I bought my first drysuit 1 year after getting certified in 2010. It was a White's Kodiak 360, which is
exactly the same thing as a White's Catalyst 360 except for the fact that there is no white reflective piping across the front. You'd have a much easier time finding information on the Catalyst, as it was the model for "consumer" use. AFAIK, the Kodiak was directed towards the law enforcement market. (Why White's would create two different models just for this distinction is beyond me.)
Since I bought that first Kodiak, I've purchased, fixed, and sold over 25 other drysuit brands and models. The Kodiak/Catalyst is a perfectly good drysuit. But the thing is,
every drysuit I've purchased, used, fixed, and sold is perfectly good. They all kept me dry. They all had their pluses and minuses. There is no "far better" suit out there, although I'm sure someone would be glad to tell you that there is. My advice to you: Enjoy your drysuit; it's as good as any other drysuit.
Here are some features of the Kodiak I can comment on as best as I can remember:
- Frontshoulder entry (self entry)
- This is an odd setup. By far drysuits are usually either rear shoulder entry (someone needs to zip you) or horizontal front entry (self entry). I personally prefer rear shoulder entry but front shoulder entry is fine once you get used to it.
- Bilaminate
- This drysuit has two layers: A cordura exterior and a urethane waterproof layer. Easy to slip into because of the slick urethane interior, but there's nothing protecting the interior of the urethane.
- Urethane
- Generally considered an inferior waterproof material to Butyl rubber as it feels stiffer and more plastic-like. But meh....Ok it does feel a little cheaper.
- Nylon Socks
- My Kodiak terminated in nylon socks, which IMO is inferior to neoprene socks (the best technique, IMO) but is superior to the DUI method of sewing a crushed neoprene triangle sock thing that bunches up and resembles a foot only to a cubist painter. Hard soled boots are also a good alternative but make turning the drysuit inside out difficult/impossible.
- Neoprene Seals
- My Kodiak came w. neoprene seals. They were hit and miss. The wrist seals leaked, the neck seal didn't. So I learned how to replace seals and swapped the neoprene wrist seals for latex wrist seals. This is how I got started in repairing drysuits, so it was a bittersweet moment.
I've actually bought 2 Catalysts since the Kodiak, and just bought one of those two 3 weeks ago. So I think that says as much as anything about their quality for me. It's a good suit. Enjoy it!
