Getting (not) wet and wild with Mustang’s latest, budget-friendly, drysuit
words :: Feet Banks
Long Story Short:
Mustang Survival Quadra Drysuit: Website link
Price: $999.99 CAD / $849.99 USD
Elevator Pitch: Minimalist and Multipurpose, an excellent introduction to Mustang Survival’s high-quality standards.
Performance: Breathable, comfortable, works awesome. Available in Men’s and Women’s sizing.
Value: 33% cheaper than the Mustang’s best drysuits without sacrificing quality = Good Value.
Reviewer’s Takeaway: “It’s a suit, it keeps you dry. What more do you need from a drysuit? 5 out of 5 stars recommend (but not for SCUBA diving.)”
Long Story Long:
It’s maybe not the smartest, but I always figure the best way to properly “product test” something is to start by doing exactly what you’re not supposed to do with it. Push the boundaries, ignore the specifications, and just get deep into some real-world stuff.*
Which is how I came to be SCUBA diving, in a freezing lake, in the all-new Mustang Survival Quadra Dry Suit. Well, that’s not the only reason—I was also helping my dad. (Longtime readers may remember my dad from that time he and his buddy built a catamaran out of two beat-up canoes and got “lost” in the wild waterways of Northern BC).
My dad needed help repairing a waterline damaged when the ice came off the lake this spring. Seeing as he’s in his mid-70s and my mom was laid up with some broken bones, I figured I’d better get up north to help. And I had just the outfit for the occasion.
Some technical background: SCUBA diving drysuits generally have a valve on them so divers can release or add air to the inside of the suit (we’ll learn why in a moment) and it generally has a tighter neck/wrist seal than suits made for paddling, boating, or frolicking around in the water.
But we weren’t going that deep, my dad needed help, and hey… why not live outside the lines a little? I slid into the Quadra drysuit, slid a pair of budget-store oversized water shoes over, chucked on a tank and weight belt, and followed the old man into the lake.
Pretty much instantly, the water pushed all the air in my suit upwards until I looked like some kind of inflatable Halloween costume (or a red Michelin Man, if you are old enough to remember that guy). Capturing the scene on camera, my son laughed exuberantly from the shore as my dad chimed in, “You’re gonna have a hard time getting down like that.”
Normally, people who know what they are doing will leave their drysuit zipper open a crack and crouch down into a ball to bleed excess air out before they get in the water. Instead, I bled all my balloon-man air through the latex neck seal, submerged, and got to work. Of course, at around 18 feet below the surface I realized that the lack of air in my suit now meant that it was contracting around me like a full-body python and if I went much deeper there might actually be a chance it would crush my ‘nards—at the very least— or implode me completely (that might be a bit dramatic).
The scientists (and anyone who remembers the section on atmospheres from their SCUBA course) will understand why this happens. And so do I: Air compresses underwater. So really, I don’t recommend using this drysuit for SCUBA diving, and certainly not if you are going deeper than 15 feet. I suspect it could even be dangerous.
I bled all my balloon-man air through the latex neck seal, submerged, and got to work. Of course, at around 18 feet below the surface I realized that the lack of air in my suit now meant that it was contracting around me like a full-body python …
The good news is, we fixed the waterline and my parents were able to take showers, wash dishes, and generally enjoy the comforts of 21st-century life again. So, lesson learned AND a successful mission—and I stayed dry, the Quadra was impressing me.
But what about what it’s actually meant for?
“This suit is designed for those looking to extend their activity season as temperatures drop,” says Gaby Hébert, Product Designer and Manager of Development at Mustang Survival. “Paddling, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing, really any shorter duration marine activity. It’s also suitable for whitewater because the latex neck and wrist seals keep water 100% out.”
They certainly do. I was fully submerged for over 30 minutes and stayed dry as rattlesnake underwear. Gaby went on to add the Quadra has been tested kiteboarding in Howe Sound, paddling whitewater in Alaska, and even shovelling a driveway in Squamish during one of the annual wet winter snowstorms. “It’s constructed from the same incredibly tough and durable three-layer, MarineSpec BP fabric we use in all our drysuits. We utilize the same quality workmanship and design but simplified the feature set to make it a more accessible price point for marine enthusiasts or people looking to explore cooler waters.”
Which apparently means there are no internal suspenders, or a lengthier “full relief zipper” but the suit still features the heavy-duty Cordura panels on the knees and seat for added durability and I’ll be the first to say, if you’ve never had a fancy drysuit before, you likely won’t know what you’re missing. It’s a suit, it kept me dry—all expectations have been met.
With Gaby’s words in mind, however, I embraced my “beginner” status as a whitewater SUP’er and hopped on a buddy’s SUP out on Squamish’s Mamquam River to give the Quadra a proper day in court. And let the record show, I fully recognize that the SUP is among the most versatile watercraft ever invented. You can paddle mellow streams, do yoga on them in a lake, hit whitewater or surf ocean swell. (You can also use it as sleeping pad, seat or camp table.) BUT, I like to make fun of the numerous SUP zealots I know by calling them “Rollerbladers of the Sea.” So I knew Karma was coming for me on this Mamquam paddle—there was no way I wouldn’t be falling off and getting wet (but also, that was the goal).
But I didn’t get wet because the Quadra delivered. First off, the waterproof zipper is a technological marvel (and it blew my dad’s mind) but ensure the zipper is 100% closed. Double check! Because when it is 99% closed it will look and feel pretty closed, but it is not fully closed. And water will get in. Feel for that tell-tale click!
Beyond that, the suit breaths so internal condensation from the fear/exertion sweats were not a problem, it has lots of room for paddling or frantic trying-to-stay-balanced motions, and with a properly trimmed neck seal, it kept me comfy, dry, and—dare I say—having fun on a SUP (don’t tell anyone.) This suit is gonna be clutch for rainstorm canoeing this winter on the annual volunteer Herring spawn survey in the Squamish estuary too.
Mustang Survival does it again. Get the Quadra here!
*The caveat to my (potentially dangerous and definitely poorly thought out) product testing philosophy is to avoid it if you have actually paid money for the gear in question. It may not be wise to recklessly push the limits on gear (or anything) you’ve forked over hard-earned cash for. But if it’s your job…and the gear was given to you specifically for testing purposes and you are ready to retreat if it seems dangerous at any time…well, give’r I say.
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