NYCkayaker Tropos or Gortex?

[Chris Starace]

Thanks everyone for your input as to how to dress under a dry suit.  I'm considering getting one and I'm familiar with the Kokatat Tropos and Gortex models.   I realize that the Tropos models with the Neoprene neck gaskets may leak and are not as safe as the latex neck gasgets.   So I'd opt for the latex gasket.

My question is Tropos for a lot less money or the Gortex suit?  The life time warranty is definitely an advantage of the Gortex suits.  My concern is how much less breathable is the Tropos than the Gortex?  From previous posts it sounds like if you dress for the water and you're working hard, you could get hot even in a Gortex suit and need to cool off by splashing water on yourself or rolling.  Does anyone have any experience with both types of fabrics?  $900 is a lot of money versus $400 for the tropos and I wouldn't want to go wrong.

Are there any other brands, fabrics, models besides the Kokotat models I mentioned above?

Thanks,

Chris




www.Fon-is-Fun.org
A website dedicated to sharing my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa.  Learn to speak Fon, one of Benin's local languages.  The site also contains my Benin related stories, pictures, books, music, links, recipes, Q&A, discussions and more.