Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view

Yak Riwaka Dry Top – First Look

The Yak Riwaka in a very loud GREEN has arrived at Unsponsored HQ. Now this is the third bit of gear from Yak that has landed here the HQ in as many weeks and once again Yak have made a really good impression (I need to find out who is designing this stuff!) – here’s why.

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The Riwaka is a fully featured dry top that appears to be made out of fabric that should stand the test of time. It feels tough without being too rigid. The cut has been designed for paddled in and has clearly been tailored well. I have the large here and it fits me without any form of restriction or discomfort whilst at the same time doesn’t have an excess amount of material flapping around.

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Darts in the rear of the jacket allow greater freedom of movement. They also hide some reflective detailing.

The fabric is both waterproof and breathable as you would expect in a dry top that has a RRP of £200 (can be found for less online). The taping within the jacket looks good and has been well executed. There has been some careful consideration given to how the jacket is pieced together and where/how the separate elements come together.

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Now the colour won’t be everyones cup of tea but I do really like it. I have several bits of gear in GREEN but this has to be one of the brightest. The contrasting blue logos and detail works well and matches the new Yak PFD perfectly (as you would expect).

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The top comes with both latex neck and wrist seals with additional adjustable wrist seals and a neoprene neck seal. The neck seal is pretty damn good. It’s formed by a cone and then joining an additional band of neoprene at the top. The seal on my 15.5″ neck is snug but comfortable. It in itself creates a really good seal. It’s a small design feature that I really like.

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The waist has the usual Velcro adjustment and deep inner tunnel. Matching it up with a spray deck is very straight forward and initial impressions of the seal created are good.

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The Riwaka has a couple of small pockets, one on the chest and another on the arm. Useful for storage gear that is OK to get wet. My car keys in an Aloksak dry pouch fitted nicely in side each of the pockets.

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So initial impressions are very good. The fit and feel of the dry top really puts it up there with some of the best offerings out there. A couple of nice little touches help it stand out. My intention is to use the range of Yak kit over the winter season back to back with my Sweet Protection gear. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the Sweet range after a few months of use.

From Yak:

Yak cags do everything you need them to – and look the business while they’re at it. We’ve taken fabrics which are massively waterproof, windproof and highly breathable, and used our Yak magic to sculpt them into technical clothing to enhance your athletic performance and make your paddle time extra comfortable.

The Riwaka cag of intense distinction for uncompromising whitewater experts – one you should never be without when taking on the big waves. Seamless underarm wizardry combined with 3 way performance cut sleeves provides the ultimate in technology and performance.

ACTIVE FLEX TECHNOLOGY
TX20K 3 LAYER FABRIC, FULLY TAPED AND BREATHABLE
SEAMLESS UNDERARM TECHNOLOGY WITH 3 WAY PERFORMANCE CUT SLEEVES
LATEX INNER NECK AND WRIST SEALS
ADJUSTABLE PU LINED OVER CUFFS
NEOPRENE OVER NECK FOR COMFORT AND PROTECTION
LASER CUT DRAIN HOLES
CHEST POCKET
WELDED ARM POCKET
FULLY ADJUSTABLE NEO WAISTBAND AND DX10K INNER SKIRT WITH ADDED GRIP
WATER RESISTANT LASER CUT ZIPS

3 Comments

  1. Johann

    Looks good.

    I’m not a fan of wrist velcros. Prefer neophrene over the latex seal.

  2. Robert

    Disappointing-In my opinion the design and fit are on point. However the seems peeled off after just two days on the Tryweryn. This seems very much like the problem palm had a few years back. The most positive thing I can say is Escape watersports gave me a full refund with no fuss.

  3. Balazs

    You can not breed in it, the neck seal strangle you , nothing professional!!!! Mooney back

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