Some of my most memorable and exciting sailing, rowing, and paddling outings have been in the “off season” when the water is cold and the spray is flying. What has made those outings thrilling—rather than worrisome and risky—has been a dry suit. After 35 years of enjoying the comfort and margin of safety they provide, I’m now on my third suit, a Quadra by Mustang Survival.The Quadra is made of MarineSpec BP, a three-layer fabric that is both waterproof and breathable. The outer layer, which is tightly woven and abrasion-resistant, is of UV-resistant 70D nylon; the middle layer is a polyurethane membrane that keeps liquid water out and lets water vapor generated by the wearer pass through; and the inner layer is a nylon tricot. (I did some homespun testing of the fabric’s characteristics in my review of Mustang’s Taku jacket.) On the outer layer of the suit, added patches of 500D Cordura protect high-wear areas: on the back from waist to knees and on the front from just above the knees to above the ankles. The seams are all centered on and flattened by nylon tricot seam tape that is fused on the inside of the suit. There are no gaps in the edges of the tape anywhere. The sewing is flawless, and with the use of a 12× magnifying glass, I counted 16 stitches per inch. The Quadra, by Mustang Survival, is a well-made dry suit with all the essentials needed to extend the boating season into the colder months.
Photographs by the author
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How does the Marine Spec BP compare with Gore Tex, in both breathability and waterproofness? I have been impressed with GT’s performance in both regards. When I sent my Kokatat in for gasket replacement, they (Gronseth’s Kayak Academy) sent a replacement suit. Gore Tex had apparently decided that some delamination had taken place, and as their warranty had promised, they replaced it. I haven’t worn it enough to have an impression about the new zipper’s ability to keep water out. Being a Kokatat men’s, it does have a relief zipper (which is indeed a relief at times). My one beef with Kokatat is that they assume everybody has a 78″ inseam (mine is only 30″). The built-in garters on the Mustang look like a possible mitigation of that problem.