Dive Parka
- Thread starter Gentleman-pirate
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
The ChammyZ boat coat is a fine parka, but its not in the same league as the TruWest. Nothing is.
For a breezy summer day, or a sunny winter afternoon, the "Z" boat coat does rule.
But for a long boat ride back through the chop on a cold, dark, windy day when the rain is like bullets, you'll freeze. The Z is not long enough, is not heavy enough and is not warm enough. Its not designed to protect you through that. I have one. Its a fine coat when applied to to its intended purpose.
The TruWest isn't a spray shield. Its waterproof. Big difference. That also makes it windproof. Its too much parka for most situations - its heavy, its long, its thick. If you want to take the chill off after a 35 minute dive, a hoodie from the GAP will do that.
I'm not hating on the other parkas. They're just out muscled by the TruWest. If you're in for a long ride back on an open boat after your 3rd or 4th 65 minute dive of the day in 53 degree water, and you haven't seen the sun for three or four days, the TruWest will deliver. Its made in SoCal for SoCal diving.
If the biggest complaint on a TruWest parka is they're too heavy, I can live with that.
---
Ken
For a breezy summer day, or a sunny winter afternoon, the "Z" boat coat does rule.
But for a long boat ride back through the chop on a cold, dark, windy day when the rain is like bullets, you'll freeze. The Z is not long enough, is not heavy enough and is not warm enough. Its not designed to protect you through that. I have one. Its a fine coat when applied to to its intended purpose.
The TruWest isn't a spray shield. Its waterproof. Big difference. That also makes it windproof. Its too much parka for most situations - its heavy, its long, its thick. If you want to take the chill off after a 35 minute dive, a hoodie from the GAP will do that.
I'm not hating on the other parkas. They're just out muscled by the TruWest. If you're in for a long ride back on an open boat after your 3rd or 4th 65 minute dive of the day in 53 degree water, and you haven't seen the sun for three or four days, the TruWest will deliver. Its made in SoCal for SoCal diving.
If the biggest complaint on a TruWest parka is they're too heavy, I can live with that.
---
Ken
- Messages
- 63,269
- Reaction score
- 16,551
What are you people wearing under those? Are they so big just so they are easy to get on, or what? It seems like the bigness would get in your way of doing things on the boat.... I might fall in and drown. Are they extra big for a reason? How does that work in wind?
You could probably change inside those things though..
You could probably change inside those things though..
They're generally sized a bit big so you can wear them OVER your wetsuit or drysuit to keep warm during surface intervals. The idea is to keep the wind off to minimize evaporative cooling from the wetsuit. Other than that, it's just a big waterproof long coat lined in warm fuzzy polarfleecey stuff. Great for shielding you from boat spray on a rough ride home, or even general warmth. Definitely one of the better rain coats I've used, not that it gets used as such very often here in LA. LOL
When shore diving, they're GREAT for an insta-changing room.
SCUBAJENNIFER
Contributor
They are big and thick...and take up a ridiculous amount of room in my clothes bag, but I don't care. I love my parka!! It's big enough to wear over a 7mm wetsuit...I also like it big so I can wrap up in it after a dive. I used it this weekend as a cover up to get into my Drysuit undies right in the Breakwater parking lot in Monterey.
I wonder how it compares to the Swim Outlet coat, however?
truWest: "The lining is a thick, 17 ounce, double-faced, water wicking, truArctic fleece liner."
SwimOutlet: "...soft and furry 19 oz. Pile lining (included in the price) or optional warm and fuzzy 19 oz. Arctic Fleece lining ($5.00 extra)"
I need to find out who Pacific Wilderness uses to make their dive parkas, because I'm starting to wonder if mine is a truWest in disguise. Wouldn't surprise me given that they're both local.
Ken, you may be right, and your dive experience and gear selection speaks for itself. I liked my TruWest as well and the only drawback for me was its bulk. However, for me, I found that 99% of the time the Chammyz coat was the perfect coat for me.
Stringer Bell
Contributor
If you are on a budget, there is an inexpensive ($39) parka from Dive Flag Parka at Divers Direct
That's the amazing thing about this sport, all of the different adaptations. I bet some divers even bring a second dry wetsuit for the2nd dive.......
Pete
Similar threads
