I have used OR suits since they first hit the market and am now on my second suit being a Pyro. My first suit is still being used by a friend. I have always found that the neck seals stretch over time and use. The first one was not too bad but I had to stretch the Pyro seal by leaving it pulled over a diving bottle a number of times to make it bearable to wear. It is now just about spot on. In respect to the leg seals taking water I find that water jetting up from the board will penetrate the seal if I do not wear boots. However I have cut the bottom six inches off the legs of an old wetsuit and use these cut pieces to cover the leg seals which seems to cure the problem when not wearing boots. If I started to take water through the arm seals then I would probably use the same solution.

Yeah, my buddy uses the foam thingies that keep your beer can cold to put over his legs, and then booties over that and says he stays bone dry, so I'll give that a whirl and see.

Thanks again,

j

I have a full set of OR suits for my kiteschool in Northern Washington, and so far everyone that has tried the suits have been very happy with them. If you are interested in trying one and are in the Pacific NW, come demo one of mine.

Andy

http://www.bellinghamkiteboarding.com
Best, Ocean Rodeo, Liquid Force

the pot or pan trick works really well to stretch it out a bit. we just did that with a friend's new suit & it worked like a charm. he has a big neck so we ended up cutting down one ring but the pre stretch help a lot.

Don't forget that baby powder works well on the leg and wrist seals to make entry easier. I also had to trim the neck seal for comfort but it was worth it and I haven't had a big problem with leaks.

I have a cheapo drysuit that was a third of the price of an OR and also 3 times crappier, although it works pretty well. A fun game is to pull the neck seal over your mouth and inflate the suit using nose/mouth.

Good trick with a practical use. If you are standing around on the beach getting cold then putting some air into your dry suit improves the insulation. The main thing is to let the air out again before going on the water.

That is unless you feel like lounging in the water in which case having a bit of air in there keeps you and your legs nicely afloat!

Added bonus: You look like Big Boy, just need to put a hamburger in your right hand.

I have a OR standard Pyro .. Its still going strong and there are a few patches now... Anyways, I have spoken to a few people who have said that the Pro is uncomfortable and sometime the zipper will scratch your face because of its location, it extends right up to the shoulder... has anyone experienced this with the Pyro PRO..

I suspect you are referring to men wearing Kokatant drysuits because of the front zipper. The other possibility is that the guys love the convenience of a front zipper on YOUR drysuit... Ha ha.

Kirk