Palm Zenith Jacket

The Zenith Jacket is one of the latest products Palm has released as part of their Seawastex gear line. I own a medium women’s-specific Zenith jacket and have been hugely impressed.

Seawastex is a material Palm has produced using recycled fishing nets and marine waste. I was excited when they launched these products, as it felt like a significant step forward for the paddling industry toward more sustainable gear. Kayak Session has awarded Palm the 2026 Sustainability Award for their Seawastex gear line, and it is well deserved.

The colour schemes for the Zenith jackets are awesome. My cag is ceramic and pine, but the women’s fit comes in purple and pine too. The men’s jackets come in tangelo and pine or fiesta and navy. Personally, I think the ceramic is the nicest colour, so I was really chuffed that the women’s fit came in this option.

One of my favourite things about the Zenith is the women’s-specific fit. I am a size 12 and 5ft 6in, and the medium jacket fits me really well. I find that with unisex jackets, getting the right fit around the chest can often mean ending up with sleeves that are a tad too long. This isn’t the case with the women’s Zenith, and I would say the fit is close to perfect.

Another feature that distinguishes the Zenith from many other whitewater-specific jackets is its GlideSkin neoprene neck seal, with no additional latex seal. This makes a huge difference to comfort. I struggle with cag rash around my neck when I am paddling every day, but since switching to the Zenith, I have not had any!

You might expect the lack of a latex neck seal to make the jacket marginally less watertight, but that hasn’t been my experience at all. I paddle daily at my local whitewater course over the summer months and spend a lot of time purposefully upside down. It has been a pleasant surprise just how watertight the Zenith has kept me.

The wrist seals are latex with GlideSkin neoprene covers and have felt pretty comfortable. They are tight, so getting them on and off takes a little effort. However, once the jacket is on, you don’t notice this at all, and the seals stay comfortably in place while paddling.

Like most whitewater jackets, the Zenith has a twin waist so that you can wear it with a sprayskirt. I particularly like jackets with a long inner waist, as this prevents a gap between the inner waist tube and your shorts or trousers. The Zenith does this well and stays securely in place when paddling.

The final feature worth mentioning is the chest pocket, which is big enough for a small keys pouch, phone or emergency snacks. I prefer to keep these items in my buoyancy aid, but the pocket would be useful if you were paddling with a slimline buoyancy aid without pockets, such as an Ace. Many performance paddlers prefer this type of buoyancy aid, so it is a useful addition.

Overall, the Zenith is a fantastic whitewater-specific jacket, combining an excellent women’s fit with comfortable seals and some great colour options. For anyone who spends a lot of time on whitewater and wants to stay dry without sacrificing comfort, it is an easy jacket to recommend.

Knowing that you are also choosing a product made using recycled marine waste and therefore doing your part in helping our planet is a bonus.
Price: from around £199.00