Reviews
Original Women’s Helix CCS
"I have only tried it on and examined it carefully but I am very pleased with the fit and quality. It was on sale (perhaps clearing out the older stock) and a good deal on a Canadian made quality dry suit. The new version has the pocket on the thigh rather than the sleeve. Not sure that is a big deal.
Will try to update after I try it out on the water."
— Ann W. (5/5)
Great gear as usual
"Great gear as usual"
— Sabrina S. (5/5)
Women’s Helix CCS drysuit
"This is an excellent product - very comfortable, good quality materials, easy to put on and take off. You won’t regret it - it is dry enough for kayaking. Knee pads are comfortable.
The only caution I offer is that the suits are SMALL and for prospective customers to carefully measure themselves. Ladies over 5 foot 9 inches might want to check that XL will fit them. Why are larger/taller women not included in sizing?"
— Laurie M. (5/5)
Excellent drysuit - measure yourself
"The women's Mustang Helix CCS drysuit is an excellent product. Well constructed and the zipper is easy to do up/undo. Getting the suit on/off is also easier than most drysuits in my experience. The CCS neck and wrist neoprene cuffs fit comfortably and seal nicely without the "ultra" dry experience of latex. I have a latex allergy and find this fit much more comfortable for sea kayaking. No, it's not perfectly dry but the trade-off is worth the comfort - I am more likely to use the suit. The knee pads are a nice touch. After ordering the suit came delivered within 2 days! Great service! NOTE: I did careful research and measuring for the sizing. I am a bigger woman (5'10 and 44" bust). I chose the XL in the older version of this suit and it fits perfectly. Any smaller would not have worked. The new sizing would NOT have fit me. Women taller than 5'10 should also measure carefully. All in all i am thrilled with this nice suit. Thank you Canadian MUSTANG!"
— Laurie (5/5)
A good deal - love it so far
"This works for me and was a great price (especially on sale) compared to Gortex dry suits. I love the CCC neck and neoprene wrists rather than latex, but that’s partly due to my use for it (SUP) rather than kayak, where I would be rolling regularly. The zip works really well and seems completely waterproof. Overall I think it fits me well in the arms and legs. I am 5’7, 135lb, and I went with size medium. I sized up, as my dimensions were overall better suited to small, though it has extra looseness through the middle and backside, which is probably necessary so that one can move around in it. As it is I don’t feel too restricted moving around on the board, getting to my knees, sitting, etc.
The material breathes really well - I went out on the river on a summer evening (northern BC) and was fine wearing it with shorts and a t shirt underneath. I imagine it would be very comfortable on a colder day with a warm layer or two. I love the padded knees, and the flexibility to remove or replace the pads as well. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase and the money I saved in getting this suit over others.
I do second another reviewer who noted - pink isn’t an ideal color for many of us - I would cut it out from women’s outerwear where there are only a few color choices. Luckily the dark grey somewhat balances it out but that wouldn't be my color of choice.
*regarding sizing it’s hard to say if it runs big, small, or true to size - it feels a bit all of the above. Luckily mustang will let you send it back for free if the size isn’t working for you. I think the size adjustment they have made in the newer suits will be more true to size and less confusing for most people."
— Frankie (5/5)
It’s water tight
"I wanted to be utterly in love with this. It’s plenty long and lots of room in the arms and torso. I do wish the XL had larger calf’s and quads. It’s disappointing that I cannot sit, bend over or be super active in it. It is certainly water proof and being able To adjust the neck gasket is huge. Just the legs are such a let down. I’m 6’ and 200lbs, size 31 in most jeans so I was surprised to see my legs hardly fit."
— Kirsten (3/5)
Women's Helix CCS drysuit
"I have now thoroughly tested my Women’s Helix CCS drysuit with kayak trips from daytrips to weekend, multi-day and a 4-week paddle in the Great bear rainforest as well as for my Paddle Canada Level 4 training. There are lots of good things on that suit, but also some room for improvement. Just as a note, I am 170cm, but have a bit wider shoulders due to many years of competitive swimming (maybe?) so The size M was just a bit too tight in the shoulders for paddle movement, so I chose the size L. That made it a bit baggy, but not uncomfortable and I really liked the ease of move with it.
So starting from bottom to top. I really like that the size of the foot is on the smaller side (compared to the more standard men’s or unisex). That allows a nice fit with fleece socks, without having it fold up and crinkle in my neoprene boot. |They also never leaked in my 2 + years of use ( I do take care to not step on gravel or sand without boots or other shoes). I absolutely love the padded, doubled knees. That’s probably the most awesome feature on the suit. Its comfortable in the boat and comfortable when kneeling to pack the kayak, which may take a while for a 4 week trip. Also warm when sitting outside in the wind. While I generally like that there is only one big zipper ( and the big zipper is great, runs well and easily moved), the way it is set is suboptimal. While it is easy to get in, it is just a bit too high to open up and do your business with the sprayskirt on (Since mine is a bit larger, I can make it work with a lot of shuffling around while on land, but it’s not easy enough to do for an on water emergency pee or more). The arm shoulder movement is awesome. I generally like the material, it feels robust, but the material on the arms where one moves arm against body/lifejackety while paddling could do with some strengthening or maybe move or cover the seam. I just went to practice some rolls and my arm leaked. I found that the material had rubbed through at the seams and even caused a little hole ☹. Then my main frustration, the CCS neck gasket. This has probably been mentioned multiple times, but yes, it sucks. It definitely is not leak proof when you roll. I have heard that putting some additional neoprene neck gaiter around it might help and tried some homegrown examples, but couldn’t make it work (unless I wear a big neoprene dive hood on top. Also, the grommet popped out after a few uses. I could imagine having a neoprene seal under it, in addition to the CCS seal may do the job. I do like the comfort of not having a rubber seal permanently around my neck for long trips or warmer weather (I’ve had some chafing with that on previous suits), so would be good to see more experimenting on this. Lastly.. while not relevant to performance, but the color!!!??? Seriously who came up with piglet pink? I’ve always had trouble understanding why functional outdoor wear needs to be pink just because it is women’s, give me red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, lime, anything, but leave the washed out pink for the piglets 😊."
— Mr S. (5/5)
Very long legs...
"Seems good, but fitting is off. Too big, ok on the shoulders, too long for the legs and feet. Overall, just not adjusted to my body unfortunately."
— Marielle R. (3/5)
A Pleasure To Wear
"I purchased the Helix Dry Suit primarily for use over the winter to SUP. As a relative beginner to the sport I can say that the suit is extremely lightweight allowing for full body movement. Movements between standing kneeling, and sitting, are done with no difficulty. The padded knees were very much appreciated over the course of a long day on the water. I entered a fishing tournament this past Spring and was truly impressed by how comfortable I felt all day. I started at 6 am with an air temp of 0 degrees, to the midday sun, and ending 8 hours later, all very comfortable. I liked the option to vent at the neck when the temperature came up. The only thing I have not done wearing the suit is to be in the water above my shoulders, but its on my list."
— Cathy L. (5/5)
This suit won me over!
"I've tried on a few different dry suits over the years but this one won me over! It's very comfortable and easy to get on and off solo. I very much appreciate the rear zipper for bathroom breaks!! As a kayak angler, I like that I don't feel restricted in this suit at all and I can move as I need to. The neck gasket is super comfortable, too. I have the Admiral Gray/Coral Quartz colour and like the top portion being bright for visibility/safety out on the water."
— Ashley R. (5/5)