{"id":14174,"date":"2017-11-15T01:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T09:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=14174"},"modified":"2022-01-06T07:09:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T15:09:34","slug":"the-pivot-drysuit-a-superhero-second-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/11\/15\/the-pivot-drysuit-a-superhero-second-skin\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pivot: A Superhero Second Skin"},"content":{"rendered":"

The sky darkens, threatening to split open and smash us with rain at any moment. There we stand, a textbook pathetic fallacy: Myself and 25 other kayakers have just paddled up to a concrete wall blocking the flow of the mighty So\u010da river, funneling it into a pipe. We clamber onto the dam and out from the dead water. Shouldering kayaks, the bright boats contrast against the grey concrete. Bushwhacking around the small hydro station, in my Hulk-green NRS Pivot drysuit<\/a> I\u2019m almost camouflaged amongst the spring foliage. But I don\u2019t feel like a superhero.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s day three of the Balkan Rivers Tour<\/a>, a source-to-sea paddle on the So\u010da River from Slovenia into Italy. From the crashing, emerald whitewater upstream, there is barely a current here. We\u2019d been paddling to raise awareness about proposed hydropower dams amidst the kayaking paradise of the upper So\u010da and the thousands of other unnecessary dams proposed in the Balkans. But the mood is as somber as the impending weather.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are many ways my kayaking gear takes a beating. From early spring ice on the Ottawa River, to hot southern hemisphere sunshine in New Zealand. This spring, I took it through sun and rain, sea spray and asphalt while spending 30 days on the water exploring the whitewater-rich Balkans as a writer for BRT. Portaging and climbing over hydro dams was a new test for my gear. (Not to mention my sanity.)<\/p>\n

Paddling the upper sections of the So\u010da River meant getting wet (and yet staying dry) in some of the world\u2019s best whitewater. I could have chosen a women\u2019s specific suit like that NRS Crux. But I preferred the back-entry style of the Pivot vs the across-the-chest zip for comfort while portaging as well as the extra degrees of freedom of movement while paddling. The clean aesthetic of the back zip is also a plus.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They may claim it\u2019s a co-ed drysuit, but men really have no idea the complex talent a girl needs to use a men\u2019s (ahem co-ed) relief zipper. But I was willing to get creative. As one of only a handful of ladies on the tour, being quick on the riverbank when nature calls is key. Luckily, the generous-sized opening made it easy to fit a shewee\u2014or bottle\u2014down my pants and the friendly, plastic teeth of the TIZip relief-zipper ensured I didn\u2019t thrash my hands while taking care of business. (I can only presume guys would appreciate those two features as well.) It takes some finesse, but I\u2019ll proudly admit I\u2019ve yet to have a spill. (Knock on wood!) Rumor has it NRS is releasing a women’s Pivot for 2018 complete with a dropseat. I may become a sheewee pro by 2018, but I\u2019m dam\u2014I mean damn\u2014excited for a lady\u2019s Pivot.<\/p>\n