Let’s just say I tend to go through shorty paddling jackets pretty quickly. That’s mostly because I trade them away to eager guides whenever I travel south to go boating. In the past three years, I’ve parted with them in Costa Rica and twice in Peru. But this is one I’m going to hold onto.
Kokatat’s new Blast semi-dry Shorty is built for warm days on the river and surf, serving reliable waterproof/breathable performance without the “crinkliness” of other materials. Our take: It’s a “semi-dry,” meaning it’s not going to keep you completely waterproof. So why not be uber-comfy in its plush and supple Hydrus 2.5-layer material, which keeps splash and spray at bay while being super lightweight for easy paddle swings? And it breaks the wind, which is the big part of keeping you warm, yet breathes, for when you’re digging to stay on that wave (or paddling the flats out of places like Westwater).
A nice bonus feature is its neo-cinch collar behind the neck, which tightens the neck’s neoprene cuff, as well as punch-through coated Lycra biceps cuffs, which deal around your pythons. And a double skirt with an adjustable neoprene waistband creates a bomber seal over your sprayskirt.
I tested the Blast — in a sticks-out-on-those-social-posts electric blue color, thank you — on a late August day on the upper Colorado River, where it proved perfect for mid-70s temps with a rash guard underneath. Above all, I loved its soft, flexible material, like being in pajama-like comfort while paddling — such that I didn’t even mind keeping it on once on shore. One thing I am fan of is pockets, which it lacks, but today’s lifejackets seem to have those covered aplenty. Bottom line? My go-to for warm-weather paddling that will stay in my kit for the long haul. And I can’t wait to take it down south to the warm waters of Costa again this winter, where, this time, I won’t be trading it away. $225, www.kokatat.com
(Cover photo of Pedro Astorga wearing the Kokatat Blast while racing at this year’s North Fork Championships/courtesy Pedro Astorga).