Dry Tops

[BasicPatrick]

This discussion has brought up Aquaskinz, Simms & NRS...

I'll give you the difference for me...

Aquaskinz is a sponsor of this site and regularly spomsors/donates/supports the organizations and causes that we on this board care about. If these three products are in the same money and quality range then I have to choose the Aquaskinz as they are a part of this community vs the other two. Have you ever seen Simms donate to your local fishing club, charity tournament or sponsor this or any other web site...

point made...

[NIB]

No Question.I've met Kadir first class guy.I have no dought in my mind he will stand behind their product.
I never met mr simms.No plans to go to montana any time soon either.

[Dr. Lickman]

My experience with the Aquaskinz Evo jacket has not been good-it has leaked since the first time I put on in the surf at the front shoulder seams-and I was recommended to "wear it a few more times in the salt and see if it seals it"- it didn't. So now I wear my Aquaskinz jacket with my rain jacket over it and that keeps me somewhat dry. I suppose I'll pick up one of the new Simms jackets over the winter when I'm not blowing all my hard earned money on eels or gas. Kind of a bite in the a$$ when you spend 240 bucks on a spruce goose tho...unfortunately the big companies will offer you a warrantie of sorts when their product fails, not excuses.

[eelman]

I tried on the evo11 at quaker lane tonight, I like it but man, that neck cuff is just so uncomfortable? it seems to tight, the other thing I noticed is that the sleeves were very hard to get on, I cant imagine what it would be like on a hot humid night when your sweating ! Why cant there be some sort of zipper on the sleeve cuff?? would make things easier I think, I like the rampage top the best because the neck has a zipper, only problem is its way to warm now...Cant the evo11 have a zippered neck also?

[luds]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

I tried on the evo11 at quaker lane tonight, I like it but man, that neck cuff is just so uncomfortable? it seems to tight, the other thing I noticed is that the sleeves were very hard to get on, I cant imagine what it would be like on a hot humid night when your sweating ! Why cant there be some sort of zipper on the sleeve cuff?? would make things easier I think, I like the rampage top the best because the neck has a zipper, only problem is its way to warm now...Cant the evo11 have a zippered neck also?

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&,

I.M.O. the cuff on the evo II won't bother you much at all . The benefits of being dry far out way the small discomfort(if any) that you might experience.

Also, before you commit to the rampage give the Hurricane a chance. It comes in handy in Ocober and November if you fall on you arse in the wash.

[SeaWolf]

it's nice to see a sponsor chime in, even if their product is being questioned. thanks kadir for informing us all on how your company listens to our requests and changes your product by improving it so that it is the best on the market.

i purchased a hurricane top last fall and used it when the temps were below 45 or when it was a downpour. that top is great. i stay dry and i am extremely warm in the top. yeah, the neck was tough to get used to, but after a couple trips, it's like any other piece of clothing you wear. throw a long-sleeved t under it and i was fine. this year, i'll be sporting a under armor long sleeve t to help my body breathe under it as with any neoprene, you sweat and the sweat is what gets cold and then makes you get cold. the under armor worked great for me this winter ice fishing. i have the dry hood to wear over this top for this year.

and, since we're on the subject, i now have a pair of the 'skins thunder gloves to wear this fall when the temps are cold. i had a fellow sponser with me a few times last year who was using a prototype pair. he was throwing braid all day/night. after the season you looked at the gloves and you couldn't even tell they were used with braid. that was enough for me. when a product works, i am more than happy to acknowledge it. thanks for making some great products, kadir. keep it up!

[staktup]

I have the Hurricane and Evo 2; got them 2 years ago. At first, I was worried about restricted movement and decided to buy a size larger than what I should have. It leaked water thru the neck and arm seals, but since it was in good condition, I was able to sell it in consigment via Kadir's partner and get a new one that fit right. After that, and before I knew about how to ot the jacket on and off the proper way, I had some ripping at the seams. Kadir took care of the problem for me and head it ready for my trip to the Vineyard.

Sicne then, I have had no issues. The Evo 2 is comfortable and does a geat job of sealing you in. I recall this one October day, I got knocked off the rocks by the pillbox in Montauk repeatedly and stayed completely dry.

The Hurricane keeps me warm in the most frigid temps of fall and early spring fishing. Both jackets rock.

The best part of the Aquaskinz jackets are that if you have a problem, Kadir will listen, respond, and take care of the problem. It may not be to everyone's satisfaction, it's not like an LL Bean replacement gurantee, but in my experience I have been fully satisfied with the customer service. Like someone else said, they contribute to local fishing, whether financially or just be interacting with surfcasters to get positive and negative feedback to improve their products. How many manufacturers of your fishing equipment does this? Do you think Van Staal came out with a new bail design because surfcasters asked for it? Did Penn ever make a higher retrieve squidder? When will Abu Garcia ever provide better factory drag washers? Are there 2 and 3 oz bombers being made? Other than custom plugmakers, how many plug manufacturers provide plugs with quality hooks? Did Korkers ever listen to anybody's suggestions for durability and improvement?

Just my $0.02.

AquaSkinz.

[Redsoxticket]

I know that when I wear clothing (shirts, leather jacket, etc.) close to or around my neck the material wears down considerably because of the beard hair stubbs.
I would think that the rubber material will also wear down with pin holes.

[Redsoxticket]

Grudens has wrist neoprene cuffs that are cover part of your forearm.

They also have the neck seal.

These two can be added to most any top with no seals.
Maybe one can use under the rubber neck seal of the aquqskinz for a better fit or gasket breakdown of the aquaskinz due to beard growth.

[Rock Hopper]

Interesting, coming from a guy with 3 posts. I did PM you but no reply! Maybe you will see this kadir@aquaskinz.com. Feel free to contact me directly, I will be happy to speak to you about your claim.

If you've got a legitimate issue, you would have contacted us directly and we would have addressed it. This is basically horse $h%t. No one here would ever tell you to use it and "see if it seals"! Why is it that there are always people out there trying to bad mouth and bring down one company or person for no real reason? Is this what your about? It's easy to hide behind you're monitor isn't it? Contact me and let's talk.

[Rock Hopper]

Eel man,

Once a zipper is sewn onto the neck seal it will no longer provide a perfect seal around your neck and thereby leak water in from that area. The cuffs will stretch to fit your neck & wrists after a few wears but still provide the seals to keep the water out.


If you buy the top, please go the the AquaSkinz web site and just quickly read through the instructions, it will be useful. They are found on the products page under a seperate tab.

Kadir

[eelman]

Originally Posted by Rock Hopper

Eel man,

Once a zipper is sewn onto the neck seal it will no longer provide a perfect seal around your neck and thereby leak water in from that area. The cuffs will stretch to fit your neck & wrists after a few wears but still provide the seals to keep the water out.


If you buy the top, please go the the AquaSkinz web site and just quickly read through the instructions, it will be useful. They are found on the products page under a seperate tab.

Kadir

Thanks, the top does seem well made, I am going to buy a rampage top for sure! I am just unsure on a lightweight summer top. I will try it again, thanks

[basswipe]

Budget wise the NRS at $65 is the only one I can afford so it looks like that's the one I'm getting.

Its too bad there isn't a 'Skinz for us guys on a budget.Someday?

[spence]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

I am going to buy a rampage top for sure!

The Rampage top is excellent

-spence

[Dr. Lickman]

Originally Posted by Rock Hopper

Interesting, coming from a guy with 3 posts. I did PM you but no reply! Maybe you will see this kadir@aquaskinz.com. Feel free to contact me directly, I will be happy to speak to you about your claim.

If you've got a legitimate issue, you would have contacted us directly and we would have addressed it. This is basically horse $h%t. No one here would ever tell you to use it and "see if it seals"! Why is it that there are always people out there trying to bad mouth and bring down one company or person for no real reason? Is this what your about? It's easy to hide behind you're monitor isn't it? Contact me and let's talk.

I did contact you directly and that is what you told me. And I did what you said and the jacket still leaked and I did not send the jacket back for "testing" like you wanted. A guy with 3 posts has no right to voice his opinion here??

You're really on a roll here Doc. 7 posts and I think I had to edit 4 of them. Keep up the good work

[Rock Hopper]

This is an interesting topic, one that I really did not want to comment on but now I feel compelled to do so.

To answer the comment that has been brought up regarding a cuff or a neck seal tearing, yes that can, will and does happen. This isn't due to being a weakness or a poor design but due more to the stress caused by the users to those areas. On the AquaSkinz site we have put up a link for proper doning and removing of the tops for this very reason. If you pull a rubber band beyond its limits it will snap, same thing here.

To the novice this may seem like it should not happen but to the experienced individual who has used these types of "technical" garments, it is expected, especially if the garment is being used extensively and even more so if it is being put on and removed incorrectly.

For the most part the fishing community is new to this concept and we have been at the forefront in introducing this to this community; hence taking a beating at times unjustly. I personally have been fishing in a wet suit for more than 12 years and in dry top for about ten years. I have more than half dozen dry tops that are now un-used, due to either a tear in the cuff or the neck seal. Why? It costs anywhere from $60.00 to $80.00 to change out a rubber cuff seal and $120-$150 to do a neck seal. It is cheaper to buy a new jacket most of the time.

The other thing is, the rubber gasgets used in most dry tops have about half the life expectancy of the neoprene gasgets we use, trust me, I have done extensive re-search on this. The rubber seals will dry and rot in a relatively short period of time in the salt water even if you wash them regularly. They need to be kept oiled, kinda like a moisterizer. My experience is that most fisherman will not due this but people who kayak exclusively and people who yacht do, hence extending the life of the jacket.

Everyone has a right to buy the product they deem the best for them but I can assure you as an owner of a company that has brought a new concept to fishing the shores of the NE coast that we work very diligently to make sure we have covered as many of the bases as we can think of and when there is a problem, we take care of our clients.

There are large companies out there (S***s) that went as far as trying to buy our EVO2 on the sneak and then copied our design! Why? Because we did all the research, we designed it for the fisherman, we marketed it and then they jumped on our coat tails. They even solicited our dealers off of our web site. You would think a company the size of S***s would have their own ability to design, market and sell but I guess they thought it easier to scavange off of our hard work. That is okay, that is business.

Just for the record, the EVOII has had some minor adjustments for the reasons noted above. The cuff design has been slighlty changed for the better as has the neck seal. Are they impervious to damage, no. They still must be cared for and the proper techniques must be applied for the longevity of the product. I still have customers that are using their original Evolutions without a hitch. Just this past weekend I had to teach a very, very experienced fisherman the way to remove the top as he was pulling and stretching the cuffs beyond what they should be expected to handle. My point, people are still learning the proper way.

Many years ago, there were rods that were like broom sticks, you could throw a pound of lead and a whole bunker and they wouldn't flintch, now we have state of the art rods of all kinds, with specific weight variances and we know we can't or we shouldn't go much beyod those variances. This is kinda the same theory. It will take some time for people to understand this when it comes to these typed of garments.

As a far as fool proof products go, there are none that I am aware of. We make what we believe to be the best tops for the applications they are intented for. No other dry top in the market place is going to give the freedom up top for movement we require that the EVO or the Hurricane is going to give. They just aren't cut for it. Even the competitor who copied our design didn't calculate that. Why? Because they are not fisherman catering to fisherman's needs, that simple.

I apologize if I have gone on too long with this. For those that supported us when we first came on the seen and for those that continue to support us, THANK YOU! We will continue to do our best and we will continue to provide superior customer service. We will continue to support the local causes, organizations, tournaments and events as it is what this company believes in.

Thanks again, best regards and good fishing.

Kadir Akturk
President
AquaSkinz Corp.

[Redsoxticket]

Originally Posted by Rock Hopper

The other thing is, the rubber gasgets used in most dry tops have about half the life expectancy of the neoprene gasgets we use, trust me, I have done extensive re-search on this. The rubber seals will dry and rot in a relatively short period of time in the salt water even if you wash them regularly. They need to be kept oiled, kinda like a moisterizer.

Kadir Akturk
President
AquaSkinz Corp.

Kadir:

I applaud you that this product was research extensively but did the quality control department test the product to yield the life expectancy breakdown time period of the rubber gasket measured in the number of times the top is taken on and off given the manufacter recommendations care requirements and what is that number ?

[eelman]

Well, after much debate, I finally went with the simms, just seems more comfortable, picked it up today at saltwater edge in newport