Sleeves and Cuffs
A paddling jacket with latex wrist gaskets is uncomfortable around camp or on a warm day at sea. On the other hand, sleeves with a Velcro and neoprene or stretch-fabric cuff will leak, and after a long day, water will pool up around your elbow. If you lay a high brace on a rising wave, the water will run down to your warm, dry tummy.

Before I was a sea kayaker, I spent five years as a fisherman on the Bering Sea, and I learned how to keep my sleeves and elbows dry. Most fishermen wear loose-fitting vinyl slickers without tight closures around the wrists. To keep the salt water, fish slime, and motor oil away from their forearms and elbows, fishermen use a separate piece of clothing consisting of a sleeve that extends from your biceps to your wrist, with watertight closures on each end. On a warm, sunny day, we'd wear the sleeves without a slicker. If the weather were nasty we'd wear the sleeves over the slicker.

Chris made sleeves for sea kayaking in the North Bering Sea. She sewed a 3/4-length sleeve of waterproof fabric and sealed the seams. She glued a latex wrist gasket on one end and sewed a Velcro closure on the top of the sleeve. My paddling anorak had neoprene cuffs that were comfortable but not particularly waterproof, but I stayed pretty dry when I wore the sleeves over the anorak. For heavy rain we'd wear our sleeves under our paddling jackets so water doesn't sneak in over the top of the sleeves and pool in between the two garments. Ashore, I'd take the sleeves off.

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