holds a a pfd in place perfectly but not so useful when half covered by a full neoprene skirt. The zips on the wrists and ankles make exit after a long day easy. Nice job NRS.

I was pleased with my Farmer John suit. Sure seemed tight at first and I was afraid I'd have to give up beer drinking, but it worked fine while floating the Grand Canyon. Also used it for snorkeling while sailing off the Italian coast - not very stylish, but adequate.