En meget god tørrdrakt i innovativt 4-lags Eclipse™-materiale som dekker de fleste behov. Materialet puster godt, og er slitesterkt og vanntett.
Passformen er utformet, spesielt for padling og drakten er behagelig og god å ha på seg. Foretrekkes av mange padleinstruktører.
Tekniske data og beskrivelse:
- Det 4-lags Eclipse™-materialet er vanntett, pustende og meget solid.
- Passformen er utformet spesielt for padling
- Mikrofiber ytterstoff er slitesterkt og har samtidig lav friksjon.
- Padleskjørt i midje med 13 cm bredt neoprenbelte og borrelås i begge sider gir veldig god forsegling og overgang med spruttrekket
- Integrerte sokker i 125 denier Eclipse™-materiale
- Konisk neoprenmansjett utenpå latexmansjetten i halsen
- Mansjetter i polyuretan med borrelåsstramming utenpå latexmansjettene ved håndleddene
- Cordura® forsterkning på knær og rumpe
- Drakten veier 1,45 kg. (str. Midium)
- Solide TIZIP® MasterSeal-glidelåser
- Vanntett: Ja
- Pustende: Ja
- Åpning/tisseluke: Ja
NRS Crux Drysuit – Review (herremodell)
The Crux drysuit by Idaho based NRS is a front entry drysuit meaning that using the zip is far easier to do by yourself compared to a zip positioned on the rear of a suit.
This review looks at the new Mens NRS Crux. Thankfully for the female paddling population NRS also have a womens version with a drop seat for comfort breaks.
The new Crux relies on plastic TiZips for both the entry and relief zipper. This is a change from the previous versions that used brass zips. In my book I see this as an upgrade as having used TiZips on various different suits I know that the technology works really well and is far more comfortable/flexible for the end user.
The Crux utilises latex neck and wrist gaskets with neoprene over gaskets to help protect the latex neck and polyurethane cover gaskets to protect the latex at the wrists. The over gaskets on the wrist are adjustable via a small Velcro tab.
The feet of the Crux are created using the same fabric as the rest of the suit. The feet are well shaped and are taped well and in the large size has plenty of room for my size 10 (UK) feet. A minimum number of seams have been used in the area, which shows a great deal of care and attention has been given to the design and construction of the suit. Over cuffs are also provided and are Velcro adjustable. In my case the over cuffs are just long enough to provide a good seal with river boots such as the Five Ten Water Tennie.
As mentioned previously the entry zip runs at a diagonal across the chest from shoulder right to waist left. The zip is protected by a large flap that has a few Velcro fastenings along its length. The position of the zip does mean that at the lower end it sits underneath the outer spray skirt length.
It is therefore theoretically possible for water to make its way into the area occupied by the spray skirt tunnel via the Velcro flap. As I use the excellent fitting Immersion Research Klingon empire skirt I haven’t found any discernable water ingress.
The cut of the Crux has also been well thought out with just enough fabric to maximise freedom of movement without creating a huge mass of excess material that simply gets in the way. I do find using the front entry zip on this suit to need a special technique to get on an off, particularly when getting my arms out of the sleeves. However once mastered it is dead simple to get the Crux both on and off by myself and without any dramas.
Having swam in the suit on a couple of occasions now I have been impressed at how well it has performed. The fabric seams to also breath pretty well. I tend to wear hiking socks when wearing drysuits and have found after using the Crux that my socks have become only slightly damp. This is no better or worse than some of the more expensive drysuits I have tried over the years.
The Crux is available in a wide range of sizes that should mean most would be able to find a suit that will fit them well. I went for a large suit that fits pretty well, a slightly longer leg over cuff would make the Crux absolutely perfect for my build and height but this is a minor point that didn’t detract from the performance of the Crux.
The suit has been well used on the water and through some pretty tough ground whilst portaging. The elbow, knee and butt area of the suit are re-enforced and have taken a beating in their stride. Overall it is holding up really well with only one loose set of stitching on the waist over seal being an issue. Less than five minutes with a needle and thread sorted that although it would never have caused performance issues.
Having worn it for paddling during the last six months I can say that the overall fit and performance far exceeds the suits extremely reasonable RRP of around £700
The Crux of Cold-Water Boating
February 14, 2017, by Kyle Smith
It’s cold. Outside it’s raining, snowing, sleeting or a combination of all three. It’s the middle of winter and your buddies are trying to talk you into going paddling. You look to your cozy futon covered in dog hair. The tea pot is about to start screaming for you to stay in and nestle into a good book. What’s the game-changing factor in this equation? A drysuit for gods-sake! It’s been waiting all season for you to take it out of the closet and hammer it through some pounding waves, pouring rain, and some miserable brush filled portages.
These past winter months living in and out of books has left me yearning for whitewater more than ever, and with the Payette river less than an hour away, I can’t be too picky on my weather conditions. You can’t label me a fair-weather kayaker. Rain, sleet, or sunshine, when I schedule ‘freedom’ into my weekly schedule, I’ve got to go. I throw my NRS Crux drysuit on straight from the line in the drying room, load up the boats, grab the gear bag—packed and leaning against a boat in anticipation—and go.
Through years of early season North Fork laps and late season bird hunting trips on Middle Fork multi-days, I’ve put the Crux through the gear grinder.
My relationship with the Crux has fluctuated as my needs became more apparent and its need for design changes more imminent. From rubber booty catastrophes, fit, and function to name a few, I watched the NRS design team return to the drawing board. What emerged: a new cut, re-configured wrist and neck gaskets, new material, a new TIZip® zipper. The friendly faces and thoughtful gear design of the boys and girls at NRS brought my drysuit and me back up to speed.
I love the punch through design on the neck gasket as opposed to the old version, which used a hook-and-loop fasten to create a ‘first defense’ against would be wet invaders. I cringe just thinking about cold water shooting down the inside of my drysuit. The new punch through style and material conforms to your neck, isn’t abrasive and fits snugly enough to prevent the dreaded rogue wave from entering your happy warm place that you call the inside of your drysuit.
The hook-and-loop wrist closures have been replaced by the same punch-through neoprene as the neck. The relief-zipper is clutch. And if you’re that guy who prefers to paddle with female chargers, the ladies will appreciate the drop seat on the women’s Crux. The rubber booties of boating-days-past have been updated to Eclipse fabric socks. The TIZip zipper is easy to move, unlike past models that used metal teeth. In other words, you don’t—hypothetically—need to incorporate the buddy system for getting geared up. (But stick to the buddy system for all other reasons—scouting, setting safety, making bad decisions after too many post-paddle brews…)
The cut is roomy in the legs and more athletic in the torso. I never feel constricted when tucking up for a combat-roll, or running down the beach to throw a front flip off of the riverbank. And, sometimes I huck myself from waterfalls to avoid arduous portages, reuniting with my boat and paddle below. (Don’t try that at home, kids.) Wearing the Crux doesn’t make you invincible, but it does keep you toasty warm while clinging to rocks and regretting your reckless decisions.
There you sit, contemplating what to do while your buddies tap their feet. What do you do? The answer is simple. Grab your drysuit. Load up the truck. Leave the couch for your old toothless dog—she’s earned a day off anyway—throw the tea in a thermos and get to the river!
Om nrs
NRS (Northwest River Supply) er et av de største selskapene innen padleutstyr. Selskapet holder til i Idaho i USA. Selskapet ble etablert i garasjen til Bill Parks i 1972, primært som leverandør og produsent av utstyr for elvepadling og rafting. Bill Parks er utdannet professor og var og er frilufts entusiast på sin hals. Han ville se om prinsippene han lærte i klasserommet også fungerte ute i naturen. Målet var å få andre til å nyte og ta glede av padling gjennom nye og gode kvalitetsprodukter.
NRS er i dag en av de store aktørene i rafting-markedet og du finner svært mange raftingbåter i hele verden levert av NRS. Etter hvert som havpadling vokste som friluftsaktivitet og sport benyttet Bill Parks og NRS sin erfaring til også å lage produkter for dette markedet. Dette er noe de har gjort og gjør svært bra.
Når Bill Parks nærmet seg 80 år tenkte han at det var på tide å bringe sin arv videre. Men hvordan kunne han sørge for at verdiene til NRS ikke forsvant? Istedenfor å selge til høystbydende, solgte han heller selskapet til de ansatte i NRS. Da Bill Parks ga seg i 2014 bidro han derfor finansielt til at de ansatte overtok selskapet. NRS er i dag et selskap som er 100 % eid av de ansatte.
NRS jobber hver dag beinhardt for å videreføre Bill Parks idéer som handler om mer enn å bygge robust og solid padleutstyr. Det handler også om spesiallaget, funksjonelle løsninger som forbedrer opplevelsen for vanlige mennesker på vannet. Det handler om allsidige produkter som takler alle forhold på vannet og det handler om produkter som ser fine ut og som varer i mange, mange år. Når hver eneste ansatt eier og brenner for NRS og produktene de produserer, så blir også produktene gode.
Grunnleggeren av NRS (1972), Bill Parks
Vi i West System Norge AS er stolte av å kunne representere og selge NRS-produkter i Norge. Vi har selv erfart, og vi vet at produktene er veldig bra, og vi får svært ofte tilbakemeldinger fra kunder som bekrefter akkurat det samme. NRS designer alle produkter selv og produserer bare produkter de selv ville brukt.