I got your email about the comp pants- first of all rest assured that we will take care of this in any way that will make you happy. Having said that, we can discuss some options.

The issue that you appear to be having is with the DWR, or “durable water repellent” finish on the outside of the fabric. DWR coatings are put on all waterproof breathable garments, and we all (us, gore, etc) use the same compound for this. The only difference is in the amount used. Currently, most people in paddlepsorts use enough to last “100 washes” (this is actually an industrial standard, but I’m not sure how exactly they measure it), but it generally lasts about a season for many paddlers. You could add more DWR coating, but after the 100 wash threshold it starts to get really waxy and gets in the way of the breathability of the garment.

The object of the DWR is to make water bead for a time off of the garment. Note that it does not make the garment waterproof in any way. That job is accomplished by the laminate inside the fabric. All of these DWR finishes come off sooner or later, and when they do, the shell fabric starts to absorb water. This usually does not mean the fabric is leaking, but it usually does make the outside of the garment much cooler and as a result condensation forms much more easily in the humid environment inside the garment. Many people mistake this for leaking, and it is a constant source of frustration for all of us in the outdoor biz.

As a result of this, there is a robust aftermarket for DWR “re-finishers”- you can get them from our outlet page or at a good outdoor store. My personal opinion is the Nik Wax makes the best. But these are nowhere as good as the original finish put on in the factory- expect to retreat the garment regularly after the first re-finish. To compound this, the popular DWR compound we all use in-factory is coming under a lot of environmental scrutiny, and the proposed replacement is much weaker than what we have now.

With all of that in mind, it may be that your pants are in fact leaking, which we would be more than happy to investigate for you if you send them in. If we find anything small causing problems we’ll repair it and if the pants are shot, we’d replace them. This would be at no cost.

Let me know what you think, and we’ll go from there,

-John

I was so excited about my new pair! I’d say I wore them 10 times or less last summer. Never washed them in a washing machine with detergent. Never got them super dirty/soiled, etc. I am extremely disappointed in the ability of these pants to bead water. They end up absorbing water (and not just talking at the neoprene at the ankle or the neoprene at the waist)…but through the butt area, thighs, etc….the water doesn’t bead up and the fabric absorbs it and well, then I’m even colder. Reminds me of my last pair of the same pants that I decided to upgrade last summer.

I’m sure I should have inquired last summer/fall, and then I just put them away for the winter, but now I’m looking forward to getting on the river again.

Any warranties with this product? Any similar complaints from other customers?

Thanks for your time and I’ll look forward to hearing back!

Melanie Pareti
(970) 333 4724

Sorry for the late reply- we’re closed over the holiday- including friday. So I guess not:). Let me know if you’re looking for anything in particular, and perhaps I can see what we have.

-John

-John