How to Choose a Drysuit for Kayaking
Updated: Aug 26
Northwest Outdoor Center's guide to the Kokatat and NRS drysuits we sell
If you've already decided a drysuit is the right call, the next question is how to choose the drysuit that is right for you. If you're still weighing the decision, start with our Drysuit vs. Wetsuit for Cold Water Kayaking guide.
We sell five drysuits here at NWOC. Three are from Kokatat's Hydrus 3.0 lineup: Swift Entry, Meridian, and Odyssey. The other two are the NRS Foray and Axiom. All five will keep you dry in Puget Sound conditions. The differences come down to whether you need a sprayskirt tunnel, how the suit fits your body, and a few features that show up on longer trips.
How to Choose a Drysuit
There's a natural order to this decision: what you're doing in the suit, whether you need a tunnel, which fit works for your body, then budget and features. We'll walk through it in that order.
Do You Need a Sprayskirt Tunnel?
The tunnel is the dual adjustable overskirt on the Meridian, Odyssey, and Axiom that mates to your sprayskirt. It's the biggest functional difference between the suits in this guide, and it's worth sorting out before you compare price and features.
In practice, this means most of what we sell is the Swift Entry and the Foray. Most paddlers don't need the tunnel, whether they're sea kayaking, packrafting, or running an inflatable kayak (IK).
Most sea kayakers: it isn't a necessity, and that includes rescue practice. It matters most if you already roll or want to learn. The tunnel keeps your cockpit drier through a roll than a bungee waist alone.
Surf, coastal breaking waves, or other extreme conditions: get a suit with a tunnel.
Whitewater kayaking in a hardshell boat: if you spend time upside down, playboating or running harder rivers, get a suit with a tunnel. The Meridian is our go-to recommendation here.
Packrafting or IK, immersion protection only: day paddling, rescue practice, nothing more advanced. Skip it. A no-tunnel suit like the Swift Entry or Foray costs less and is likely the better choice for most paddlers, sea kayakers included.
Paddling with a sprayskirt that uses suspenders? A tunnel isn't compatible with it. Get a no-tunnel suit regardless of anything else in this guide.
One more category, and we're only half joking: if you just want to look sharp on the water, get a tunnel suit. Sometimes it really is just about looking good.
The Kokatat Lineup: Swift Entry, Meridian, Odyssey
All three Kokatat suits we carry are built from Hydrus 3.0, Kokatat's proprietary three-layer waterproof/breathable fabric, designed to deliver drysuit performance at a lower price point. What separates the three suits is what gets built on top of that fabric.
Kokatat Swift Entry (Hydrus 3.0)
The most affordable way into a real drysuit, and along with the Foray, the suit we sell most, since most paddlers don't need the tunnel described above. It has everything a drysuit needs to keep you dry: front-entry zipper, relief zipper, integrated Hydrus 3.0 socks, latex neck and wrist gaskets, with reinforced “Hydrus Tough” fabric at the seat and knees.
Benefits: Lowest price in the lineup with no compromise on waterproofing. No tunnel means it also works with sprayskirts that use suspenders, which aren't tunnel-compatible. Reinforced seat and knees hold up to getting in and out of boats on rocky beaches and docks.
Drawbacks: No sprayskirt tunnel. Runs a bit snugger through the legs and hips than the Foray (more on that below), and there's no chest pocket.
Kokatat Meridian (Hydrus 3.0)
Same Hydrus 3.0 fabric, front-entry zipper, and relief zipper as the Swift Entry, with the sprayskirt tunnel and a couple of durability upgrades added on top.
Benefits: A dual adjustable overskirt with hook-and-loop compatible neoprene: the tunnel that mates to your sprayskirt (see “Do You Need a Tunnel?” above). Reinforced seat and knee patches, plus a zippered chest pocket.
Drawbacks: About $190 more than the Swift Entry, and that tunnel isn't compatible with a sprayskirt that uses suspenders. No hood or thigh pocket, and less torso length than the Odyssey. For those, you're looking at the Odyssey.
Kokatat Odyssey (Hydrus 3.0): $1,439
The suit we point coastal and expedition-minded paddlers toward. Everything the Meridian has, plus the features that matter on longer days and rougher water.
Benefits: The same tunnel as the Meridian, plus a removable, pile-lined hood that's genuinely useful in Puget Sound rain and wind. Internal suspenders (for the suit, not your sprayskirt) keep it out of the way while rigging. Three zippered pockets, enough room for snacks, sunscreen, or a compass without digging through a hatch, and reflective accents for visibility.
Drawbacks: $250 more than the Meridian, and more suit than you need if you're mostly paddling protected water on Lake Union a few times a season.
NRS Axiom: The Premium Alternative
The premium option in our lineup, and the suit Patrick and I have both been wearing for teaching this season. The current-generation Axiom uses GORE-TEX Pro with Gore's new ePE membrane. That's a different fabric than the Foray's 4-Layer Eclipse, but both current-generation suits use PFAS-free waterproof/breathable fabrics. TIZIP front-entry zipper and the sprayskirt tunnel, like the Meridian and Odyssey.
What we've noticed: the ePE fabric feels a little stiffer than older Gore-Tex right out of the bag, but it's flexible enough that you stop noticing it once you're actually paddling. It also gives more room through the body than the Swift Entry. Patrick and I are both close to the top of Kokatat's size range, and where the Swift Entry pulls at the low back bending or leaning forward, the Axiom doesn't.
Drawbacks: The most expensive suit we carry, and it doesn't come with the Odyssey's hood, internal suspenders, or extra pockets. You're paying for the fabric and the room, not more features.
Fit: Where Kokatat Suits Run Snug
This is the part that doesn't show up on a spec sheet. In our experience fitting customers, the Swift Entry runs noticeably tighter through the legs and hips than the newly released NRS Foray, more so than the price difference between the two would suggest.
Trying them on side by side settled a few things about room. The Foray has the most, then the Odyssey, then the Meridian and Swift Entry. At 5'11", 190 lbs, with a 70-inch girth (Kokatat's own torso measurement, taken shoulder to crotch to shoulder), a large Odyssey fit with room to spare, noticeably more than the same size in a Swift Entry or Meridian. The Meridian also runs shorter through the torso than the Odyssey, worth knowing if you're tall through the body.
This isn't just a fit issue for women. Women often feel it most through the hips, but men run into the same thing through the legs or upper body, depending on how they're built (Patrick and I saw this firsthand with the Axiom, covered above, and the same holds true for the Foray). If you're built with more room needed anywhere in the suit, or you layer heavily underneath, it's worth trying on a Foray before you commit to a Kokatat suit. It's part of our rental and class fleet now for exactly this reason, so trying one on is easy.
That's from trying the suits on ourselves, not a formal fit study across every body type. Come try them on and we'll help you figure out what actually fits. That matters more than any size chart. |
NRS Foray: A Different Kind of Drysuit
We've added the Foray to our rental and class fleet for sea kayaking. For some body types, especially through the hips, it fits better than the Swift Entry, and that's reason enough to put it into regular instructional use. NRS originally built it for rafters, SUP paddlers, and packrafters, and it skips the tunnel that the Meridian, Odyssey, and Axiom use to mate with a sprayskirt. That background doesn't make it any less of a sea kayaking suit for paddlers who don't need one. Along with the Swift Entry, it's what we sell most. For sea kayaking without a tunnel, it's one of our top choices, and for open packrafting and IK use it's the best choice we carry.
Benefits: Now part of our rental and class fleet for sea kayaking instruction. For some body types it fits better through the hips than the Swift Entry, which is exactly why we added it. 4-Layer Eclipse fabric, made without PFAS as of NRS's 2026 material update. A TIZIP front-entry zipper: waterproof, airtight, and pressure-resistant, a different zipper technology than the nylon coil zippers on the Kokatat suits. No tunnel means it's also compatible with sprayskirts that use suspenders. Tapered ankle design with a Cordura panel for abrasion resistance, and double-seam-taped socks. At $995, priced right in line with the Swift Entry.
Drawbacks: No tunnel, so it's not the suit to reach for if you roll, surf, or paddle exposed coastal conditions. See “Do You Need a Tunnel?” above.
NRS has made real strides with it's drysuit lineup. The Foray gave us a fit option we didn't have before and after teaching in the current Axiom this season, we think NRS belongs in the conversation alongside Kokatat, not just as the alternative.
Swift Entry or Foray?
They're almost the same price: $999 vs. $995. If you've already decided you don't need a tunnel, this is the real question, and it comes down to fit more than features.
Swift Entry: runs snugger through the legs and hips. A good fit if that tailored cut works for your body.
Foray: more room through the same areas. Women often notice it through the hips, men through the legs or upper body. It's why we added it to our rental and class fleet alongside the Swift Entry.
Neither is the “better” suit. Try both on and go with the one you stop thinking about once it's zipped up.
A Note on Breathability
A drysuit keeps outside water out. It doesn't stop you from making your own moisture inside it, and how much depends on sun, temperature, how hard you're working, and how much you personally sweat. Wear wicking layers underneath so that moisture doesn't sit against your skin.
Most drysuit paddling happens on cold water, and you'll actually use that water to stay cool: splashing yourself or your sprayskirt, wading in before you launch, dumping water over your head, or flipping into a bow rescue (grabbing a partner's bow and rolling back up, whether or not you know how to roll yourself). You're going to sweat some regardless of fabric, especially with a sprayskirt tunnel around your torso and a PFD over the top of that. Breathability matters less than the marketing suggests. Fit, function, and yes, even looks, matter more.
Quick Comparison
Suit | Price | Tunnel | Best For |
Swift Entry (M) | $999 | No | Everyday paddling, immersion protection, packrafting/IK |
Meridian (M) | $1,189 | Yes | Rolling, surf, coastal, whitewater |
Odyssey (M) | $1,439 | Yes | Expedition, cold/wet multi-day trips |
Axiom (M) | $1,495 | Yes | Premium GORE-TEX Pro ePE, roomier than Swift Entry |
Foray (M/W) | $995 | No | Roomier fit, sea kayaking, packrafting/IK |
Sizing It Right
Sizing a drysuit off a chart alone is a gamble. Bring your body type and your paddling style in and we'll get you into a few suits before you buy. If you rent a drysuit first, we apply up to $99 of that rental cost toward the purchase of a new suit priced $999 or higher (credit must be used within 30 days of the rental).
One more thing about fit: the neck gasket. A new gasket should feel snug. If it's completely comfortable right out of the box, it's probably too loose to seal well. Snug is normal; painfully restrictive isn't, and if it's the latter, we'll trim it. We already do this on our rental suits so they're snug without squeezing the life out of you, and new suits often need the same adjustment. Our Drysuit vs. Wetsuit guide covers gasket adjustment in more detail.
Drysuits ship free if ordering online is easier than coming in. And if that's the plan, we're still happy to help: call or email with your measurements and we'll walk you through sizing, or guide you through trimming the neck gasket yourself once the suit arrives.
Questions?
We fit drysuits every week and we'd rather spend twenty minutes getting you into the right one than sell you the wrong suit twice. Stop by the shop at 2100 Westlake Ave N in Seattle, call us at (206) 281-9694, or email mail@nwoc.com.
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