Looking to purchase a light surf top for late spring summer and early fall. I have a aquaskinz phantom which is too hot for the summer. Was thinking of the bayman by aqua but I went to search it on the net and found bad reviews on some of t he boards in spific the gasket at the wrist has a tendancy to tear. Does any one out there have any feedback on the bayman top or any other light tops that I should be looking at. Thanks Charlie

Try looking into the NRS line of drytops. I use mine from May-Nov and will just layer up for colder nights. I think I use the Powerhouse model.

Most all the gasketed kayak tops will do the job better than any designed for the surf, I have 3 Immersion Reasearch tops. I wear a wet suit most of the time with this top over it. When I do wear waders I can swim a short distance with this top over them, and I do mean short even though I could proberly go much further I do not. A few strokes to get to a close rock if conditions permit is all I will push in my waders. The top is great over a wetsuit though especially when it is windy and cold.

If the bayman is the orange one from Aqua skinz, I'd avoid that unless you have really small hands and wrists.

Mine has been used a half dozen times, and the wrist seals are already starting to crack, and it's really not very comfortable because of the tight wrists. Instead of the thinner seal material, it's thicker material that's folded back on itself at the cuff, so it's not nearly as stretchy as the thinner material on the previous blue top. Before I used it first, I shoved soda bottles in the wrists to try to stretch them a little - didn't work.

The thing I like about it is that you can vent the thing at the neck so on long walks you don't steam yourself. The thin material is also nice for June-late September, when I do most of my fishing.

Oh yeah, and it's bright orange.

You can also try a "dighy" sailing top. Gill, Gull, HH and others make them and are a great lightweight spash top.