Arctic Armor, isnt it supposed to be waterproof?

[Cyberfish]

I tried my Arctic armor suit in the rain for the first time yesterday and got disappointing results. I fished for around 5 hours in a steady but light rain and got cold and clammy. When I quit I found the parka was soaked through. the bibs were better, only slightly damp.

[Team Otter]

I tried my Arctic armor suit in the rain for the first time yesterday and got disappointing results. I fished for around 5 hours in a steady but light rain and got cold and clammy. When I quit I found the parka was soaked through. the bibs were better, only slightly damp.

That doesn't sound right. A call to IDI Gear may be appropriate.

[Sandmannd]

Yea, I would call IDI. I've worn mine in the rain and others have worn mine and stayed plenty dry. Actually had it on today in the cold and was quite comfortable.

[Cyberfish]

I will give that a try, thanks guys.

[Northlander]

Mine have been good in light rains but not so good in down poors. Do you have the red, green or camo? I have the Red.

[harvey lee]

I would call the dealer you purchased it from as they will need to handle it if there is an issue with the coat. Idi likes it to go through the dealers and not the company.

I have worn mine in light and heavy rain. In the heavy rain after a few hours, the coat got very heavy but I did not get wet. I felt cool from the cold wet suit in late November but I did not get wet.

The insultex is waterproof but the seams may leak and some of the other products are water resistant.

[Deitz Dittrich]

mine get wet from sweat long before water ever gets inside..

[DTro]

I think the colored suits are better tailored for the heavy rains. The camo material will absorb a little moisture. Having said that I was out in the rain with my camo coat tonight and stayed bone dry.

[minneman]

These suits are waterproof and some of the other products are water resistant.

IDI's HSOforum claims 100% waterproof

[harvey lee]

Here is what I saw on their site. It also states waterproof.

Welcome to idigear.com

Innovative Designs, Inc. products deliver optimum warmth and comfort with insulating, windproof, and water resistant protection. As avid outdoorsmen, we realize that the right gear makes all the difference in extreme conditions. Innovative Designs, Inc. products equip you for the ultimate outdoor experience, without the added weight, bulk, and expense of our competition. Whether you’re looking for hunting apparel, or the best ice fishing suit available on the market, you’ve come to the right place!

I'm going to call IDI tomorrow and see why they have both water resistant and waterproof on their HSOforum and I will post back here.

The suits are waterproof and some other products are water resistant.

[Cyberfish]

Mine have been good in light rains but not so good in down poors. Do you have the red, green or camo? I have the Red.

i have a red one.

[pegleg]

These suits float! Also, I like the lightweight of an Arctic Armor suit and you don't need much other clothes on under the suit. I wear my red suit all year and never had any issues with rain or snow.

[harvey lee]

Yes, the suit will float one and it is a very, very warm suit.

The suit is very lightweight indeed.

[harvey lee]

Cyber

It is waterproof. Its states on the left side of the HSOforum that some of their products are waterproof but the clothing is waterproof. If you got wet inside the jacket, I would contact the dealer you purchased the suit from to get to the bottom of the problem.

Sorry for the mix up.

[NoWiser]

My dad is having the same problem. I bought him the suit for Christmas this year because of the good reviews that I read, and the flotation it offers. Its a constant battle to keep him wearing it because he likes his old Cabelas Motorsports bibs and jacket so much more. We fished twice in the rain so far this spring, neither being that heavy of a rain, and both times his clothes underneath were soaked, while I stayed bone dry with my 8 year old rainsuit. I was going to purchase some AA before this winter, but will probably hold off until something better comes on the market. I like the idea of flotation for ice fishing, though.

[harvey lee]

I would contact the dealer you purchased the suit from.

[candiru]

I would be of the opinion that it may be sweat. Some of us sweat more than others. Mine has been soaking wet inside from sweat. I couldn't wait to get it off. You may not even realize that you are sweating.

[Gadgetman]

I would be willing to bet that it is sweat as well. I have had the same problem all winter with my AA bibs. Even wearing proper wicking under garments and leaving the zipper and my coat open I would be soaked by the time I rode my wheeler out to my fishing spot. It was very annoying to say the least. I too seem to prefer my 10 yr old Browning gore tex bibs over my new fangled fancy float pants...

[Northlander]

I also would say its sweat more than water coming through. My AA is some warm stuff so I do get damp from sweat if I get too physical in them.

[harvey lee]

If it gets too warm, I will open my bibs or jacket a bit and have no issues doing that

Many seem to overdress under this suit and then they overheat. Wear less clothes underneath and you should be fine.

This is a very warm suit.

[BoxMN]

I love my AA. Wear it darn near year round, and dress light under it. Been out in downpours, winter and summer, and stayed dried. Agree Gore Tex is great stuff too, but that wears out. So does Columbia.

[DTro]

As with anything you buy, you need to do a little research. Just as much as Arctic Armor may get “talked up” on this site, there is also the other side in which someone will make a post (usually someone who might post very infrequently) with intentions of undercutting a product. This is usually by competitors and or by someone who wants to stir the pot.

I have had very few if any issues with my Arctic Armor. I consider myself an honest person and will generally tell it like it is. You can find me somewhere on this site everyday of the week, and while I might be part of a staff that Arctic Armor sponsors, I bought my suit just like everyone one else…… with my hard earned dollar.

Usually there is a reason behind a product getting such good reviews from people, that reason is that it’s a good product.

My personal opinion and you can take it or leave it, for summertime rain gear, I would probably stick with a rainsuit designed as such. I have an inexpensive PVC rainsuit that I bought at Walmart, that I fold up and keep in my tackle box. I will throw that on when the temps are warm. If the temps are cooler like they have been the past few days, I’ll throw on the AA and deal with the possibility of it absorbing a small amount of water. It’s much better than being cold with a thinner rainsuit. I look at the AA as a cold weather suit that I can wear all winter long, plus during the cold fall and spring days and as a bonus have a piece of mind of the floatation that can be used as a backup rainsuit in the summer.

Go back and look at most of my fishing pictures from last year in the Catfish forum, I pretty much wore my AA all through the month of June. July and August is about the only time period that I cannot find a picture of myself wearing the coat.

Can you sweat/overheat if overdressed? Yes

Will is absorb some water in a downpour? Yes (camo, can’t speak for the others)

Is it the warmest suit I’ve worn? Yes

Could it SAVE YOUR LIFE some day? Yes

Is it a good summertime rainsuit? There might be a better option.

As with anything else there is no one perfect product, the AA comes close and has worked great for me. I recommend it when I can.

All I have to add is that when you see people comment about and or recommend something, take a step back and consider the source (if that is even possible) before making any judgment. Sometimes you need to read between the lines, and that goes both ways (good and bad) for some products.

[Scott K]

I wore my jacket last Saturday in the rain storm for my sons baseball game, I stayed warm and dry. Like Darren said, this is a warm suit. The AA suit has done everything I thought it should. If I had any complaints, it would be that it is to easy to over dress and over heat, but that is a learning curve that you just need to adjust to. I would take Harvey Lee's advise if you are having issues with your's, and call the place you bought it from and see if they can fix your issues.

[NoWiser]

Sorry if it seems I'm trying to stir the pot....definitely not my intention. Just posting my opinion of Arctic Armor as it pertains to openwater fishing, which is that a breathable rainsuit might be a better (and cheaper) option, and that the particular suit I bought my dad is not waterproof, which was also the concern of the original poster.

Had this been posted in the ice fishing forum my opinion would be a little different in that it might be a very good choice given its warmth and flotation qualities. You could have named your price three Januarys ago when I was swimming in Leech Lake, in the middle of the night, with no other fisherman in sight and I would have said it was a great deal.

[Wayne Ek]

I wore my AA down it Florida for the Southern Open in heavy rain and cold weather (40's) I stayed dry and warm. Then all this spring I wore the stuff on cold wet guide trips, I stayed warm. I have not had any problems with this product.