Palm Torrent Drysuit Review

After years of wearing wetsuit bottoms and cags, getting damp and cold in the winter I finally bit the bullet and splashed out on a drysuit. And I don't regret it one bit! Ideally I wanted the Stikine drysuit but being my first suit and being on a bit of a budget I went for the Torrent.

First impressions of the drysuit were that it looked fantastic and was super comfy when trying it on in the living room, but I knew it had to be tested on the water! With levels low I tested it out on a bimble down the Mill Falls section of the Usk in South Wales. Of course it turned out to be unseasonably hot and sunny, not exactly drysuit weather....

Nevertheless I got off the river dry as a bone and with a big grin! The first thing i noticed about the drysuit is how comfortable it is. It was extremely easy to get on and the latex seals and cuffs very easily slid on and adjusted. The zip has been designed so it wraps around the shoulder and reduces restriction, which it does perfectly. The suit also has a neoprene waist band which was great for when off the river and letting the suit hang around your waist.

The socks are now tougher with an XP 4-layering and without too much excess sock so no need to spend 5 minutes stuffing them into your water shoes. Whilst on the river the suit didn't restrict movement whatsoever, you wouldn't even know you were wearing it. I messed about trying lots of new moves and get pretty wet on the way down, when getting changed I was dry as a bone, maybe a little sweaty....

I really recommend this suit, it's had a lot of thought put into it's design. It's comfortable and functional, all the high wear points are reinforced and tough, it has great pocket access and a relief zip and all the seals and cuffs are comfortable and easily adjusted. All around a great drysuit which I look forward to using this coming winter season!

Here's a clip of me competing at the Moriston River Race in May using the suit!

https://vimeo.com/96683690

SO it begins...

It's been an insanely busy few months for me so blogging has unfortunately taken a back seat! At the end of May we moved to Cardiff and I now work as a freelance instructor and raft guide which has so far been amazing but full on.

So now the plans for the Adidas Sickline 2014 have begun! The accommodation is booked 500m from the course and the ferry will be booked shortly. It's come around really quickly, now less than 3 months! Training must now get more intense. I joined the gym as soon as we moved here and have been keeping fit, work is very physical so I have been staying in shape but I definitely need to turn it up a notch.

Working at the Whitewater center is great as in my downtime I can grab a boat and lap the course which is great training and a step up from the flat water training I had to do last year. It's been a crazy dry summer which has been really nice but at the same time there is nothing in the rivers so class 4/5 training is not an option at the moment.

So more running, gym sessions, cycling and plenty of time in a boat is on the menu for the next 10 weeks! I am feeling more confident this year as my skills have improved since last year, I have a faster boat and I had a great performance at the Moriston Race in May. Can't wait to get out there!