In the Gregorian Calendar – the one we use – fishing is a yearlong enterprise. There are surely peaks, closed, and open seasons, but for anyone dedicated to the sport, there’s always something to fish for, somewhere.
That brings us to the “tweener” seasons. Tourism calls them the “shoulder” seasons. To summarize, it means those off-peak periods when many folks stay home because the weather is too cold and crappy. Guess what? If you’re determined to fish when the weather is frightful, you have a new bestie in Whitewater Fishing’s new Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit (Jacket and Bibs).
“We wanted a late season rainsuit for those seasonal crossover periods, like the months of October, November, and December,” said Whitewater Fishing President, Aaron Ambur. “The early spring months of March and April can be equally as miserable outside.”
Clearly, the Midwest and Great Lakes Region offers a natural laboratory for designing and testing extreme weather raingear, presenting ‘worst case scenario’ weather conditions to really put outerwear to the test. And the good news for anglers throughout North America is that the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit passed the Great Lakes test, so it’s certain to perform in your region as well.
Cold fishing conditions aren’t unique to the north. Try bass fishing in central Texas in January. How about springtime stripers on the Atlantic? Same goes for northern California, Oklahoma, Iowa, Pennsylvania, New England, North Carolina, and on and on.
Speaking of Oklahoma, the recent Bassmaster Classic was held on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and it was friggin’ cold. So icy in fact that Whitewater Pro Jay Przekurat donned the new Great Lakes Pro Insulated rainsuit and was shall we say…warmer than the rest of the field.
Whitewater Fishing President, Aaron Ambur, who has over 20-year experience designing outdoor apparel, said, “We considered every square inch of the Great Lakes Pro Insulted Rainsuit. We wanted to change the way anglers go to battle in cold conditions. That’s our promise.
ULTIMATE MOBILITY, WATERPROOFNESS, AND DURABILITY
We’ll get to the sophisticated ‘zone-insulation’ system in a moment, but first Ambur talked about mobility. “Our design team knew insulation would be part of the package, but before sewing a single stich, we knew creating a highly mobile garment was job one.”
‘Fabric first’ is a Whitewater Fishing mantra. “Selecting the right fabric is ground zero for everything we do,” said Ambur. “The fabric package in the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit is nylon based with a remarkable 4-way stretch and unmatched durability. The material is also ripstop, so an accidental puncture doesn’t further tear.”
Next, you need precision cuts and fabric panels to facilitate mobility. “This rainsuit is fully constructed to move with the normal motions you make while fishing, like casting, bending, and kneeling.” To enable these actions, Whitewater cut and sewed patterns in the elbows and knees to promote articulation. That means the fabric panels are preformed to bend in the elbows and knees without pulling on the surrounding fabric.
Same goes for the crotch area. The Great Lakes Pro Insulated features a gusseted crotch. That means a separate and precise fabric panel is sown-in to eliminate resistance and expand motion. In many lesser suits, the leg sections are simply sown into a bunch, which really bunches up when you walk or bend.
On the topic of patterns and cuts, Ambur mentioned a key component to the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit. “Each pattern was measured and cut to exactness to eliminate any extra material that would add bulk. This also gives the rainsuit a sleek and clean look.”
“We don’t add extra material to achieve freedom of movement. Rather, we promote mobility through exactness in design, fit, and fabrication.”
Obviously, premium raingear also needs to be waterproof. Whitewater’s intelligent 3-layer fabric-build on the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit is 100% waterproof. The suit’s 30,000 mm waterproof rating is best of class, while still maintaining breathability. It means the 3-layer material is fully rainproof and waterproof under very high pressure, but at the same time perspiration can escape. Heavy rain, wet snow, and high pressure are no match for the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit.
THERMAL MAP INSULATION
Insulation doesn’t have to mean bulky, at least in the minds of Whitewater Fishing. First, you need exceptional insulation, like the Primaloft® Silver found in the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Rainsuit. Next, that insulation must be precisely placed – thermal mapped – to achieve warmth while not hindering mobility.
What is Primaloft Silver? The exceptional insulation is made from ultrafine, soft microfibers from polyester, connected at millions of contact points. They create a tightly cross-linked tangle of fibers with countless little air chambers that trap body heat, allow air to circulate, while also protecting against cold from the outside.
We’ve established that Primaloft Silver is a technologically advanced insulation. But it’s how Whitewater distributes the material throughout the jacket and bibs that maximizes its effectiveness, while at the same time enabling mobility on the water.
“Thermal mapping is key,” said Ambur. “For example, in the chest area we included 133 grams of Primaloft Silver and 170 grams in the back. That’s for maximum warmth. In the sleeves we dropped down to 100 grams to emphasize motion. We went even further and insulated the hood and collar, too.”
“You pair the insulation package with the rainsuit’s 100% windproof distinction, and you are talking about unreal thermal results. The physical weight of this garment to its thermal value results is off the charts.”
Thermal mapping is a tenet of the bibs, too. The chest sports 60 grams of Primaloft Silver; the back 80 grams; and 100 grams below the waist.
Ambur sums it up this way: “We set out to design cold weather raingear with maximum thermal value and minimal physical weight, along with mobility, stretch, and durability. The Great Lakes Pro Insulated rainsuit even exceeded our expectations…”
Great Lakes Pro Insulated JACKET FEATURES:
- 100% Waterproof (30,000 mm rated)
- 100% Windproof
- Exclusive 3-layer waterproof/breathable material
- 4-way stretch nylon-based shell with smooth polyester lining
- Thermal Mapped Primaloft® Silver insulation (133 grams front, 170 grams back, 100 below the waist)
- Articulated shoulders and elbows
- Skillfully taped seams
- High insulated collar
- 3-panel, adjustable, and insulated hood
- Adjustable waist
- 2 sewn-in D-rings (lower ring for safety cord, upper ring for trolling motor fobs)
- 5 pockets for storage and warmth: 2 AquaGuard® water-resistant zip chest, 2 AquaGuard® water-resistant zip waist, 1 interior zip chest for smartphone
- Reflective material
MSRP $499.99
AVAILABLE FALL 2024
Great Lakes Pro Insulated BIB FEATURES:
- 100% Waterproof (30,000 mm rated)
- 100% Windproof
- Exclusive 3-layer waterproof/breathable material
- 4-way stretch nylon-based shell with smooth polyester lining
- Thermal Mapped Primaloft® Silver insulation (60 grams front, 80 grams back, 100 grams sleeves, and 80 grams hooda/collar)
- Gusseted crotch for added mobility
- Articulated knees for added mobility
- Skillfully taped seams
- BEMIS PVC on knees for added durability and waterproofness
- Waist high side zippers for easy in and out
- Adjustable suspenders with silicone grip to stay in place
- 6 pockets with highly water-resistant AquaGuard® zippers (2 chest, 2 waist, and 2 cargo)
- 2 sewn-in D-rings (lower ring for safety cord, upper ring for trolling motor fobs)
- Reflective material
MSRP $499.99
AVAILABLE FALL 2024
