Dry tops?

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Anyone have experience using a dry top in combination with a wetsuit for canyons? I'm buying one for my kayak, and wondering if it will be useful for some of the cold water Zion Canyons I'll be doing this summer. Do you combine it with a full suit or with a thick farmer john and warm layers underneath the dry top? Does water stay out pretty well?

[Iceaxe]

I use a dry top all the time. My basic rule is you can substitute a dry top for a shortie wetsuit. A dry top weights about 1/3 of a shortie and packs to about 1/3 the size.

You can combine a dry top with a wetsuit to increase the warmth. A good dry top will keep you completely dry from about mid belly up. I once did Heaps in a 3mm farmer john with a polypro top under a dry top and stayed nice and toasty. When doing class C canyons often the spray is what gets you cold and not the swimming. A dry top is fantastic in this instants.

I consider a dry top a luxury item, but if you have one they are sweet to use.

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Thanks Shane! Looks like I'll be glad to have it.