The grundens blue pull over is not bone dry, if you look at the zipper on the inside, the zipper extends past the welded seem, and the water wicks down. Chest to belt soaked yesterday while drifting, but the steel action was good, so it kept me a bit warmer.

Seems like ANY jacket will inevitably be subject to some water entry from just below the face because that's one place where its impossible to get a glove-tight seal. If you wear a cloth hoody that gets even a bit exposed, the wicking action is made even worse.

Is the neck-chest wicking for this particular model REALLY that bad? I still have the receipt to return it.

I wore a drift creek outdoors but it has started to leak. I upgraded to a Simms G4 and it has kept me bone dry. The other thing to look for is if you hike or row a bunch pit zips are invaluable. I love my Sitka rain gear but have a hard time with the thought of fish guts and egg juice all over my hunting cloths but have always tonight they'd be fantastic for fishing

I will give you a blue grundens pullover to try if you can tolerate an XXL. In moderate and above rain, it wicks at the neck/zipper and soaks the whole front of me. I will probably end up donating it to a garage sale fundraiser I know of that's coming up. It might work out walking around, but I won't wear it in the boat ever again.

If grundens cuts the zipper shorter, so it does not pass thru the weld, it will be the goods. I like the cuffs, don't sweat inside, solid jacket if they fix the problem, they are aware, and working on it, but I haven't seen any corrected ones in stores yet

Nuff said… it's going back.

Not quite wrapping my mind around how shortening that zipper fixes things.

If the weld is below the zipper, then it's sealed. But with the zipper going thru the weld, it allows the water to wick down the zipper, and with the outside pocket the inner pouch creates, the water more like runs then wicks

Thanks Chuck, this is why I am asking, and leaning toward Simms, warm, dry and comfortable is what I am looking for

As SZ said, burly stuff for the jet boat (Helly Hansen though for me) and Simms for hiking and rowing.

On top of exceptional performance the Simms gear is backed by a great warranty program and customer service. The zipper on my 5 year old G3 jacket failed and I fully anticipated having to pay for it to be replaced due to the age of the garment. Simms repaired it for free, patched a few pin holes, and cleaned up a few other seams on the coat that were rough but still functioning. I've been sold on Simms for a while but they won me back over when the coat was returned without charge and in a timely manner.

Wise choice, three guys at work wear them and they get soaked every time.
Don't bother with the Gage crap because it sucks also. Gave it a try and day 2 at work it failed miserably.

A couple years ago me and a buddy got stuck out in one of those OP downpours that makes you wish you stayed home. I was wearing a cloudveil wading jacket that I bought before they went under. My buddy was wearing a simms guide jacket. By the time we got back to the truck I was absolutely SOAKED. my buddy was bone dry.

I bought a simms guide jacket a couple days later and haven't looked back.

I have the same jacket. Love it. Keeps me bone dry.

I have been wearing the Reddington Squall for several seasons now. Not alot of pockets like the guide models, but rolls up nice and keeps me very dry.

I've worn all sorts from straight PVC to high-tech breathables made by a number of brands. But Matt touched on a design flaw that makes even 100% waterproof PVC less than "waterproof".

I've been known to stick it out thru some pretty gnarly conditions if the bite is on. Standing exposed on the tiller, I often have the wettest "seat" on my vessel when running to the next troll. That wetness can come from quartering wind waves that splash over the gunnel with every bounce. Or it can be from powering into a driving rain in a 15-20 knot headwind. I can run, but I CANNOT hide. At some point I gotta look forward to see where the dam boat is headed and any hazards along the way. That's when having your face and corneas pelted by thousands of raindrops puts a real damper on the trip.

And that's when a poor hood/collar design is gonna let a bunch of water into the coat.

Thinking back on all the ones I've owned over the years, the coat that let the least water in thru the neck/collar is my Simms G3. Designed with an integrated hood that overlaps a very high collar, any drainage from the edge of the hood was directed to the outside of the coat below the collar. The hood could also be cinched up quite tight. Any water that got past would be directed to drain OUTSIDE the collar.

The only water entry was right at the front top edge of the collar itself. Water gaining entry thru the rest of the perimeter around my face would be channeled outside the coat rather inside.

I retired that coat from everyday powerboat use because I didn't want to trash it with constant saltwater exposure and I wanted a longer cut in my dedicated boat coat.

Been using a longer cut Cabelas Guidewear Parka ever since. It does OK most of the time, but I return to the dock with a wet lining more often than I would like.

Was gonna make the switch to PVC Grundens, but now I'm second guessing that choice after examining the hood/collar design of even their flagship Brigg 44 coat.

As a person with a very meager income, I was gun shy of big ticket rain gear. I wasted a pile of money on cheap crap that got replaced far too often. Finally, a buddy suggested something that has kept me dry ever since:

Every time you get soaked and miserable on a trip, put $20 in a jar. You will very quickly have the $$ you need to by a serious jacket that is worth every penny!

NOTHING will spoil your mood and sour the best of trips faster than being wet and cold.

Just curious if anyone has much experience with the Shimano Dryfender jacket? I picked one up for $100, and it's been good in light to moderate rain. I haven't tested it in a good downpour yet. I like the fit/feel with elastic cuffs and a high collar.



I've been wearing old Costco PVC rein gear comparable to Helly Hansen or Grudens for the big rain days. I haven't seen them sold for several years though. Pretty much everything about PVC has been covered.

Hoody and a green rubber rain coat. Does the Simms stuff come with a purse cover?

You all are spending money on some high tech stuff to "stay dry".

No amount of money will keep you dry when it is really wet around here. Sometimes it feels like I am running a submarine not a boat. Embrace the misery, it lets you know you are still alive.

Otherwise, a windshield and a top on your boat works the best (or so I hear).

Just to be clear. If you are standing around all day on a boat than nothing beats the Grunden type raingear. If you are on a river rowing or hiking all day nothing beats goretex. Otherwise we'd all still be wearing neoprene waders on the river .

Redington Squall hasnt failed me yet, had it for two years and re-waterproofed it once.

What a good washdown with this stuff prior to going out in the rain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYlDVimu1s0