Kokatat's Hydrus 3L is an Affordable, High End Dry Suit Option

Here in Northeast Ohio, the old saying "snow brings the flow" rings true, and some of the best paddling can be found in winter, late fall and early spring months.

There's a catch. You've got to be properly outfitted to tackle near-freezing outdoor water temperatures (or water temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit for that matter), and that means you need a full dry suit or some combination of dry gear to limit exposure to the extremely cold water.

Kokatat's Hydrus 3L Meridian dry suit. The color is mango. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Are you a beginner and don't know what a dry suit is? Put simply, a dry suit is a full body, waterproof suit. The dry suit features latex or neoprene gaskets at the wrists, neck and ankles (if it doesn't incorporate socks) that create a water-tight seal. Dry suits can extend the paddling season for many by preventing against hypothermia. But they are not a foolproof method for stopping hypothermia or warding off death in water temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so a paddler should always be cautious and dress as if they're expecting to have to swim once on a cold-water excursion. You can read a highly informative article about dressing for winter paddling over at PaddlingLight.

Disclaimers aside, now on to the topic of this article: Kokatat's Hydrus 3L Meridian dry suit. I've said numerous times that I'm a novice paddler at best, so don't expect an expert-level review of Kokatat's economy dry suit. Rather, I'm offering more of an introduction for new and beginning paddlers who are gear crazy and want to paddle more than just in June, July and August. Fear not experts, for if you've not seen a Hydrus 3L, which you may have heard is a rebrand of the Tropos, you might still learn something.

Kokatat is to water sports wear what the Lamborghini is to sports cars. Their dry suits are top of the line, and the price matches the performance. Kokatat is best known for its suits made of Goretex, which is their proprietary material used as the shell for the majority of its dry suits and dry tops. Kokatat's Goretex dry suits can retail for more than $1,100.

Here's where the Hydrus 3L appeals to the entry-level paddler. The Hydrus men's suit with relief zipper, sprayskirt tunnel and incorporated socks has an MSRP of $785. I picked one up for just over $600 -- a steal for any brand-new Kokatat dry suit. The Hydrus comes with all the goodies Kokatat is known for, including its incredible warranty, fit, stitching and hardware. You can even get the base model without the sprayskirt tunnel, socks and relief zipper for $530.

The Hydrus 3L includes a chest pocket that is not waterproof and patches on the knee and butt to increase durability in high-wear spots.

At first glance the Hydrus 3L is an incredible bargain for a Kokatat dry suit. Sadly I haven't had it out on the water yet to gauge its performance, but if the test fit is any indication this suit is going to prove incredibly comfortable, mobile, durable and, most importantly, dry out on the water.

A quick note on fit, I ordered the XL based on my height (6 feet 1 inches), weight (220 pounds) and chest measurements. The suit fits well and offers plenty of room for multiple layers underneath. The neck gasket does seem a bit tight, but I haven't yet tried to stretch it over night as Kokatat recommends. I'll be sure to do so before testing it out.

Essentially, the Hydrus 3L offers all the amenities of Kokatat's top of-the-line Goretex suits at a much more affordable price. From what I've read, the one potential downside to the Hydrus is that the 3L material might not prove as bulletproof or as breathable as the Goretex suits. Look for a performance review on the Hydrus 3L soon.

The men's Hydrus 3L Meridian with relief zipper, sprayskirt tunnel and incorporated socks in an XL. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Learning to Kayak Roll from a Beginner's Perspective

My LiquidLogic Freeride 57 at the ONAT pool at the University of Akron. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

I fess up. From a kayaking perspective, I'm a beginner. Okay, maybe I'm an "advanced" beginner now. I've been paddling regularly for three years and have a few different boats. So I've got a few river miles under my sprayskirt. But I don't pretend to be an expert.

This summer the roiling whitewater started calling my name, and I quickly learned that if I wanted to start chasing the River God I'd have to advance my skills and get in a boat classified for more than what my Dagger Axis 10.5 -- a solid crossover kayak -- could handle.

After much window shopping, I picked up a real whitewater boat: a LiquidLogic Freeride 57 from Wild Earth Outfitters in downtown Kent, Ohio.  I decided it was time to get serious about learning to roll after taking a swim on my second, brief outing in the new ride doing some mild surfing at a park-and-play wave in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

Enter the Keelhaulers. The Keelhaulers are a canoe and kayak club in northeast Ohio that organizes open pool sessions at various aquatic centers during the winter months. The club's many skilled paddlers can offer great tips and feedback to beginners learning and practicing some basic kayaking maneuvers, such as the sweep stroke, high brace and the roll.

I visited two open pool sessions so far this winter and received some great, free instructional tips on rolling but couldn't find success in righting my boat. On my third session, and my fifth time in my new Freeride, I finally found success in the ONAT pool at the University of Akron.

You can watch all the instructional roll videos and read all the technique articles you want on rolling, but nothing beats actually getting in the water, tipping yourself upside down and trying to turn right side up.

As a beginner, I won't pretend to offer expert-level advice, and I'll stay away from specific techniques. But here are a few tips I can share about learning to roll your boat.

1. Be flexible. I was convinced I needed to learn a sweep roll, and I failed miserably for several hours at a few pool sessions. Finally, a new acquaintance suggested I try the C-to-C roll, and I got it on my first attempt (if you count rolling with such power that I rolled right over and back under before righting myself on the second try with a little less force).
2. Learn in the pool. For most of us, it's winter and that means water temperatures slightly above the freezing mark.The pool is a safe, warm and calm place to try new maneuvers.
3. Join a paddling group. I haven't formally joined, but the Keelhaulers are a great group of boaters who advocate for paddlers locally and arrange a multitude of pool sessions to keep us sharp in the winter and facilitate instruction for new boaters.
4. Don't get discouraged. It's easy for a few failures at a pool session to chip away at your passion for the water. Keep at it. You'll get that sought-after skill, whether rolling or boofing, with practice.
5. Keep your head down! This applies mostly if you're learning to roll.

Happy paddling!

"Snow Brings the Flow"

The upper Cuyahoga River as it runs through Kent, Ohio, proved enticing this weekend as melting snow raised the water levels to create some mildly challenging yet fun obstacles.

Check out the video to see a few spots of the river between Fairchild Avenue and Stow Street. Sadly data for the USGS water-level gauges has been unavailable for the upper Cuyahoga River the past few days, so I can't say what the stream flow was at. I'm awaiting delivery of a new drysuit this week, and I'm hopeful I can get out on the water if temperatures continue to cooperate and stay in the mid-40s. If so, stay tuned for more video.

Throw Bag for Kayaking River Rescues

Like most kayakers, I filled my Christmas wishlist with new gear.

And as a beginning paddler I put a rescue throw rope at the top of my list. A throw rope is an essential piece of safety gear for anyone planning to tackle rivers offering more than just flat water.

A Seals throw rope will come in handy when paddling in my LiquidLogic Freeride. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Thanks to an in-the-know family member I got a Seals Rescue Throw Bag with 50 feet of rope as a welcome Christmas gift.

If you're a beginner paddler like me, then you might not know what a throw rope is. On the river, when paddling challenging rapids with a group it's commonplace for a few members of the group to crowd the shore around a particularly challenging obstacle should someone need to bail out of their boat in a pinch and take a swim while trying to run it.

Here's where the throw rope comes into play. A spotter on a rock or the river bank can toss the rope to the weary swimmer to help guide them in to an eddy, or even the shore, and most importantly out of the rapids and to safety.

Watch a video about throw rope techniques here.

Even though Ohio is in the midst of a Polar Vortex creeping across the central and northeastern U.S. I'm optimistic I might be able to get in some practice with my new throw rope soon (the forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid 50s this weekend), so stay tuned for video and photos of the bag in use and a review of its performance.

How We Ride Gravity

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New Year, New Blog.

Here I am perched above the Nisqually River in July 2012 in Mount Ranier National Park wishing I had a kayak.

To ring in the new year I'm tackling something I started months ago, this blog, with its inaugural post. Look for equipment reviews, videos, photos and other content revolving around my favorite hobbies: kayaking, cycling, swimming, motocross, hiking and shooting.

So here we go; writing about riding gravity.