IRS Paddle Pants

2 reviews for IRS Paddle Pants

1. Rated 1 out of 5

   Greg Rutledge – December 30, 2015

   Seams are not sealed. Set in a wet seat and you intanty have a wet ____seat. Other wise it would be a great product. I know at this price not to expect dry wear but even even my old $10 Stearns rain pants have sealed seams and do a much better job at keeping the water out. Thanks

   • John Weld – January 10, 2016

     Hey Greg,

     Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. Those pants are indeed not seam sealed, but there is a little bit of logic behind that. We sell those pants not only as basic paddling pants to consumers, but also to rafting companies to use in their rental fleets. The problem with basic laminates like the one used on those pants is that they are very difficult to tape. Urethane hosts tape-hating mold and also is just a very finicky surface for adhesion.

     The other thing we noticed is that with any basic paddling pants, water freely comes in through the waist, ankles, and even right through the fabric if you sit on it long enough. This is not just our basis pants- this is the nature of any waterproof fabric at this price point.

     So our response was to not tape them. It seemed to us that the seam tape offered very little value with a lot of exposure to a highly visible problem (tape hanging off the garment like linguini). The pants serve as a thermal barrier with wind protection, and they dry quickly and require almost no maintenance. And most customers never notice if they are taped or not.

     Our Zephyr pants, in contrast, are much more waterproof, and like most breathable laminates they hold tape much much better. As result we fully seam seal them. But they are, of course, more expensive.

     As with any of our products, though, if you’re not satisfied, lets us know. We’d be glad to refund you for your purchase.
     -John

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Tony – May 10, 2016

   I own a rafting company in Minnesota and we use the IRS pants at the beginning and the end of the rafting. Great price on a very functional product.