{"id":18183,"date":"2019-01-11T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T17:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=18183"},"modified":"2022-01-06T08:35:42","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T16:35:42","slug":"the-navigator-find-your-way-to-all-season-boating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2019\/01\/11\/the-navigator-find-your-way-to-all-season-boating\/","title":{"rendered":"The Navigator: Find Your Way to All-Season Boating"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are only two seasons in the Pacific Northwest\u2014the rainy season and everything else. Since it\u2019s guaranteed wet nine months a year, and Cascade rivers are glacial snowmelt, a quality drysuit can go a long way out here.<\/p>\n

The NRS Navigator Paddling Suit<\/a> fills a wide range of needs. Originally built for sea kayaking, it differs from most drysuits because it features a neoprene neck gasket, giving it a semi-dry classification. This is meant to be more comfortable throughout a full day than a latex gasket. And believe me, it is.<\/p>\n

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I decided to try out the Navigator on an October trip down the Deschutes. The forecast looked more suitable for watching TV on the couch: gray skies and impending rain with a high of 50 degrees. Since we were doing 38 miles in two days, and I\u2019d be in a packraft, I really hoped the paddling suit would keep me comfortable enough.<\/p>\n

Right off the bat, the Navigator felt good, though the high visibility green seemed a little extreme. My buddies in the raft wore sweatshirts and here I looked prepped for a moonwalk. The hood, too, felt big. Since I didn\u2019t need to wear it\u2014yet\u2014I rolled it up and cinched it down with a bungee clasp, giving the suit a high-collar look but it wasn\u2019t as cumbersome as having it flap around in the back.<\/p>\n

After the first few miles, the Deschutes Canyon opens up into big mountainside views with cabins scattered along the riverbank. They\u2019re the kind of ramshackle affairs that families pass down for generations. Smoke rose from a few chimneys, but most were closed up for the season.<\/p>\n