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Dry Suit Review - Level Six Emperor Dry Suit
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- Опубліковано 19 сер 2024
- When you're paddling in cold water, with cold weather, or both, nothing provides better protection and comfort than a dry suit. Of course, that protection comes at a hefty price, and so you want to make sure the dry suit you buy is one that you'll be happy with for years to come. In this video, I'm testing one of Level Six's most recent products - the Emperor Dry Suit.
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I've had the Level Six Emperor for 3 years. It is my first drysuit. I'm 5'7" and 165lb but size 11 (uk10) feet and i got a size medium.
The Good: Very roomy in torso, arms, legs. Good reinforcements on elbows, seat, knees. Comes with whistle in top pocket. Low cost. I can get in without help (but i am flexible).
The Bad: The built-in socks: They are not very foot-shaped. They are too small. They are not reinforced -- even though the thick, glossy, self-congratulatory bits of cardboard that manufacturers love to attach to new products boasted that the feet were reinforced. They (after 3 yrs occasional use) leak. Note, i always wear water shoes over top of the socks and always stand on protected material (not rough ground) while changing.
The Puzzly: The 3 pockets (top and hip) have waterproof zips and yet they all have drainage holes in the bottom.
---
Update, 1 year later: It now leaks everywhere --- crotch, armpits, feet, wrists, neck. Sent it back to Level Six. They said i hadn't cared for it properly (i think i had) and it would cost too much to repair. I will keep using it but not expect to stay at all dry.
For your weight and height, what size did you buy? Thank you
@@sandydimma9487 Oops, forgot to add the size. Now added. -- i got a size medium.
Great feedback about the built in socks. I didn't have any issue with the socks myself, but I don't have huge feet. I'm a wide size 10.
I have a set of waterproof Kokatat socks. I always wear a set of water shoes over them to protect the bottom of them. So far, no leaks, walking over rocks and sticks, and it gives comfort and support to my feet, because the socks themselves have none.
For the built in socks on your drysuit, contact their customer support and see if they can install a larger size sock on them for you. Then I would suggest wearing a water shoe over them to protect the material and give you more comfort when walking.
@@waynefatguyinakayak7408 FYI, i always wear water shoes over top of the built-in socks and always stand on protected material (not rough ground) while changing.
Thanks for the review, Ken. Level Six dry suits seem to have a bad rep on some paddling forums & groups, so it's good to know that this is a solid product!
My pleasure. The only thing I can't test is the long term durability of gear, but I got a good feeling from the build of this drysuit. Time will tell though...
When testing a new suit fairly recently, I experienced a prevented roll on my first attempt, Also my first experience of such a thing happening! A real surprise! Sooner than continuing the roll underneath the boat, the trapped air prevented enough submersion. In the event, the second and following tries, they were successful, which can only be explained by air being expelled through the neck gasket. So then yes it happens, but fore-warned is fore-armed and we know how to prevent it. 😀
Ken, I decided it was high time I commented on a video of yours. I usually watch on my TV now and commenting isn’t an option there (that I have been able to find, at least).
You have been doing these vids for a long time. I watch them regularly, in part because I love kayaking and canoeing, and also because of your personal presentation of the products. I love the humor you bring along with your factual info! Glad you did an Oru…wish it would have been the Beach (which I purchased), but I understand that most people may be interested in the Inlet. Anyway…great job with this, as all, reviews. But if you are wearing an extra large, I doubt there is one large enough for a person who looks like the Michelin man WITHOUT all that air in the suit!! Thanks for all the years and reviews!
Thanks Kathy! I'm glad to hear the videos are enjoyed. :) You enjoying the Oru Beach? I'm expecting to test the Oru Coast this spring, although that's still to be confirmed if I can get my hands on one. Cheers!
@@PaddleTV where do you source the boats for your tests, Ken? Straight from manufacturer or from retailers?
@@PaddleTV Right now I am just enjoying it sitting in my living room. It has been too cold in NE Ohio to try it. Maybe tomorrow. If not, then the maiden voyage will be on the Suwannee after Thanksgiving. I will let you know how that goes. I may wish I went with the Bay.
Nice way for a REAL review!
When I was researching which drysuit to get I eventually settled on an Emperor from Level Six and am very happy with it. As your video describes, the construction is great and the cordura really adds beefiness to areas subject to increased wear. I'm 5' 9" 175 and got a large. It's just on the verge of being maybe too roomy, but without being able to try on a medium for comparison I decided to keep the large. I'm glad I did because once I started layering during Winter that space was filled. So far I have no complaints. Also when zipping up, when you come to the end of zippering you might think it's closed, but you need to pull that extra half inch or so to really lock it for a watertight seal. I'd like to add that if you every decide to wash your drysuit check with the manufacturer. Level Six recommends a soap made for clearing drysuits. I think they even sell it. They also recommend using something like 303 to keep gaskets supple. Be safe out there!
Ken, do you think you'll do a packraft video down the road?
So true about the final pull on the zipper!!! Yup, I can't wait to review a packraft! I'm hoping to do so (along with a real packraft trip) this coming trip.
Now that was a real field test! Really loved this one😂 And the suit looks interesting...
Thanks!
I got one of those bad boys last year and agree with all you said. I lucked out and found one brand new on crazy sale and got it at around 60% retail. Haven't taken it out as often as I'd like, but when I do, it does the job well.
To think we've been doing this all wrong: exerting the muscles and joints while paddling, lugging heavy equipment under the guise of a fancy French word 'portage', when all we need to do is put on the dry suit and just float down the river. Now my eyes are open, thank you!
Ha! So true. We'll call it minimalist paddling. :)
Loved how you incorporated lots of great humour while sharing important information about the importance of drysuits. Thanks!
Thanks! It was a fun video to film. :)
I've got the level 6 drysuit and I'm happy with it and I've got a couple other brands. I use my drysuits for hiking in the Winter. It allows me to go right through
rivers and stay dry and warm.
That was a *LEGIT* dry suit test!
Thumbs up Brotherman.
Much appreciated!
I don't white water, climb rocks or portage so I got there entry level least expensive one and I'm 120% happy with it. Buying top quality as you noted will last forever and it's nice to know, the most you might have to do is replace gaskets. Oh and another great video.
Thanks!
Great Review! I just got the same suit but fits me very different. Me, being 5'8" = Small and with a XL Chest & Waist. So I had to go with the XL... Lots of extra leg! You look proportional, not me.
Always entertaining and informative reviews from the master!! Thanks Ken - will start saving now, should have one by 2024!!
Good video. My experience with a dry top was: I couldn't get my head through the gasket, then it choked my neck. Stretching it out on a cook pot for a couple of weeks - per instructions - did nothing. Trimming as per instructions caused a split as soon as I put it on that destroyed the top gasket. Wrist gaskets were also uncomfortably tight, they finally did loosen up a bit over time... and one more use they also tore (that was two years maybe 30 uses). It was pretty awful. I still wore the top, because the conditions weren't that bad. It turned to shreds within a year. This one looks pretty good. I'm lucky, I live in Southern California so I can sea kayak in the winter with a standard (front zip) Farmer John wet suit. The dry top wasn't critical, but had it worked would've been terrific. (I've experienced hypothermia in 70f (21C) ocean water in August in about 20 minutes of just hanging onto my kayak - not swimming.) I can see a Drysuit - lite where the gaskets are neoprene, not strangulation grade. And wear inside maybe more critical than wear outside. Those holes in jeans just above the knees? that's your knees rubbing inside the jeans. Same thing happens to the coated insides of jackets and pants.
Sounds like the neoprene 'almost drysuit' is the ticket for you! It's my preference, unless I'm paddling in really rough conditions, where I expect to get soaked. FYI: I've got a follow up video coming up about 'caring for gaskets'. I don't know if there will be anything new and useful to you, but there might me. Cheers!
This channel should have way more subs and way more views! Thanks for all the info! Always fun and informative
I appreciate that!
Thanks, Ken. We're about the same size, so your review really helps with sizing. 👍🚣♂️
No problem 👍
Good review -- I appreciate that you emphasize that it is "necessary" equipment for cold water. But you make one major mistake: trapped air in a dry suit is not helpful as extra flotation -- it is a VERY BAD THING. You would think it would be helpful for a roll, but in fact it can make it much harder to roll, as it forces your torso to float upwards without your control -- you want to be in control of when and in what position you bring your torso up towards the surface. Even worse, if you're out of your boat, your PFD prevents trapped air from collecting around your upper body, so most of it will collect at your legs. Guess what happens to your head when your legs float higher than your chest? ALWAYS burp your dry suit to remove as much air as possible.
Thanks. I think we're on similar wavelengths. Maybe the comment I made at the same time as the footage of the blown up suit confused my message. I agree that you need to burp a drysuit to remove most of the air, but even after you do that, there's still plenty of air in the drysuit, and this does significantly add to your buoyancy, just like a thick wetsuit adds to your buoyancy. As a side note, I find that if I try to remove all the air from the drysuit, that it limits my motion and is uncomfortable, and so while I burp most air out of it, I like to leave a little air in there for comfort.
You repeat a very often made remark about the "dangers" of having too much air in the suit (being held upside-down, having immobile limbs) but do you have any first-hand experience of such "dangers" or do you have any reliable references to anyone else who has? I have searched and found nothing but the repetition of what i think may well be an urban myth.
@@martin.feuchtwanger There is a very real danger of inversion drowning if you aren't wearing a PFD or if you're wearing an inflatable PFD and fail to inflate it. But we've tested drysuits a lot with standard foam PFDs and haven't ever been able to simulate an inversion. So the key here is to always wear your PFD.
@@woofna1948 I second that and would go so far as to say it applies to dry trousers too. I volunteered at a scout boating centre for many years. Always wore a PFD when in a boat, but one day was wading in without it to help the sailors retrieve a sailing boat when I tripped and the air at the back of the knees pulled my legs up and down went my head. I had to physically swim myself up. As above always wear a pfd with dry trousers or dry suits. Inversion is most definitely a real thing.
@@martin.feuchtwanger I DO have extensive first-hand experience. I have been paddling 12 months a year in Long Island Sound since I acquired a Kokotat dry suit about 6 years ago -- and I practice my roll every time I go out. Having excess air trapped in your suit is a terrible idea.
I don't know where you saw that it "immobilizes" your limbs -- that is not what I said and has not been my experience. What it does do is force you to fight against the buoyancy when you are trying to position yourself to roll or to swim.
That said, you are right to question what you read on the internet. I suggest you talk to some ACA or BCU certified instructors. If you're still not convinced, try it out yourself. Rent a drysuit for a day, or find a dealer or instructor that is running a Cold Water Boot Camp course and may loan wetsuits out to participants. Then try rolling and swimming with a suit full of air and see what you think.
CAUTION: cold water paddling is very dangerous so do not do this without someone experienced.. Even with a dry suit and appropriate layers, your hands can become unusable very quickly. If you're in the water without insulation on your head you can still get cold shock, causing uncontrolled hyperventillation and a short window (10 minutes) of useable muscle coordination (google the "1-10-1 rule"). Most dangerous is if your uninsulated head hits cold water unexpectedly, the gasp reflex can cause you to inhale water, and you're done.
Paddle safe.
That a good price. Low enough for me to consider new rather than used for my first drysuit. Thanks for this review.
My pleasure!
That swim looked fun
Great review thanks.
Great video Ken. I bought a Level6 Cronos in the spring and am very happy with this drysuit. I am hoping to buy my wife the Freya once it comes back into stock.
Very nice! Stay tuned for another drysuit review... NRS is coming out with a few new drysuits this winter as well. I'm hoping to test one of them in the next month or so.
Another newbie mistake that I learned when I was practicing rescues: make sure it's zipped all the way. My drop seat (woman drysuit) was open by half an inch, and by the time I got back into the kayak, I had about a liter of cold water (even mid-summer, water is cold enough for hypothermia without at least a wetsuit) in my suit. Once fully zipped though, if I got the right layers underneath, I can go for a comfortable swim in freezing temperatures!
That's a lesson you only need to learn once, isn't it?
Awesome! Nice Ken, again great video and review. Big thumb up! 🔥👍🏻🔥
Thanks 👍
@@PaddleTV that jump into water was a risky move, but I think you knew what you did.
Great review as always. Keep them coming!!
Dry suits are on my list; but I’m going to take a lake safety type course first :)
Very helpful when the time/$ comes to buying one. Really enjoy your videos.
Thanks! Maybe a gift to yourself for the coming holidays? :)
Great review. Very helpful. Thank you.
Paul (UK)
Cheers!
Thanks Ken for sharing
You bet!
Thank you for all your advice, you were my main source of info when I started Kayaking, and still are. I live in Florida so I don't think I'll be using a dry suit any time soon, it is good to know for future references though.
I'm jealous! While our water ways are frozen, you'll be paddling in comfort throughout the winter! At least I'll be able to cross the border and head south this winter!
@@PaddleTV Please let ke know if you come close to the Central Florida area it would be an immense pleasure to share a Kayaking trip with you.
That was dope!
From my experience, your first drysuit fits "good enough". Your second one, you spend the extra couple of hundred bucks to have one made to order so you won't spend the next ten years wishing a sleeve was a little shorter or the legs a little longer.
Moving to a mid-zip entry was also a big bonus. Much easier to fit your legs in the bottom, then pull the top over than crawling through the back or the chest.
Loved the flex! I inserted a manly grunt in my head when u did. lol
I'll try to remember the grunt next time!
Mine ended up leaking after only two uses. Sending mine back and hopefully cover under warranty
Burping The Drysuit: When you “burp” excess air out of a drysuit, you compress your layers of clothing and reduce the insulation that they provide. That’s another good reason to swim-test your gear. You may find out that you need to burp the suit less or else add more insulation to compensate for the burping.
Too funny. Point well taken.
Very nice !
I see this in my future :)
EDIT : Is this made in Canada ?
? Could you someday review and tell us about Kayak Sails ?
Great review, love your channel! How does this compare to the new NRS Axiom? I’m just starting to look at my first dry suit for kayaking in the UK over the winter period.
I'm so happy with my kokatat dry suit that I got "used" (about 3 times) for 400 euro 😂
Incredible deal! Kokatat has been making great drysuits for decades!
Great review Ken. i was thinking of the level 6 emperor suit myself so I found this video quite helpful. The only question is would someone ever buy one of these just to go swimming?
I don't know... I'm not much of a swimmer, that's for sure. I think most swimmers opt for wetsuits though.
I was out two days ago with a kayak instructor who goes swimming in her drysuit. I was surprised, but there you are!
Dear Ken, Thank You very much for your nice videos!
What's Your opinion about Drysuit zippers on breast or on back?
I don't feel strongly one way or the other. Having the zipper up front can make it easier to zip and unzip, but it adds some bulk under your lifejacket there. Both work very well in my opinion.
I picked one of those up last year. Kicked off year two on it and and still keeping me dry. Just an idea how about a video on burping it. First time I had to roll with that dry suit on I didn't have it burped good enough and ended up swimming.
Good point about burping!
So my wife and I are buying dry suits soon. We’re in our first year of kayaking and we just turned 51. I’m trying to figure out sizing though, I take it from this video we should be buying them bigger than our normal sizes so we have the ability to layer clothing underneath. I looked for a link to this one in your description but I don’t see one, do you have a web site/link for it. Finally, how did you get your suit to puff up like that for the float test? 😂
You shouldn't need to buy them bigger than your normal sizes, as a 'correctly sized' drysuit will provide room for layering. In other words, if you typically wear a large, a large drysuit should fit you and have room for layers. Levelsix.com has this drysuit. The other brands worth checking out are Kokatat and NRS. As for filling up the drysuit, I pulled the neck gasket over my mouth to blow it up. In through the nose, out through the mouth :)
No, buy for your size.
I tried a cheap wet suit for an early spring paddle here in southern New England. I used it a couple times on reasonably warm sunny days, but the water was still very cold. It was just for my protection in the event I fell in paddling at the end of March.
I was so hot paddling with the wet suit on I couldn't stand it, and it was not fun. It was also difficult to take off and put on alone, and fit very snug.
Do you get just as hot in a dry suit? Or should they just be worn when it is cold outside too and not just the water temperature?
Also, do these same dry suits double as dry suits for scuba should I ever want to get into that?
I don't know for others, but personally, around 15C with only a t-shirt underneath, I'm comfortable. The closer it gets to 20C the hotter it gets, and at 20C and higher it's VERY hot. I still wore my drysuit at that temperature because here the water still stays below 10C most of the time, so I didn't want to get hypothermia in case of a capsize. So yes it does get hot.
You just outlined the toughest conditions to dress for... When the air is warm, but the water is very cold. You need to dress warm enough to deal with a swim, but without overheating when you're paddling. There are a couple of options here... 1. dress in a way that you'll be semi-protected from the cold water. What I mean by that, is dress so that you have some protection from the cold water, but not so much protection that you can hang out in the water if you end up swimming. If you do this, you NEED to stay close enough to shore so that you can easily swim to safety, because extended immersion is not an option, and you need to be more conservative with all your decisions to minimize the chance of swimming. If that isn't an option, you do need to dress for extended immersion. For me, this is where the drysuit with a neoprene neck gasket is great. The neoprene neck gasket is much more comfortable than a latex gasket. It isn't 100% dry, but 90% dry, and not as hot. I will use some light wicking layers under the drysuit so that if I'm sweating when paddling, I'm not miserably uncomfortable - just slightly uncomfortable. :) This is also when moderating your activity level makes sense. What I mean is that if you're dressed heavy to protect yourself from a swim, you'll need to exert yourself less while paddling, so that you don't overheat. Sorry there isn't a perfect answer for this one!
@@PaddleTV I will eventually get myself a thick wetsuit for the 2 months of warmer temperatures we get. I live in a colder region, and we don't get that many warm days, but the SUP paddlers seem comfortable with their wetsuits (although now they are not going on the water while I still am hahahaha). I bought the drysuit first because otherwise I would have a very short paddling season. I want to still go out when it's freezing (hopefully all winter, but in extreme cold I won't go island hoping), so I went for the full extreme cold gear right away XD. The warmth of the drysuit only bothered me for a few outings, because here we can still get 15C in mid-July. But a wetsuit would be a good idea eventually, instead of a semi-drysuit because of cost.
@@PaddleTV After more than 450 uses of my Sea Eagle Paddleski 435ps (the world's most stable kayak til the new 437ps model, which me & Kayak Cliff now have), I finally fell off it this spring.
My new registration hadn't come in yet, so I didn't attach the motor for backup as I normally do. I did some paddling and used my WindPaddle (you should check them out) and I sailed across a small lake near home. I climbed to the front of my Paddleski hybrid inflatable kayak to fold the WindPaddle closed, and when I climbed back, I knocked my paddling in the water. It was quickly moving away, so I over reached and fell right off. Wouldn't yet know, this was in April when the water is still cold. I was right near land, don't know if the water was even over my head, but I managed to climb back on the boat in between 5 to 10 seconds! I barely got a chance to feel how cold the water might be I was out so fast. I had a pair of jeans on, I took off my shirt and put the wind breaker jacket I keep in one of the 2 dry bags I normally take with me. I paddled back to the boat ramp which was not far as it's a small lake, and I had a pop up changing tent and extra clothes in my car.
This season I added both a Razorlite & the new 437ps model Paddleski. I'd think climbing on the Razorlite would be tougher to do it so quick, but probably easier than most hard shell kayaks. The 437ps has larger sides, so I will have to test if I'm still able to climb back on so easily.
If you haven't already checked them out, I've had a WindPaddle for 9 years. It's a cool sailing accessory for a kayak that weighs only a few ounces, attaches in 30 seconds, and will let you down wind sail if the wind is right in the direction your going. There are cheap $20 knock offs available now too. I also have a full lateen sail rig for my 435ps.
Hopefully you got good incentives, Level 6 has only XS left in one color 😂
Ha! No incentives... It's hard to get your hands on any gear these days, isn't it?
I just bought one yesterday in size large and they had 3 different colors available
@@TheOfficialDOP Nice for you. Yet, Cronos, Odin and Freya sold out. Fjord: one XS and two Ls left. Emperor: 3x XS. That is it.
Where was it made if that matters?
That looks fun, why buy a kayak?! Just buy a dry suit and jump in.
Ha! Good point!
So I see that your response to criticism is to delete the remarks rather than address the substance of the critique. That's sad. Particularly when the comment relates to cold water safety and I'm the one making it.
Huh?
Please elaborate Moulton. I don't remember deleting any critical comments. You clearly have strong opinions, and I'm fine with that. I'm also fine debating my opinions on issues.
@@PaddleTV I don't have "strong opinions". I promote safety advice that's based on scientific studies of cold water immersion and also on practical experience learned from accident reports of close calls and fatalities. Your video perpetuates the myth that thermal protection is only for extreme conditions - repeating phrases like "extreme conditions", "extreme cold", "freezing or very cold water" when talking about thermal protection. This misleads paddlers and undermines cold water safety because in reality, most people will experience maximum-intensity cold shock at water temperatures between 50-60F (10-15C). That's a scientific fact that Paddle TV completely ignores. If we're going to debate this issue, let's be clear. What the National Center for Cold Water Safety promotes is science, not opinion. My critique here is not my "opinion", it's what the science of cold water immersion tells us.
They don't fit fat people very well at all. I'm a little overweight and the Emperor is quite tight around the midriff. Having said that it is well worth the money, far cheaper than a funeral.
If you wear a tall size, you never get to buy things like this. XL≠Tall.
It's true. I'm 6'2, and I would guess that this XL would fit well if I were 2" taller. Anymore than that, and it would probably be too short.