Totally Awesome pictures!

WCP, fine pictures indeed. I see that we're pretty similar in our approach to cold-water kayaking: wetsuits/drysuits, spare clothing, pogies AND neoprene gloves, etc. I also see that you've got a very active BC-area Message Board. Question--how general is the wearing of wetsuits/drysuits among sea kayakers in your part of the Great Northwest? And during what seasons of the year? I ask as a veteran of the wetsuit/drysuit wars of the 1980s and early 1990s, when many East Coast and Great Lakes paddlers were waging an uphill stuggle against some of the West Coast and UK gurus of the day regarding what we believed should be the explicit recommendation of wetsuit/drysuit use for cold-water paddling on the part of the sea kayaking industry.

I've noticed much more wetsuit and drysuit use in the past 3 or 4 years -- this is a good thing. I find that most paddlers in this area are pretty good about wearing wetsuits in the spring and fall -- with the exception of obvious beginner paddlers -- they tend to be a bit uneducated until their first capsize. Lots of people here wear drysuits in the winter months.

Personally, I think it's rather foolhardy to head out in any conditions where hypothermia is a prevalent risk without proper immersion gear. Bottom line is that I want to get back alive so that I can go paddling on another day.

For me, there is no "end of season". I enjoy paddling in NJ in winter - different vistas, little-to-no powerboats, different wildlife. Like Strange Magic, I tend to be more conservative with my trips in winter. I only go out in the ocean if there is a group of us and conditions are calm. I wear a drysuit, neoprene hood and lobster mitts, bring all the safety gear. I always wear a sprayskirt in moderate to open water - it's like wearing a seatbelt...it feels funny to me if I don't have my seatbelt or sprayskirt on.

As far as capsizing in calm conditions - yes, I have! I pick up floating trash when I paddle and have gone over from being unbalanced while doing that...and have been grateful for my immersion gear! Steve

I have to admit to wearing my wetsuit on the last two paddles I've been on--one of them was yesterday. I'm having a bit of a problem getting used to the suit. It has this sticky thingy (velcrow?)that gets in the way when I try to unzip it (the zipper is in the back) and yesterday I almost wet my pants while I was fooling around trying to get the danged thing off.

Magooch, sounds like you need a more user-friendly wetsuit, with a front-opening zipper. NRS is only one of several outlets for kayaking wetsuits-- http://www.nrsweb.com

Actually Magic, I need warmer weather and warmer water. Not that it's really that cold here, but I'm still looking for that "global warming", or is it "climate change" that's been promised.

Anyway, I think I've got the zipper figured out.

Is there a tether attached to the zipper? If so, you can grab it when it's hanging below and pull it around and over your head to pull it up. To take it off, reach behind your neck to grab the top of the tether and slide your hand down to the end, hold the top of the zipper (behind your head) with one hand, and pull down on the tether with the other. There's a knack to it, but you'll get pretty good at it before long.

Is your wetsuit a shorty? Seems to me that most full Farmer John style wetsuits have a front zipper. Don't know where you are, but at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, you'll be wanting a full wetsuit.

Having had a drysuit for the past few winters, I can honestly say that I don't miss the wetsuit one bit.

Yeah Magooch. There is nothing comfortable about wearing wetsuits. I recently went on a 108-mile kayaking trip and we couldn't wait to shuck the wetsuits at the end of each day. Steve

My wetsuit is full length and the zipper does have a tether. The zipper itself is not the problem; it's the auto closing velcro tab and flap that are kind of tuff. This isn't the first year I've used this thing, so it just takes a little practice. The velcro is incredibly sticky and very effective. There is a tab that closes automatically, below the zipper and then a flap that covers the whole thing. It's almost a two hand operation to open the flap and tab and hold them open while you pull the tether. I was born with only two arms and two hands and no eyes in the back of my head, so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage.

Anyway, I wore it again yesterday and didn't have too much trouble. I'm actually getting a little more used to having it on, but man when the sun beats on that thing, it can get real warm in a hurry. I was quite surprised that the water in the Columbia is still not too cold. I'm still wearing water shoes.

Magooch, once you've got the wetsuit/drysuit habit down so that it has become part of your cold-water routine, it just becomes second-nature to have it on when the water chills down. And then comes the best part: you can lecture everybody else about cold-water safety with a perfectly clear conscience!!

No, I think I've learned my lesson about ever offering advice to those who don't seek it. That's not to say that I won't offer my opinion on a lot of other things, but when it comes to safety on the water, I will hold back.

Why does anyone buy a wetsuit with the zipper in back? Give it to someone you don't like!
A wetsuit is like any other item of clothing, you need to try several and find one that fits. Even then a little modification may be needed, like cutting down the armpits a bit.
I pretty much wear my wetsuit all the time and it feels fine. With a Gortex paddling jacket I don't sweat much. In a real heat wave I have neoprene shorts and a "fuzzy rubber" vest I sometimes wear. I would have to be in a warm lake to wear less than that.

Wetsuit zippers are typically at the back on shorty wetsuits so that the zipper does not cover your core area (crotch). Once you get used to getting in and out of them they're not too bad.

Hey, I wore the wetsuit again yesterday and I was able to get it off without a problem. I actually kind of like the velcro thingies; it presents a dexterity problem that is good. It's kind of like working sudoku puzzles--it's excersize for the mind and/or coordination.