NRS Pivot Drysuit Review

Since last August, I’ve been using the NRS Pivot Drysuit for kayaking. This is the second NRS drysuit that I’ve used, and my wife owns a NRS Women’s Crux. So, I was familiar with their drysuits before I got this one. Even though my last two drysuits were Kokatat and I loved them, I felt like I needed to give something else a try. The Pivot with its rear entry looked awesome. So, I went for it. With a significant amount of time spent in the Pivot, here’s my NRS Pivot Drysuit Review.

NRS Pivot Drysuit Features

The NRS Pivot Drysuit’s main standout feature is the TIZIP® MasterSeal zipper on the back, which moves the zipper from the front of the drysuit to the back and helps to eliminate pressure points on the front of your torso. Personally, my bottom two ribs stick out and the zipper of every drysuit I’ve owned has hit my left rib wrong causing irritation in the long run. NRS also claims the back zipper improves suit flexibility and reduces stress on the zipper. I agree with the flexibility statement. It seems much nicer all around to have the zipper on the back.

In addition to the zipper, the Pivot features the 4-layer Eclipse™ fabric with a DWR. It’s a waterproof-breathable fabric. It has an overskirt with 5-inch neoprene band to secure your sprayskirt into the tunnel. There are drysocks that fit well. When you need to take a leak, the suit features a relief zipper with cover. The gaskets are latex, and a neoprene neck overcuff and neoprene wrist cuffs protect the latex. The Pivot has extra fabric in the high-wear areas. A chest pocket with built in drain allows you to store of Clif bar or something similar in size.

NRS Pivot Drysuit Review

For me, the standout feature was the entry zipper on the back. While I’ve never had problems getting into or out of a drysuit with a zipper on the front, I’ve always wondered about having one on the back. The only experience that I had in the past was that a woman I guided with used a suit with a zipper on the back. She always seemed to struggle with getting the zipper closed and open. That worried me a bit.

That worry was for naught, because I never had any issues getting the zipper open or closed. There’s a big t-shaped handle that makes it easy to grab the zipper and pull. The upshot of having a zipper on the back is that getting into the drysuit has never been easier for me. You basically just step into the entire suit, put your arms in, pop the your head through the neck and you’re ready to zip in. You don’t have to try to get one arm in and out in a specific order. It’s just so much easier. The only problem that I’ve had is that sometimes it’s hard to get the fabric protective cover to sit down over the zipper without help. Still, I can’t see going back to a front zip again.

There’s also more overall comfort in the suit. As I mentioned above, because the zipper is on the back it doesn’t hurt my ribs upfront. Plus, the suit just feels more comfortable without a stiff zipper running across the front of your torso. The fit is perfect for me. I’m 5’10” and 185 pounds. I got a large. I can’t really say that I’d change the fit in anyway.

The breathability of the fabric seems to me on par with the Gore-Tex suits that I’ve owned. The durability seems good, although I’ve had the suit for less than a year. The color is nice and bright. It’s a solid drysuit that’s well worth the asking price.

Overall, I’m happy with this drysuit. Highly recommended!

Buy It: NRS Pivot

Disclosure: I’ve been a long-time marketing partner with NRS, former retailer of NRS’s gear (at multiple stores) and had an outfitter account with NRS when I had my kayak guiding business. NRS provided this drysuit for review.