Friday, October 24, 2014

Is the Game Changer really changing the game?

After PaddleExpo I was equipped with the new Nookie Charger Drysuit and ready to get wet. Where to go? Parallel to the Sickline event – to Austria. I looked through the weather forecast and could see that this week in Austria would arrange a mixture of rainy and even sunny autumn days.  Perfect conditions for testing the new drysuit! My choice of combination fell on this:


My selection of the Thermal-Combo
Easy to jump in and even beside the river it cut quite a dash.  Just observe the glances of the girls -YES!

I love to have warm feet. These’re the basements of every trip and consider the fact if there is a longer rescue or scouting action half in the water.

You have to jump in and feel the anatomical fit of the cut! Even the flexible MasterSeal Ti Zip on the back snuggles to every movement you make.


The first days in Austria was accompanied by changing conditions and our schedule of river sections was perfect to see what’s going on with the breathable EvoTX4 fabric. So we paddled several sections between class IV-V. I started to sweat during the fast and continuous runs. The fabric was fighting against the river water and breathing at the same time!



going fast


In between we had to upload our boats and drive a few kilometers to the next put in. This was the best situation for checking the fabric vs. sun, sweat, rain and coldness. You know it! If you need to shuttle for a short distance for another run you want to keep it simple. Finally the best situation is when you can sit with a dry ass on a dry seat. But I had to mention something else too. During a 10 minutes car drive I could notice that the outer shell of the EcoTX4 starts to dry too. At the next put in it seems that I was wearing my drysuit for the first time of the day! That fast drying is important if you want to wear the drysuit every day and need to dry it outside for the next adventure.


anatomical fit of the Ti Zip


It’s dry – check.     ||     It’s breathable – check.     ||     It dries fast – check.



anatomical fit of the EvoTX4

But is this performance till now everything you need? No it isn't, cause it isn't enough for what a high end drysuit needs to attend.  Everyone who acquires a river knows it. The main point is the performance in the boat. But it’s not the only point. What’s about scouting, climbing, rescuing and even swimming?! Therefore you need a perfect fit and bomb proof drysuit for every situation on the water, half in the water and climbing on the banks.  Where you can find such conditions in Austria? For sure in the Holy Cross Gorge of the Venter-River. As we ran this deep gorge without sunlight several times we had all those conditions. Even a rescue action which blessedly went all good.


Dynamic fit during paddling – check.

Dynamic fit during scouting – check.

Dynamic fit during climbing on slippery banks – check. 


rescue action

The right climate during risky rescue actions – check.


Thumbs up!

What has been the question at the beginning? I’ve got the answer!

The Charger Drysuit is the Game Changer

Go out and try it by yourself and you will admit!



Alex Ax-Ro
Nookie Team Rider