The outer shell of the jacket is definitely more sturdy and appears to be thicker material. Also, it is clear it has been treated better than the DryRobe shell and we can already confirm it sheds water perfectly.

And, let's face it, has a fantastic and eye-catching design which we love!

So far, in light showers and recently in heavy rain in North Wales it's performed perfectly, absolutely no water absorption even after prolonged rain, unlike the DryRobe.

It is extremely windproof too and keeps you really warm. You can really feel the waterproof treatment the lining has had and the whole jacket oozes quality.

As with the DryRobe, the lining is an artificial pile type and is more than adequate for its warmth factor and no doubt when it gets wet it will retain some of its ability to insulate, unlike (for example) down.

I must admit I'm a fan of natural fibres such as wool, but the lining does feel very soft and nice to put on in the cold evenings of autumn. My kids have even started using it as a blanket when we chill out in the garden on the cold winter evenings and they love it.

We also used the coat as a pillow on a recent camping trip - simply roll it up with the lining on the outside and it's really nice to lean on/ rest your head on as a pillow.

So far, having used the coat on many occasions in the Welsh autumn weather, from swimming trips to events, to taking the the dog for a walk or hanging out in the garden at night, I can state this lining is really, REALLY warm! 

After testing the coat at a swimming event in North Wales, unfortunately I noticed the pile lining of the sleeve tended to ride out of the sleeve end a little, when you put your arm in, when the hand was cold and wet, just like the DryRobe did. 

It's worse when your hands are wet or damp and cold and I think it is because the artificial pile fibres do not move across wet and clammy skin as well as cotton or wool fibres do. The result is they tend to stick to wet hands, impede quick dressing and ride out of the end of the sleeves. Rainwater can then dribble down the sleeve and soak into the pile lining by your wrist.

Unfortunately, I did encounter this issue at a recent swimming event where, after 2 hours of swimming in 14 degree water, I needed to get dressed quickly.

This was a major gripe of mine about the DryRobe as it quickly became apparent in extreme conditions that you end up with a soaking wet cuff inside the coat. This is important because your blood runs close to the surface of the wrists and forearms and is thus more susceptible to temperature loss.

I wish manufacturers of these coats would allocate more funding to make the wrists bigger by default and simply have a draw chord or velcro wristband to tighten them up. There is a velcro strap on the wrist, but the default wrist size itself seems a little too small to allow speedy dressing when wet/cold.

However, that said, if it is any consolation I can confirm it did it less than the Dryrobe and I am considering using a sock over the hand to put on the jacket, then put the socks on my feet... That would fix the issue for sure.

The main zipper is sturdy and has a two-way zipping function although I do have concerns that it will be quite fiddly in the howling wind and rain when your hands are really cold after coming out of the water.

I've already had a couple of fiddly zip moments when trying to do it up in regular weather and feel it's a shame they didn't really try something "new' to improve on a feature of the DryRobe that many users have complained about.

The outside hip pockets have very strong zips and zip pulls and I'm confident these will perform well over time.

Unfortunately the the inside chest pocket has a similar design to that of the DryRobe, which as you will read in my original DryRobe review was a major fault in my opinion: The inside pocket zip on the DryRobe is very flimsy and the pocket it is designed so the zipper is vertical, which means if the zip breaks (which it did quickly), then the pocket is rendered useless because everything will fall out. If such a flimsy zip has to be used for production costing reasons then it would be better to design a pocket where the zip was horizontal and then if it did break at least you could still use the pocket.

For now, this coat has the vertical pocket design and we will have to see how it goes, but I think this design should be changed to a horizontal sipper so the pocket can be used even if the zipper breaks.

However, that said I have to say it did perform pretty well on a weekend swim event where I was using it a lot, stuffing my phone in with cold hands (ie. very roughly!) and the zip was OK.

The outer pockets are excellent and are lined with a very nice feeling fleece material which I am positive will keep your hands very warm and they're also very large to cater for gloves and hats.

I really appreciated the big pocket capacity on this jacket at a recent swim event in North Wales - no plastic disposable cups were allowed and swimmers had to take their own to the end point, so I was easily able to get a collapsible mug into the pocket with no trouble, as well as chocolates and flapjacks!

The inside chest pocket is rubberised inside, however there is no phone jack like there is on the DryRobe. I am not sure if it was intended for listening to music but you can easily thread the earphone jack through the zipper if you need to. 

To be honest I'm not really one for taking loads of electronic gadgets when I'm swimming, but the rubberised design does seem to be to keep devices dry, which is a nice idea.

I must say here the inside pocket performed very well over the weekend at a swimming event as I needed to put my phone inside the coat as well as a few other items and it seemed to handle it very well, despite tugging quite hard on the zip at times with clumsy, cold hands. I also liked the rubberised material on the inside pocket as it was raining on and off all day yet I knew my phone would be dry.

The hood is superb with a very soft pile lining and unlike its competition seems to fit a little tighter around your face, so I am confident when it's extra windy it will not blow back like the DryRobe one did, keeping your face warm all the time.

I used it in North Wales in typical Welsh weather last weekend and it performed perfectly, shielding my face and keeping the rain out.

The main zip does all the way up, coming right up under your chin, pretty much sealing you off from the elements and I'm really looking forward to giving this jacket a thorough beasting in some more disgusting winter weather!

I have added this section to the review for this swim coat because I'm so impressed with the other things they are doing as part of their marketing.

1) The fantastic pattern design

The arctic cammo design is really eye-catching! If you are an urbanite hoping to turn heads when you go to open water settings, then this is for you. Alternatively, if, like me, you're more of an outdoors guy who just likes camouflage (!) then this will certainly hit the mark. 

It's a kind of arctic camouflage design and I think can even blend in and help you to go 'stealthy' if stealth swimming during the winter is your thing, easily blending into the rocks and surroundings in a winter scenario.

And (for example) it could even be used to lay over your clothes while you go swimming, and appear like a rock to camouflage your stuff from would-be dishonest opportunists on the beach!

3) Freebies

Another nice touch with the SeaShell changing robe is the company send a QR code on a nice business card that will allow you to download a free e-guide to cold water swimming.

4) Sustainability

The product itself is made with 100% recycled materials, which is really great because coats like this, although they might look amazing, are actually very difficult to dispose of when they do live out their life cycle. They are made entirely from man-made materials. It's good to know this jacket is made from recycled plastic. in addition all of the packaging that you receive with the product is also made from 100% recycled plastic. 

This was my main grape with the DryRobe... frankly I found it way overpriced for what it is. 

However, this jacket/changing robe from SeaShell is more in line with the quality I would expect for the price tag and the manufacturers donate a certain amount (£) to charity for every item sold, which I think can only be considered as a bonus as it helps a worthy cause.

Overall, I consider the SeaShell jacket to be far superior to the DryRobe and definitely worth the price tag if you are going to splash on a fancy changing robe.

While I am still more of a traditionalist, who prefers natural fibres, I do find myself reaching for this jacket more and more and at a recent swimming event in North Wales, when the weather was really disgusting, and in Pembrokeshire where we will often experience 3 days of solid rain, it has not disappointed.

Plus
Very warm
Outer pockets
Very waterproof - the outer lining treatment is superb
Hood

Looks amazing

Minus
Main zip can sometimes get stuck when you need it most
Cuffs tend to stick to wet/cold hands and can ride out when you put your arms in

Please feel free to visit the guys at Seashell and take a look at their collection of products and also how they are using recycled materials and donating portion of the income to charity. You can visit them on their website, https://seashell-clothing.com/

1. Go with a friend or join a group

It's always easier when you do cold water swimming with other people, both the motivation to go and do it and the experience when you're there. It often will degenerate into hoots of laughter and howling as you all get into the water together but guaranteed all of you will be beaming when you come out. Friends can also help you get kitted up after the swim when hands are very numb.

2. Location

Choose a safe location that you are familiar with and one which preferably (but not essentially) has facilities such as a pub!  The sooner you get out of the water and changed into somewhere warm the sooner you can relate to your crazy adventure with your buddies and start warming up. It helps too if the car park (if you drive there) is as close as possible.

3. Kit

A lot gets written about the so-called 'correct' kit for cold water swimming. Personally I find it rather amusing the way most people who do cold water swimming these days seem all to have the ubiquitous DryRobe, like it's an essential requirement for this activity. It's not. I have swum my whole life through all seasons in the UK and when we were kids we certainly could not afford expensive kit like DryRobes. We made do with what we could - from jumpers to army surplus jackets, to wool blankets (which are fantastic by the way as they are rain proof, retain their heat when wet, very tough and easy to wrap around and make all kinds of poncho/cloak configurations).  As long as you have warm clothing that is easy to get on and preferably natural fibres (wool) which retain their insulation qualities even when they're wet, you will be fine.

An expensive DryRobe looks nice but frankly is below the price tag- performance one would expect. Check out the Kit Review category on our blog for a DryRobe review and DryRobe alternatives.

Personally I use wool jumpers and either an old army jacket or a wool duffle coat. Sometimes I wear a poncho that's very easy to get on when you are cold. Or the same thing using a wool blanket. The last thing you want are fiddly zips that break easily.

Whether or not you choose to use neoprene gloves or socks is completely up to you you as is a wetsuit. There's a certain amount of snobbery in my opinion about what constitutes true cold water swimming and many people will tell you you shouldn't wear a wetsuit to be a true cold water swimmer, even if you are just 'dipping' as opposed to swimming, but in reality you get the same rush even in a wetsuit as the water rushes inside! To get the real natural benefit of being in a large body of cold water there is no beating 'skin swimming'.

4. Transitions

Getting in and out of the water is very much a personal preference but it is generally considered safer to get into the water slowly to avoid the the effect of the cold water knocking your breath away. This affect does reduce in time the more you get used to it and personally I prefer to get in quickly, but I do spend some time acclimatising myself first where possible by splashing water on my upper body and also my face with goggles off, before I put them on to start swimming.

Getting out does require repeated practise to make it go smoothly. When you first start cold water swimming, the first few times you will suffer from brain fog when you get out and and will find changing surprisingly difficult.

Try to line up your gear in logical order so you have your towel within easy reach, then your hat and base layer, then a wool jumper, then coat. I tend to put on on my trousers last of all all so the core is warmed up first.

Tip:

Use a large plastic bucket type carrier to keep your gear in when swimming because you also need to change as close to the water as possible and if you are on a beach the sand will be wet. Make it a bright, iluminous colour because of poor light conditions, it will make finding it more easy when you get out. Also always carry a large 30L capacity or more dry bag because of the winter weather while you are swimming - the last thing you want to do is get out and changing to rain soaked clothes.

5. Use metrics, set a goal and make an adventure out of it!

Set yourself targets for time or distances swam or even temperatures experienced. Modern activity watches all measure water temperature, log this after each swim along with your exposure time and distance so you know no what you can handle then look for improvement over time.

If you are more of a leisure/adventure swimmer then make an adventure out of it by taking a fire pit or small firebox and some logs, a frying pan and some bacon! (Or food of your choice). Use a thermos flask for as hot cuppa after your swim, right there by the water, once you have finished getting changed.

Use a tarp or army style poncho too to make a simple shelter so you can sit around the fire to warm up without getting soaked.

In the end though, cold water swimming is about having fun and getting off on the buzz of doing it. It's awesome fun, but can take some motivation, some say that in itself strengthens the mind, and after a month or two of doing it you may well find yourself rather addicted to the rush it gives you!

Have fun!

The outer shell of the DryRobe appears to be waterproof and windproof. The seams are taped and at first appearance it does look like it will perform accordingly.

It is certainly windproof, without a doubt, and keeps you really warm in high wind or when the conditions are cold and dry.

However, I have found it is certainly not waterproof when exposed to prolonged rain and mist, ie. the type of weather you get in Wales! In fact it starts to let water permeate through the nylon shell fairly quickly, causing dampness on the inner lining and especially at certain points like the cuffs and bottom hem.

The lining is an artificial pile type and is very, very warm. It also can absorb a certain amount of water when it gets wet and retains its warmth qualities. The original concept of course was that you get changed under the DryRobe, the lining material is nice on the skin although I wouldn't advise using it as a towel because it will retain the damp for some time.