Dog, a good guide to what to wear on cold water is to see what jet-skiers, windsurfers, surfers, parafoil kiters, etc. are wearing. They are in the water and spray a lot, and dress accordingly. I'll be wearing the wetsuit within the next week, and will likely wear it into December, until the usual Big Cooldown hits, usually mid to late December. Then it's the drysuit right around until maybe mid-March or early April; then back to the wetsuit until it's swimsuit time again. Not an exact science, as water depth and proximity to shore, and wind strength and windchill all play a role. I paddle conservatively all cold-water season long.

I agree I will be paddling conservatively by hanging near shore. I can go a ton of places near me and be really close to shore. I will be paddling out of Freeport actually Woodcleft canal. Many places I can go I could stand in the water and be knee deep. That said the canal is 30' deep, Tons of small canals with houses and docks 20-50 feet wide. I'll still be wearing my new clothing outfit I just bought . I started with a SOT and now I have a 6' dock box filled pretty good. The honey said she will get me a dry suit for the holidays and Dec birthday!

Water here is 64.6 tonight. The wet suit I got feels comfortable. I may practice this weekend getting in the boat in the empty boat slip behind the house. I hope the party boats don't dump the fish heads in as they go by. Sometimes there is a head and skin at the floaters. That will kill my appetite for jumping in.

Not sure how thick my wet suit is I'll have to measure it. I just added a Kokatat shark skin shirt to my collection but it is not in yet. Dealer said I should be good all winter with the stuff I got. I would feel better with the dry suit after Dec as you said when the water gets real cold. I guess I could find water temperatures for the year online for Freeport / Jones Inlet. The videos I got are teaching me a lot about temps as they discuss hypothermia. I said when I bought the two vids I just spent 70-80 bucks! Then you realize it may be your life if you lack some knowledge. They are worth every penny.

Disappointed with all the youtube vids and the videos I bought they never show the recoveries in even a close three foot chop like in a bay. Small by by me has the CG station just inside Jones Inlet I should paddle there all winter. . I have a few friends on the county police boats too.

I need to try to just jump on the back deck like I see in the video. They seem to go down and let the jacket buoyancy help pop themselves up. I would feel better if I could skip the paddle reentry. I want to try the entry from the rear too.
I have till 11-15 before I pull my 19 Montauk Boston Whaler. It would be nice to go out with someone on the boat and tow it to bay with some rough water to try all the recoveries. Better with a spotter in the boat than going myself and anchoring then jumping out of the boat.

Another three or four lessons would gain me great knowledge with the instructor but I don't think they are having any more classes this year. I think they have rolling in pools in the winter and that would be good also just for starts. Once the clocks go back I will only have the weekends to paddle as I am not keen paddling in the dark even in the canal. Then again the way my construction business looks I could be doing a lot of paddling and fishing for dinner!

he GF is going be laughing when I suit up this week end. I told her she really has about no time left to paddle without a good set of clothes. Form what I have read they say 65 is about the cut off without good gear. I don't want her in the water paddling under lower 60's* even real close to shore.

I don't see many or really any jet-skiers, windsurfers, surfers, para foil / kiters here in a few weeks. Empire kayaks is going to require suits on rentals very soon. I want the GF / Edith to try some boats this week to see what she likes before it is cold. She needs something faster and more sea worthy than the Hobie Quest although a fun boat. She needs lessons too. Hope she goes next time with me for instruction.

Only thing I need is some winter gloves and then the outer mitts I forgot what they called them something with a P_______?

keep you posted on my wet weekend.

If you fall out in a river you are just as cold if not dressed for immersion. I wear what I'd wear in open water.
It really goes back to the water temps, not whether or not it's a river, lake, ocean.

A slight advantage a river paddler *may* have is that the river will be shallow, or that it's only a few feet to a riverbank. Plenty of river paddlers (and canoeists) tote a drybag w. a complete change of clothes.

WW kayakers with a great roll wear a drytop, head covering under their helmets, gloves, etc. w. regular waterwear underneath, because they expect they will roll up and not come out of their boats. Their skirts are also tighter than most seakayakers use.

But in cold water areas more and more of them are singing the praises of drysuits.

My dealer Empire Kayak is having Kokatat rep come by and show his wares. Next Sunday he will have all the products and we can try them in the water and try them for fit.