The material on my Simms is a heavier grade and I think that the fishing dry tops are heavier because they are likely (hopefully) to have live fish, blood and slime, occasional plugs with hooks and barnacles on rocks rubbing against them. The HH I have which I think was actually intended as a sailing splash top is lighter weight material because the abrasion and abuse would normally be less in sailing and Kayaking. I would advise trying on the ones with gaskets to see how the gaskets feel. They have to be tight to seal completely. I know I have sacrificed a bit of seal for comfort. But I don't often get dunked and that works for me. I just am looking to stay dry enough to be warm and not have to leave the rocks to get a dry change of clothes.

thank you. i'm getting a much better idea of their practicality. and i think i have finally found the solution.

Stearns Rapid Rescue Extreme Dry Suit. i'm just trying to figure out its 100% dry like waders. if so it's mine. cause it's only about $400 which is actually cheaper then a top and waders. and fully breathable. even has an air purge valve. seems like a great solution. as long as it keeps me dry. its got latex seems with neoprene over them. so i could cut down the gaskets to a more comfortable fit. while having the protection of two seals.

# Waterproof/breathable fabric
# Internal suspeners provide optimum fit
# Latex waterproof seals around neck, and wrist
# Relief zipper
# Built-in waterproof sock
# Built-in air purge valve
# Relief tape around wrists for added visbility
# Neoprene seal protector around wrist and neck
# Cordura knees and elbows for durability

sounds like a big suit of waders right?

yup i'm gonna try that out.. if it doesnt work.. i'll just pawn it off some where. they also make some really nice boots for cheap. all i'd need is korkers and i'd be all set. and if it works i can just a get chit pair of summer time waders.

Try wearing it before you buy it... looks like a bit overkill from the website. Might be heavy... good luck.

fishing "dry" tops (AS, simms, etc.) have very little practicle purpose IMO. they work somewhere between that "i want to stay dry" and "i want to get wet" type of wading. to me, if i'm going deep, i'm wearing a wetsuit and not worrying about it. if not, i'm wearing waders and a pullover jacket like a grunden's or this kokatat that I found for like $50 and love.

the only application that I still like a dry top, is the AS hurricane when its very cold old, like BI in early November, where getting wet will literally ruin your night.

but ya gotta admit.. it's sexy as hell.there sizing past 2xl is a bit off though. appearently fat guys cant wear them. if you weigh 230 you better be almost 7 ft tall. lol.

if its a bit heavy thats fine. i just wont hafta bundle up under it in the fall. last year was the first time i fished past august. and with waders. i couldnt have been more miserable (past the start of october) if i got wet. it even snowed a few times late at night. it was pretty awkward catching the last fish in flurries) and if it was raining..even more miserable. i dont have a decent jacket. so this thing could like 3 birds with one stone. for less money. its obviously not very practical for warm weather. but could come in hand in early spring in the colder water temps. i had to thrown on long johns under the waders until about mid june anyway. so that wasnt very comfortable out of the water either.

Careful Josh, the Simms is a splash top on account of neoprene gaskets. So is the Hurricane. Sorry, the naming conventions for 'tops is pet peeve of mine. :hee: They are sometimes used interchangably and I think it causes confusion.

I feel it sets expectations too high when jackets with neoprene cuffs are called in any way dry since they are not waterproof like latex.

And on the opposite end when you have a true drytop with latex gaskets people who have had a splashtop think they operate the same as that, with water seeping by, and they definitely don't.

My favorite Aquaskinz top these days is the Phantom due to the simple logic of waterproof wrists with latex gaskets and an easy to use neck with no gasket. "Semi-dry top" is what he calls it and that's exactly what it is. 100% waterproof at the wrists and water resistant but comfortable at the neck. It's replaced my Grundens Windjammer for the cold weather November fishing.

Other then that, I completely agree. Going deep, get a wetsuit. And then put a top over it if it's cold.

this is EXACTLY the problem i was/am having. factored in with other things they call "waterproof". i have no idea what is and isnt. right now i am giving them the benefit of a doubt and assuming if it meant to be in water and called water proof. (fabric wise) it keeps 100% of the water out. but i've had things in life called waterproof before in which the definition just meant water wont wreck it. i dont know what to believe any more.. :rolleyes:

but that begs the question.. if only the latex seals are water tight, then arnt the bottom seals leaky? since i have yet to see one with a latex bottom. (though i suppose it wouldnt do well on fabric any way)

[QUOTE=Zeno;613658]I think buying a "dry-top" is way overrated. Getting a bit of water up a sleeve has never bothered me.
I rather do that then try to squeeze my gigantic head through the head gasket and THEN be miserable all night because the thing is choking me.]

I have that problem too. Does that mean I have a huge head?????

I love my Simms.....

But, my first choice would be the wetsuit

IMO if you wade waist deep with waves crashing on you it is worth it to spend the money on a quality dry top. When I first started fishing I used a Grundens jacket and the water would go right up my sleeves. Not that bad in the summer when the water is warmer but it really sucks in the fall when the water is colder. I have the EVO2 from Aquaskinz that I have been happy with. The sleeves and neck are designed to keep water out. Definetly try one on before you decide to buy because you need the perfect fit for it to work properly. Too tight and you will be uncomfortable and too loose water will get in.

i bought a kayak top at #^&#^&#^&#^&S SPORTING GOODS at the end of the season for 25 bucks last year works great.

I fooled around with "dry tops" for years and always come back to Grundens or Helly Hanson products. They work and are cheap. A lite model for the summer and the heavier job for the spring and fall. And they last!

Bubba, you should be fine in waders and a top, I know where you fish, unless you trying to swim in it I cant see reason for a dry suit or wet suit, I would get the waders Tom got and a decent top and you should be all set, plus in the summer you can use just the waders and no top if you're not going deep, a dry suit is very single purposed imo

you should also know i've done much better there with out the restriction of waders. due to worrying about waves comin over the top of them i can lose anywhere between 25-100 yards depending on tide height and wave conditions. i do much better mid summer when i can shed the damn things and go out as far i as can with out losing my footing. which is pretty far. i also have my eyes on some other places where im not to sure if a set of waders would be above the water line. the price is right. worst case scenario, it doesn't work as planned. and i cut the gaskets and have a nice winter sports jump suit. (and i need a snow outfit badly)

too funny man, just get a wetsuit, half the price for a good one, and they are warm, just wet inside, I just picked up a NRS for $89 if you want to check it out sometime

Okay, let me try and clarify some of the confusion that seems to be taking place about dry and semi-dry first. A dry suit or top has seals that are self adjusting (Raptor Dry Top)- meaning the user does not necessarily have the option of opening or loosing the seal while in use. A semi-dry top (Phantom Semi-Dry Top) has the option of loosing or opening by way of numerous different methods, most commonly Velcro closures. The Phantom does in fact have a seal on the neck but it is not self adjusting and must be sealed by the user, for this reason it cannot be called a "Dry Top".

It is also not accurate that the use of neoprene as a sealing material makes a garment semi-dry. Please see above. Many dry suits, even today, use neoprene for this purpose (sealing). Some manufacturers do not use the rubber side (sealing side) at all and this does not help in sealing against the skin. This is more common in fishing and paddling apparel - not in diving since the seal dictates life or death. Ideally, one side of the neoprene should be laminated with material and the other side should be left to bare the rubber. This will seal against the skin. Another common practice is some manufactures make the neoprene cuffs or neck gasket too large (more common in fishing apparel) and this too will not seal. Just like the latex seals, neoprene has to be tight against the skin to perform as a seal (Hurricane Dry Top & EVOII Dry Top). Now, silicone latex gaskets have come a long way in the last 5 years and have been around for about 20-25 years overall. In the past they would not hold up very well and become brittle very quickly and fall apart. The technology today adds longevity to them and for this reason they are becoming more and more common in these types of garments. They are actually less expensive overall due to mass production with machinery, offer more flexibility, are thinner and are more appealing (look wise) than neoprene because they can be finished cleaner.

Irregardless of what top you might decide on, the above factors are important in defining what is a dry top or semi-dry top. Some other factors you should look into are whether or not the seems are taped for waterproofing and whether or not the material has any treatment for wicking water away on the outside (like Teflon coating). Our tops offer both these features.

As far as all the "bell & whistles" are concerned, there are features that one person may not need or use but another will. At Aquaskinz we build into the products all the features that we think will be of benefit to the user and there really are no bells and whistles built in for the sake of adding on to a product we offer if we see no benefit from it for the user.

GonnaCatchABig1: Based on what I read and your needs or concerns, the Phantom (or similar) would be the ideal jacket for you. It offers everything you would need and would provide waterproofing based on how much you wanted to seal the neck up.

A quick story:

Yesterday a very well know & respected guide here on Long Island came into the office and told me about his trip of the night before. He explained he had a customer that wanted to fish in the South Side of Montauk - very rough terrain - he said he took him there and the guy could not stand on the rock for more than 2-3 minutes at a time due to waves washing him off. He said he actually had to jump off his rock twice to help the guy get up on his feet because the waves kept rolling over him and he couldn't stand up. Once they were done, the guide said you must be soaking wet....the customer said I don't think so...when they got back to the car (3/4 mile walk), the customer took the jacket off and the guide said he couldn't believe that the customer only had a small wet spot on his chest and everything else was dry.....he was wearing the Phantom Semi-Dry top that was sealed tight around the neck. This is a true story told just yesterday.

I hope the above information is helpful in making your decision. If you need any other information feel free to call in or e-mail us, we will help you as best as we can.

Have a great fall fishing season everyone.

Kadir Akturk
aka: Rock Hopper
AquaSkinz

dry top
 

i use a grunden raincoat ,which works fine. it is a pullover and there is
a tight elastic neoprene type clinch around the wrists. this helps with any of the water getting in. it is very light. there also is a heavier jacket that is good for the fall. check them out and see if you like them.

Don't expect these "dry tops" to last much longer than a season of hard use. I have found they all leak. The fabric does not keep you dry forever. You need wash them off and spray them with a water repellent often for them to keep there dryness.Even then the seams leak and the inner membrane stops working for some reason.

But, they are comfortable when they work. But for the money, and longevity, get the grundens pullover top. That thing is rugged, will last for decades and has neck and sleeve cuffs and cost like 79 bucks. However it is not nearly as comfortable as the "breathable" tops but they are a hell of a lot dryer when a wave hits you in the chest IMO.

I bought a simms a couple of years ago for the same reason
(keeping the rollers out) It has worked great and is very durable.
The only thing I would change, would be to get one with a hood:1poke:

I agree and have had the same results. I like my Simms. However... no hoods for me. They are great when water is coming down at you. But, wheit is hitting you in the face a hood because a funnel that just directs water right where I don't want it. Not a big fan of the hood when I'm being hit by waves. Nope.

SIMMS
 

I received today a simms jacket however I still like my grundens 763

I've got both the Simms and Rampage for colder weather...while neither are true dry tops they're both dry enough in the conditions I fish which can be pretty wet. I think they're both great tops.

When it's warm I like to breath.

When it's cold you need to stay dry.

-spence

Comercial fisherman's splashtops are the most durible
I have been using one for over twenty years.

The new Aqua Skin dry top-- Bayman is very good for warm weather and long walks in waders.