Hello kayakers!

Somehow I managed to squeeze in almost 50 miles of paddling in a little over a week. I think I have a problem/addition. :-)

Though in reflecting on this time I was wondering what things I should consider as the season wears on and the water temps fall closer towards freezing ..

Some questions:

1. How many miles do you paddle per week ? Summer vs. fall?
2. I'm now wearing a wet suit, when should that be worn?
3. Has anyone paddled in dry suit weather ? Advice? Experiences?
4. Any interesting stories ?
5. Comments?

Mitch, I average 5 or 6 daytrips a month, usually 15-18 nautical miles/trip. In winter, I don't go out if mid-day air temperature is below 40 degrees F, and especially if there's a lot of wind and/or no sun. I get much more conservative about how I paddle as both the air and water cool down--stick close to shorelines, avoid tricky water. Looking back at my log, I see that I start with the wetsuit around late September/October 1st, and then switch to the drysuit sometime during the last week in November (this is in New Jersey).

The drysuit is the way to go in winter. Expensive, for a good breathable suit with a relief zipper, and plenty of insulating layers underneath, but essential. Wade out to test the suit and "burp" it prior to each trip. We have very able paddlers here who surf and roll all winter, and more power to them--I am not one of them--but everybody with a brain paddles the depths of northern winter in a drysuit.

No interesting winter stories or experiences--and that's just the way I like it.

I paddle year round and seldom ever wear my wetsuit. The main thing I change is from water shoes to boots when the water gets cold enough to cause a brain freeze when I step in it.

Like Magic, I'll probably avoid situations where things might get a little hairy if I can. I have come to rely on the extreme seaworthyness of my boats, but just the same I try to be prudent.

When I get real desperate for a paddling fix, I can always take my rec. boat to the lake in the middle of our town.

Magooch, with your views regarding cold-water attire, sprayskirts and PFDs, and your dependence on the seaworthiness of your boats, may The Force always be with you.

Here in Florida our Paddling season never ends. So, if it gets too cold up there, come on down. If you come to Central Florida, let me know. My husband & I paddle almost every weekend and sometimes during the week.

We're paddling out of Ozello this Sunday to St Martins Key on the Gulf side. Sure the weather has been warm, but on the water temps have been pretty comfortable.

About now is when we start getting some clearer water along the coast lines because of the Gulfstream. No need for wet suits (well, maybe Jan & Feb), forget the dry suits, lots of places to paddle. We did paddle once, one morning when the temps were in the upper 30's. Needed a jacket that AM and gloves!

Okay, I know that some people might think that it is unsatisfactory to go paddling without all the gear, but in all the years and hundreds of miles that I have paddled in kayaks, I have flipped once and that was in about one foot of water. Well, that doesn't count white water kayaking--that's a horse of a different color. I'm talking about recreational kayaking and sea kayaking, but not necessarily in the sea. I seldom ever go paddling in salt water, even though we have a lot to choose from in this area.

I am primarily a river kayaker--mostly on the Columbia River. Most of the kayakers I know, or have met, don't wear spray skirts all the time and only a couple even own dry suits.

The Columbia can get very rough at times and there are some treacherous areas that I will avoid except during very calm weather. There have been a few times when I got caught in some very exciting conditions and I thought for sure that I would end up going for a swim, but the boats have always gotten me out of tight spots.

My question to anyone reading this is, how many times have you ever been capsized when you weren't in extreme conditions? My answer is never in a kayak, but several times in my canoe and small sailboats. And please don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating anything and would never suggest that paddlers shouldn't equip themselves with all the safety gear.

We've got two distinct populations of kayakers here in Jersey: 1) a large population of warm-weather, warm water kayakers in "rec" boats, out on a summer day without sprayskirts, PFDs, whatever. Nothing much happens to them, except every now and then one of them will go out on a windy day in November or March, usually solo, in a sweatshirt and jeans, and we read about it later in the papers. 2) Then we have another, much smaller population of people with long kayaks who, out of force of habit, experience, reading the sea kayaking literature, and seeing what their peers wear, go out on the water in sprayskirts and PFDs and, in cold water, in wetsuits and drysuits.

It's no big thing. Cyclists wear helmets. Drivers wear seat belts. Serious kayakers wear sprayskirts and PFDs. And they wear wetsuits or drysuits when paddling cold water. It's just what they do.

I guess I'm a semi-serious kayaker, because I always wear my pfd when paddling a sea kayak and I only wear my wetsuit when it's cold enough so that I don't in fact get all wet from sweating in it.

I asked the question; how many times have you accidently capsized a kayak to a couple of guys I met, who had been paddling for 25 and 30 years, both of them said never. Maybe they don't go out in the ocean either. I'm not trying to make any big point here, but it always interests me that non-kayakers always bring up the subject of how skinny the boats are and how they are so tippy. Heck, I'm guilty of the same conclusions; before I switched from canoeing to kayaking, I thought that kayaks were a very wet proposition. On the other hand, one lady I met the other day said that she had to watch her husband like a hawk, because he couldn't stay upright in his kayak to save his butt.

I have only fallen out of my boat once; while trying to land on a steep beach.
I have been in situations where I would have gotten very cold, from spray and wind, if I had not had on my sprayskirt, pfd, wetsuit etc. Without this equipment I would have gotten cold enough that it would have impaired my skills, endurance and perhaps my judgement! Wetsuits and pfds aren't just for immersion!
I know people who have said "I trust my boat" as an excuse for not wearing any immersion protection. The truth is you can love your boat but it can't love you back.
I have never had a burglar, I still lock my door. I have never been in a major auto accident, I still wear my seatbelt. I have never been the target of a scam, I still don't answer e-mails from Nigeria!
I honestly beleive that people don't take precautions because they aren't emotionaly capable of admitting they are at risk.

Osprey, very well said!

There's an end to the paddling season?

Osprey, I think you're over-analyzing the thing. At least where I am concerned, emotion has nothing to do with it. It's all about comfort and how much trouble I'm willing to go to.

If you come right down to it, the sop says that you should never go paddling alone. I paddle alone most of the time. I'm pretty sure that one could make a pretty good argument for not going sailing, hiking in the wild, or even fishing alone. Sorry, but I make my own rules and if they seem foolish to others, then that's just the way it has to be. I know perfectly well that I am at risk just leaving my house, but I'm not going to let that paralyze me into not living.

What we're probably talking about here is differing conditions. I don't know what kind of conditions you guys paddle in and you don't know what the conditions are here.

I paddle where the water gets cold (wouldn't want to have to swim)for part of the year, where the wind blows and generates waves, and where there are tides and currents. We were exposed here in the East to role models and to literature that told us that sea kayaking meant PFDs, sprayskirts, and, in cold water, wetsuits and drysuits. We noted early on, when analyzing the capsize records, that the dead people almost never seemed to be wearing wetsuits or drysuits. And the accident reports from the Coast Guard showed that an astounding number of small-boat fatalities weren't wearing PFDs. Just about all of us had a huge wave dump water over our cockpits, and were thankful for our sprayskirts. We had already experienced what it was like to have a big wave dump water into your cockpit and slosh round inside, making the boat wobbly and unstable.

We developed these habits, and thus freed ourselves from emotion--it just became second nature to wear a sprayskirt, a PFD, and, when the water chilled down, a wetsuit or drysuit. It's just part of open-water kayaking, like holding a paddle in your hand. No big thing, really.

Well regarding the falling out of your boat question, twice. Once in the Kestrel while going down some "mini-rapids" (knee deep water)and ONLY because my husband INSISTED I bring him the bilge pump, because he went over before I got there. So to get to him, I had to take the same route he did and splash! (Now he carries his own bilge pump and I choose my own path)

And finally in the Cypress last weekend, getting IN of all things! Don't know why, just "splash".

RE gear: I ALWAYS carry bilge pump, paddle float, wear PFD and whistle, also wear spray skirt on open water and always carry it in day hatch, just in case conditions change when not on open water.

We rarely have the type of cold weather y'all have, but on one occasion did need neoprene gloves in early AM, warms up by mid morning usually here.

Rarely paddle alone (unless I'm up ahead of the rest of the group, if that counts). Haven't figured on how to get boat on and off the car roof by myself yet. If I do, then I'll probably do soem solo stuff.

I paddle year round. Over the past ten years, I've paddled anywhere from 1500 kms to 5000 kms per year.

To the OP, you should wear your wetsuit anytime that you'd not be comfortable swimming in the water for a half hour without it (that's my personal general rule).

I've capsized (unintentionally) twice in ten years -- once in really big tidal currents, and another time when the water was smooth as glass -- never assume that you won't flip over in benign conditions -- it happens.

I wear a dry suit pretty much all the time here in British Columbia other than during the summer -- for spring and fall, I usually wear light synthetic underwear underneath my drysuit -- in winter months, I wear light synthetic wicking underwear underneath heavy fleece. Heavy wool socks on my feet and Chota neoprene mukluk boots over my drysuit. I usually wear pogies for my hands in the winter as they are much, much warmer than gloves, but I also carry a pair of heavy weight neoprene gloves that I can put on in the water should I capsize as the pogies won't do any good in a capsize situation. In winter months, I also carry a dry bag with a complete change of warm dry clothes (fleece or other thermal wear as well as warm footwear), and a sleeping bag (for treatment of hypothermia). So far, I've not had to ever use my emergency dry bag.

I paddle solo -- a lot -- and especially in the winter months when it's more difficult to find someone to paddle with. I also camp throughout the year. Tons and tons of great experiences.

Advice? Don't underestimate the possibility and severity of hypothermia, obtain the proper skills for the conditions (including self-rescue techniques), learn about hypothermia and how to treat it, and always dress for the temperature of the water.

Here's a few photos from last year at a local lake:











Although it was a beautiful sunny day, it was very, very cold:


The worst part of this particular trip was once we got off the water and were loading the boats back on the car -- tying the boats to the roof rack was painfully cold on the hands. Fortunately, we got that part over with pretty quickly. Even with the drysuit and heavy fleece undergarments, I don't think I really would have wanted to go for a swim on that day.

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.

Hi everyone ! Great responses! And The pictures were awe inspiring to say the least!

I've headed everyone's advice and gotten a dry suit, I have a wet suit but found it un-enjoyable as it rubbed my arms down to the bone (not really) and felt like a tight girdle thus restricting my breathing.

I started Kayaking in July, and have now thanks to the fall season have seen some good 3 foot wave days etc. and did my first island hoping trip in Long Island sound a couple of weekends ago. I've gotten about 200 miles under my belt, I'm enjoying this stuff!!

Just curious, what other people wear as a base layer etc. say in the times of 50deg water down to near freezing water? I bought some stuff from EMS, wondering if there were better places to shop etc? Any stories yet ?


PS> Not sure if true or not or even when it happened - but I heard a story that they found a windsurfer floating face down in his dry suit, somehow his waist zipper was unzipped...

My base layer is the same as backpacking or climbing - lightweight capilene long johns and a long sleeve paddle shirt that is also synthetic. I also use light weight synthetic socks. I don't want my bare skin (or toenails) contacting the dry suit. Layers of fleece go over the base. We have a saying in alpine mountaineering - cotton kills. I keep away from it in paddling also. Once it is wet from sweat, it never dries.

The important thing to remember is that you must dress for the water temps, not just the air temperature. Sometimes the air is warm but the water is still very cold. I discipline myself to put on that layer of fleece even though just the thin base layer is enough for the air temps. A thin base layer under your dry suit won't keep you from hypothermia if you are immersed into very cold water.

The coldest I have padded in was a windy 20 degrees on the Potomac River in January.

Pete

Hey Mitch: I paddle 10 months of the the year in Michigan, incl. the Great Lakes & open rivers. Have paddled in water in the low 40s, air temps in single digits. I would love to paddle as much as you do in a week!

Here is my "schedule"

Water temps 50 - 60 - farmer john 3/2 mm wetsuit. Add or subtract a drytop or neoprene shirt depending. Add a Polar Fleece (TM, by Malden Mills, U.S.A) underlayer depending. I prefer short sleeve underlayers and a short sleeve drytop, and longsleeved neoprene tops. NRS makes a Titanium series that is pricy but very versatile - great insulation yet flexy. I also own longsleeve neoprene shirts by BomberGear.

If not wearing drytop wear/carry a thin, waterproof & breathable longsleeved paddle jacket w. a slim hood, as a rain shield. Currently I like one made by Palm, of Event 150. Really great to have if you are racking up the boats, it's windy and you need a break from the windchill.

With a wetsuit I wear a 1 mm neoprene skullcap, 3/4 fingered gloves, & low profile NRS Desperado booties. Only fair to mention I have very long hair, the skull cap keeps it out of the way, so I nearly always wear one regardless of season.

Water temps below 50 I go w. a Kokatat Goretex Drysuit. Folks will go back n forth about the necessity of one, the cost, etc. Not here to debate that. I love mine, worth every penny, gives me at least 4 more months of paddling every year. Also after a day's worth of in the water classes, or a long day's paddle, I am much less fatigued.

Mine has the integrated booties. The joy of warm feet cannot be underestimated! Also a relief zip. Under this I wear different layers of wool, wool/capilene, polor fleece. My main piece is a wool/capilene union suit. On the outside I go w. a 2 mm skullcap, a polar fleece neckwrap, and the same low profile booties. I layer my hands as well: base layer seirus Thermolux gloves under either the 3/4 gloves or full neoprene gloves.

Over that go some Goretex pogies. I was very lucky to find some Stohlquest YellowJackets (no longer made) but I know Kokatat makes theirs in Tropos. I prefer these to neoprene pogies as they are not nearly as heavy (dry or wet), slide on easily (using one hand) and the Goretex really cuts the wind. Finally the light pogies come off swiftly when I really need them to.

You know of course you are dressing for immersion and that means water temps. However, I and others have experienced early hypothermia not from getting immersed, but just from getting a little wet and having a good wind on us all day, or even walking along shore back to the car. It all depends on the individual. It's just as hampering tho to your coordination and, maybe, depending on severity, your good judgement.

You asked for tips:

Whatever your set up is, test it beforehand by immersing yourself - like up to the neck. See if you can stay comfortable 15 minutes. Practice getting back in your boat. If all is well, you have the right set up. If not, get out of water, get warm, and add more protection. Repeat. It's good to have a friend on shore standing by.

Stay well hydrated - even tho it's very cold you are losing water.

Vaseline on the exposed areas of the face or neck helps, esp. if they do get wet.

Chapstick is a must! (and good for lubricating drysuit zips in a pinch).

Polarized sunglasses protect the eyes from drying out, which can be very uncomfortable.

Carry a hot nonalcoholic bev in an insulated mug.
If a full day, or multiday trip, a small drybag w. a backpacker stove, a small titanium pot & some dry noodles or similar makes a warming & sustaining break. The insulated mug also makes a good mixing bowl in which to add hot water.

Carry some little handwarmer packets in your PFD.The cool thing about the Seirus gloves is they have a pocket for these on the top of the hand, where they won't interfere w. paddling.

Severely cold weather is not the time to set new distance records, surf your largest waves ever, etc. Be conservative.

Paddling under a full neoprene skirt adds another layer of warmth. I do this year round anyways. I really like Snapdragon Supratex - warm, watertight, fit me & my boats very well.

Many will say do not paddle along in cold water - there is merit to that. I have, I would prefer company. It's up to you.

I mentioned the brand names not as any kind of endorsement (I'm not in the paddle industry) but as specific example of what I have tried that works for me. Doesn't mean that they are the unqualified best choices for everyone.

Happy winter's paddling!

Just starting this year and the water is now about 62 here. I know when I drag my hand in the water for a short period it is more than I could bear for even a real short time. I'll have my wet suit on the rest of the season and then a dry suit for when the water is below 50 or even sooner. Coldest month here is Feb where from the records I searched the temps will be 34*.

I'll be padding n the canals and calm marshs when it is below 50 for the water temp. I'll be at most 150 yrads from shore.