dry tops.. dunno what to do..

[GonnaCatchABig1]

so let's say IN THEORY, i was planning on getting some new breathables and a dry top. in theory. the waders i can figure out. since i've destroyed a pair already, thus knowing which areas and feature to look out for this time around. but dry tops have me a bit confused, since i've never had one.
what should be lookin for? non of them are exactly cheap. but what type of bells and whistles justify the prices? (other than the obvious keeping you dry) what are the specific MUST HAVE features. as well the can make do with out features.
also is there any difference between the terms "dry top" and "wading jacket" or "slash top"?
kind of confused.
take two aquaskinz products for instance. the new raptor dry top... it looks and sounds like you could go scuba diving in the thing and not get wet. where as the nor easter looks and sounds more like a jacket that just happens to do a good job at keeping water out.

are these more water resistant than water proof? or do they seal up tighter than a (insert yer own ending)?

just wondering if the benefits are worth the hefty price tags. cause i did fairly well keeping warm in doubled up sweat shirts tucked into my waders last fall. didn't stay very dry. but stayed warm just the same.

[BigFish]

Just get a $15.00 rain coat Chris.....its what I have been using for years!

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Just get a $15.00 rain coat Chris.....its what I have been using for years!

yeah thats my view on it too. unless these things seal up tight and i can take some waves and not get drenched. but if they are just glorified rain jackets i'm all set.

[BigFish]

They are definitely not glorified raincoats. They are dry tops! I am just saying I saved a bundle and went with a raincoat! Some guys like to have a cadillac......I like the chevy!

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by BigFish

They are definitely not glorified raincoats. They are dry tops! I am just saying I saved a bundle and went with a raincoat! Some guys like to have a cadillac......I like the chevy!

i'll take a dodge or chevy any day. just as long as it has 450+ hp a shiny new coat of paint and purrs like a lion.

still need to figure out exactly what all these fancy things they talk about actually do. (like triple lined this, double sealed that. etc.) cause im having trouble figuring out what actually will keep me bone dry in the waves and what will just keep me reasonably dry.

[The Iceman 6]

I stayed in Holiday Inn Express last night

[tynan19]

NRS Kayak Top. Try one on at EMS or somewhere that carries them. A little more than a raincoat but much cheaper than a skinz.

[Zeno]

I been wearing same Helly Hanson top for years,Its nothing fancy ,just a rubber rain jacket. I also use Aquaskinz on occasion.
So I am not one of those people that have to have a top for every condition and in every color. HH top cost me probably $70 at local tackle store and served me for years. I have no desire to buy another top...........until I've seen new Lamiglas top over the weekend. Call me silly but sometimes I just lose my head. Its everything I wanted in a top. Light, breathable, waterproof, no latex cuffs to kill my wrists and the best part ,a separable neck neoprene cuff to unzip when i am hot. Granted ,I only put it on in the store but I am buying a darn thing. I am not an impulse guy but that I had to have. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was a big logo on the sleeve. Something I can live with.

[Nebe]

check out the LL Bean emerger wading jacket. Its 75 bucks and is an awesome jacket.. i even wear it when I am not fishing

[1dozenraw]

I have 3 set-ups. For days on the breachway when the waves are blowing spray everywhere - Grundens fowl weather gear, knee high rubber boots that commercial dragger hands wear and Korkers. Simms dry top ( I paid $100 for it almost new) and breathable waders. I also have a Helly Hansen breathable semi dry top that I bought new for $35 (because it's pink and no-one else had the balls to wear it). Not a issue for me. It's a bit lighter than the Simms and it was cheap. I don't own or ever wear anything with a hood.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by 1dozenraw

I have 3 set-ups. For days on the breachway when the waves are blowing spray everywhere - Grundens fowl weather gear, knee high rubber boots that commercial dragger hands wear and Korkers. Simms dry top ( I paid $100 for it almost new) and breathable waders. I also have a Helly Hansen breathable semi dry top that I bought new for $35 (because it's pink and no-one else had the balls to wear it). Not a issue for me. It's a bit lighter than the Simms and it was cheap. I don't own or ever wear anything with a hood.

how effective is the dry top at keeping water out if submerged for any period of time? is basically what im trying to decipher here. (not completely submerged but half of its got be spending time in the water right?)

[1dozenraw]

Originally Posted by GonnaCatchABig1

how effective is the dry top at keeping water out if submerged for any period of time? is basically what im trying to decipher here. (not completely submerged but half of its got be spending time in the water right?)

I usually stand waist deep. I wear a wader belt over the drytop if I'm going in that deep. The waders are another 18 inches up inside so no water gets in them at all. Where the Simms does fail a bit id around the neck and wrists. The gaskets on me are snug but not uncomfortably tight. So it's more comfortable but when water is all around a small amount goes down my arms or neck. I can live with it. I have had waves break over head and staked 98% dry... but that a wave or two... consistently under water... not sure I'd be that dry. But I am too old to fish that way...

[Pete_G]

To me a "dry" top is going to have latex gaskets at the neck and wrists. Effectively waterproof. Same style gaskets a survival suit would have, no water will pass (assuming they are tight enough), even underwater.

A "splash" top will have neoprene gaskets at the wrists and neck, and can and will allow seepage in regards to water getting by but will fend off most of a wave. Definitely not waterproof, but far more water resistant then just a jacket.

Drytops are dry, but they are a wrestling match to get in and out of and if the gaskets are to work properly they need to be tight around the wrists and neck. Too much work for me and uncomfortable for some, I just assume get wet. But if you go this route, you will be dry.

Assuming the manufacturer is describing them properly, they'll function as I listed above.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

actually i just found the "dry suits" which seem more promising for what i'd want. but probably would be a tad bit uncomfortable in the summer, when i just want waders.

how ever just when i think i have found the solution. a water proof suit that wont make me look like a beached seal. i see waaaaay down the bottom that there's drainage mesh. that's not very dry if you hafta drain them. but for roughly the same prices as decent waders and a top or a wetsuit. it seems like a feasible solution. anyone know of any that are basically a full suit of waders?

(some have relief zipper which could be VERY handy.)

[Mr. Sandman]

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.

[protty31]

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

[1dozenraw]

Originally Posted by protty31

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

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.

[Redsoxticket]

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

[reelecstasy]

I love my Simms.....

But, my first choice would be the wetsuit

[rwilhelm]

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.

[hardbait]

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

[steve]

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!

[freebie]

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

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by freebie

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)

[freebie]

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

[gayhead]

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.

[jkswimmer]

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

[steve]

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