Kategorie: News
Practical test of a Kallweit drysuit
Who does not know this from own experience? The old dry suit is defective and a new one is needed. But which suit is really perfect? What should I pay attention to? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different manufacturers and which one is the best for me?
Test report by Gerald Nowak
Like many others, I decide to visit various manufacturers at their stands at different shows and take a look at the suits. They explain a lot to me and show me a few things. The suits all look great on the rack. Great workmanship and reasonable material, but how do they wear in practice? How do they feel under water? Yes, there are still a lot of possibilities that the manufacturers could offer the end customer before the purchase.
I talk to Daniel at Kallweit and tell him my dilemma. He just looks at me in amazement and asks me if I don't know that Kallweit also offers test suits for diving. No sooner said than done. Still at the stand, he takes my measurements and agrees to send me a test suit, which I will test under extreme conditions.
Mission in Canada
First I go to Canada, where I have the assignment to participate in the Salmon Run (the spawning of the red salmon). Here I can test the suit under very unusual conditions: there is very little diving, but a lot of lying in the water, because the salmon move into the side arms of the Adams River, where they spawn in shallow water.
To photograph this spectacle, you usually lie in the gravel bed in shallow water. A special challenge for the equipment, even for a dry suit. I've already been here once and spent two weeks rubbing through the gravel. The construction of the suit is a particular challenge: not only is it constantly being pulled over the gravel and the surface material is being battered, but the zip also has to withstand a lot when it runs over the front. With the X-TREME I noticed a special feature that works to my advantage here, because the suit has a diagonal front zip, while the protective zip runs in opposite directions. This means that the two closures are not on top of each other and are less bulky. Also, the protective zip is at the top when closed, which is why I can't accidentally push the suit open when I'm rowing in the gravel.
I also noticed the length of the zips: If you spend the whole day on the water, you don't want to have to take off your suit several times a day just to have a quick pee, which is unfortunately not possible for us men.
The valves seem to be of good quality, because I didn't notice any wear here either, although I certainly slipped over them a time or two. Another positive feature is the fastener for the inlet valve, which is firmly mounted on the suit: this way you don't easily forget to put the plug on when no medium pressure hose is mounted - which would otherwise be a very damp affair ...
I was a bit sceptical about the neck cuff at first, as I have only been diving with silicone cuffs for years. With a somewhat stronger neck, the latex cuffs are usually quite uncomfortable. However, the latex cuffs used by Kallweit are quite comfortable to wear and don't squeeze the air out of me.
Suitability for Antarctica
The boot system is simply an innovation. The attached neoprene socks are thick, but not too thick, and fit perfectly with Kallweit's overshoes. In Canada I still wore very thin socks underneath, but on the subsequent trip to Antarctica I had to put on much thicker underwear and socks. Nevertheless, the shoes were very comfortable and I didn't have the feeling that it was pinching my fins.
In combination with the Kallweit underwear, the suit was always warm enough for me in Antarctica, even without a heating waistcoat. I had this in my luggage, but never used it, despite 1.5 degrees below zero. Only the supplied underwear gloves for the glove-dry system were too thin for me. Thank God I had packed my llama hair gloves. With them I was able to spend a good 50 minutes in the extreme conditions in the cold water of Antarctica without my fingers falling off.
All in all, I am very enthusiastic about the quality and workmanship of the suit. The attached pockets are huge and offer enough space for my utensils. The valves work perfectly and have also survived the extreme stress in the gravel of Canada well. I find the zip with the counter-rotating arrangement an innovation and the material seems indestructible. The suit was always tight and the cuffs comfortable to wear. I will then test how good the seams and seals are over the years with my own suit that I have just ordered. My test during these two trips is individual, but for me it shows that the drysuit fulfils what I expect from a good drysuit. The Kallweit X-TREME is the suit of my choice and I am already looking forward to my own.
Kallweit
A suit for every day - every diving day! Sport and professional divers swear by handmade perfection: every suit an individual realisation for every customer. Since 1992, Kallweit has been supplying innovative products that are adapted to personal wishes as required. If you are not sure which product is right for you, you can choose from a pool of over 100 dry suits and try them out first before ordering your personal suit.
Facts:
Xenon Front X-TREME costs from €2,139 to €3,220 depending on the model.
- Exhaust valve Apeks with automatic function
- Inlet valve Apeks rotatable
- Elaborate knee reinforcement
- Inflator hose with standard coupling
- Adjustable braces
- Carry bag
- Thermal collar with two zips
- Neoprene arm cuff protection
Contact:
KALLWEIT GmbH, Südweg 7, 75245 Neulingen, Germany
www.kallweit.de
info@kallweit.de
Tel +49 (0)7231 4244770