Adding latex gaskets to a jacket

[AM]

I have a Kokatat paddling jacket with adjustable wrist cuffs. Here’s the one:

https://kokatat.com/product/gore-tex-pullover-pjuplp

It’s a great jacket: good material, the usual awesome Kokatat tailoring, very light and comfy. The downside: those cuffs on my skinny wrists do not keep out the drips. Since I’ve replaced wrist gaskets on other garments, I thought it would be easy to modify this jacket by adding a couple of gaskets. Does anyone see any reason why this would not work?

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

Andrew - that should be possible.
You can get latex gaskets for a very reasonable price from seaskins in the UK, and they have a good variety available.
http://www.seaskin.co.uk/acatalog/Drysuit_Spare_Parts.html
I've ordered (bought a bunch of seals at one time) from them and the seals arrived in a few weeks with no problems.
I've put them on a few suits and had no problems. One install was smaller cuffs in a suit that I've used a lot over the past couple of years.
Roger Botting, a paddler in SISKA, gave the 'heads up' about SeaSkins at a meeting a few years ago and a number of my friends have ordered from them. No more paying the high prices for Kokatat or LevelSix gaskets! The SeaSkins gaskets are good quality - similar to the LevelSix ones; a bit heavier than the Kokatats.
They also sell 'Seal Greys' which are thin neoprene cuffs which you slip on before you put on the garment - they help to make a better seal, and might save you the job of installing new seals.
http://www.seaskin.co.uk/acatalog/Neck-and-Wrist-Greys--Improve-seal-fit-.html

 

[AM]

Thanks, John. That's a great tip about SeaSkins. I think I'll try the neoprene cuffs first to see if they do the trick.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

BTW, one caution about 'splash top' with wrist gaskets.
There was a note in the NewSouthWales (Australia) Kayak club newsletter some years ago (I was reading back issues last week) by an expert paddler who had a 'near miss' when he couldn't re-enter and roll or cowboy.
Couldn't move his arms easily, lost his balance, etc..
Diagnosis : large amount of water entered via loose neck seal and was trapped in torso and sleeves of splash top (a.k.a. 'cag' in 'Stralian') by good wrist gaskets.

When it's nice weather, it's more comfortable to keep the neck open for some ventilation, so a bit tricky to know the right choice if 'something happens by surprise'.

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

Patti Stevens has developed paddling cuffs/sleeves to address the 'water down the arm' problem.
http://gokayak.ca/store.html

 

[AM]

Those paddling cuffs are clever.

When it's nice weather, it's more comfortable to keep the neck open for some ventilation, so a bit tricky to know the right choice if 'something happens by surprise'.

Agreed, dressing for sea kayaking is always about trade offs. Over the years, I have been leaning more and more toward comfort over safety in my clothing choices. I adjust my risk exposure accordingly. I just came to the point where I felt like a hot and sweaty fool for sealing myself up hermetically to keep the environment away from me. That might be appropriate on Mars, but here on Earth I want to feel the wind and, to a certain extent, the water. Just not pooling at my elbows!