PADDLER 5
Rooster Women ’ s SuperTherm 4mm Long John www . roostersailing . com By Helen Nightingale
PADDLER 5
REVIEWS
Rooster Women ’ s SuperTherm 4mm Long John www . roostersailing . com By Helen Nightingale
I have never got on with paddling in a wetsuit , but having only heard good things about Rooster ’ s Aquafleece range , I was pleased to be able to try out their Ladies Long John . However , I am 5 ’ 0 , so I have struggled to get wetsuits and long johns that fit well . The crotch and knees always seem to be in the wrong place . This was not the case with the Rooster ; it seemed to fit and felt lovely , soft , and flexible . The front zip made it very easy to get on and off on my own .
I headed over to the lake for some buoy turns practice . This was during a warm spell in August , so a 2km warm-up did get very warm . It was quite a relief to get wet and cool off . Once I ’ d been in a few times , I started to forget I was wearing a wetsuit . It was comfy , and the racer back meant I had excellent freedom of movement for my arms .
The next test was a two-day paddle / camp down the Ardeche . I am a novice at white water paddling , and the river was relatively shallow in places , so I spent much more time on my knees than I ’ m used to . I took my tourer board , which I found a bit slippery when I had to move forward to keep my fin up , just wearing shorts . I tried the long johns on more rapidly flowing water , and the reinforcement on the knees made a big difference . I felt I could grip the board much better with it on . The reinforcement covered my knees well despite my short legs , and I felt comfortable .
I also had a river race training session on my inflatable race board . With it being very warm and moving around a lot on the board , my legs did feel a bit more restricted , but that ’ s only a minor issue , and I ’ m sure it won ’ t be a problem in the cooler conditions the long johns were designed for . I am keen to try the long johns through the winter . Price : £ 235.00