Marketed as suitable for multi-day ocean/expedition, leadership and instructional use this is a serious paddle top with a high quality construction and to date has performed flawlessly.

Pullover style, with a hood, high collar, drysuit wrist seals, double waist and fleece lined pockets this top has become a firm favourite. In cool, windy conditons I am warm, perhaps too warm, with just a short sleeved thermal underneath.

When the temperature begins to drop and the wind picks up I begin to really enjoy the protection offered. The active cut means I do not feel restricted, even playing with cross-bow strokes.

With the neck zip done up fully, you can feel somewhat clostrophobic but at the same time glad of the extra protection offered by the high neckline of the collar. A fleece lining prevents the zip rubbing your chin.

One issue I encountered was the tightness of the neck with the hood stowed in the collar and zip done up. This was painfully tight for me. The simple solution is to release the hood from the collar if you intend/need to zip up the collar fully however a slight change to the design here could make a lot of difference.

A large, volume adjustable, rollaway hood provides even more protection when the going gets really tough, and offers enough side-to-side movement as not to fully restrict your vision.

The little features you expect from Palm are all there too. The drysuit wrist seals are protected by velcro adjustable over-protectors with mesh drainage panels.

The waterproof zipped sleeve pockets offer storage for small safety or easy access items. The fleece lined pocket on the front is fantastic as you chat over the great days paddling on the shoreline.

Off the water, loading up the car or wandering around the nearest habitation, the top looks great and I’ve happily sat outside the pub after a long days paddle feeling as comfortable as when I first put it on.

Features include:

• Articulated panel cut – no underarm seams
• Volume adjustable hood with wired peak
• Adjustable smooth skin inner neck seal
• Water resistant zip front baffle
• Double waist featuring outer tab adjustment
• Inner waist using light weight material and gripper elastic to prevent ride up
• Latex cuffs with tab adjustable outer lined with smooth skin
• ‘Tunnel’ front pocket, with double water resistant zippers
• Single arm pockets with water resistant zipper
• High visibility reflective piping on arms, and neck

Fabrics: XP150 3 layer, XP 100 inner waist, Smooth skin lining, neoprene adjustment.

Price: £179.99