What changes Cooler Weather/Water

Joints
Plus it’s terrible for old joints to be lying down in a tent for 12 hours straight. The trick is to go to bed as late as possible, which involves some labor-intensive hunting for wood and maintaining a fire. I like to read and write by the fire at night and in the early morning.



Days are longer in the spring but then you’ve got bugs to contend with.



It’s all good. When you’re out on the water on a fabulous fall day you’re glad you went through that cold, long night.

Wetsuit…no more for me
My awakening to dry suit heaven came after hanging

my wetsuit in the sun only to wake up the next morning

with it covered in frost. A cold clammy yucky feeling.


bottle of hot water …
Pour inside wet suit. Put on wetsuit. Ah nice and warm.



Problem solved. Go get wet.

Mid 50’s Water Temp…
Still alternating between the 3/2 and 4/3. Don’t think I’ll switch to the 5/4/3 until after Thanksgiving.



Wetsuits are for higher octane action on/in the water. Drysuit is for lillydipping. (Anymore than lillydipping, I am soaked in my “drysuit”.)



sing

I get out of bed later

thank you for saying that
I own both. Among my wetsuits I have a jacket, shorty, and 3mm farmers. Among my drysuits I have a top and full drysuit.



I probably wear the drysuit 20% of the time if that. If it’s warm but the water is cold, I usually wear a wetsuit combo because in my drysuit I sweat like a pig. (I challenge the “breatheable” myth).

Hate wet and wind
Never liked the idea of pouring water on a wetsuit;

then putting on the wet wetsuit (usually outside)

just to shove off into a stiff breeze.



Much prefer starting dry and staying relatively dry.

I’m glad you said that
Same for me. Problem is, with daylight hours getting shorter, getting up late cuts into available-light time.

What!?
nothing like being among the first (and few) to greet the rising sun and surf a post nor’easter groundswell.



http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2455261760043300790biUjgv



Paddle surfing is a WET, adrenaline sport. It’s fine as long as one is wearing the right wetsuit. :wink:



sing

Love your posts !
they are right on!

Are you heading to the Everglades this winter ?

We just might bump into you in Nightmare or on East Cape



Guy

changes
I go mtn. biking and skiing.

Rolling With Whatever…

– Last Updated: Oct-23-12 9:02 AM EST –

last year, we were so deprived of nor'easters for swells and snow, that I spent most of the winter mtn biking and hitting the gym (well, the latter I do year round consistently...).

Just rolling with the punches, as it were...

Use it or lose it.

sing

PS. Oh I did a get one good winter session in in San Diego last winter. Thanks, seadart (val). :)

What I do
I switch to a dry suit for day trips. I switch to wool(the scratchy military surplus stuff) with lite poly underneath from poly/nylon for tripping. I also stay real close to shore when tripping-more to see that way anyway. I bring more clothes,footware and a warmer sleep bag. A fire,which I often do without in warm weather,is great,so I bring I saw ect. and pot trivit and sometimes a cotton fly to put my portable stove under in the rain. I drink more hot drinks. Because of taking more stuff, I paddle my big solo(Swift Osprey) to hold it all. I bring a headlamp and books for the long night and sitting up watching the fire helps pass dark time.

Turtle

you have the wrong hobby for that

– Last Updated: Oct-23-12 9:40 AM EST –

It's a wet sport!

Actually I hate being wet also, but only when I'm cold.

winter paddling habits
I used to just stop paddling from November to March. The last few years I started trying to get out at least a couple of days each month. I pick my days according to the weather. I stay away from the high volume rivers (like the New) and more difficult runs and like to paddle small creeks. I carry a sleeping bag in my hatch for rewarming after a swim. Usually I wear a semi-dry suit, with fleece pajamas. I like to keep my hands warm. Sometimes I’ll wear both Pogies and neoprene gloves. Very important to get all the wrinkles out of the sprayskirt on your stomache and back so water doesn’t puddle up on you. I wear wool socks over my drysuit feet and put on booties. An old rug or mat is helpful for changing, standing on, so I don’t mess up the dry suit feet. I always wear a beanie to prevent ice cream headaches if I should flip but that sometimes causes me to overheat. It takes forever to get dressed and undressed (I’m fatter, and slower in the winter) but it feels great to get out and now I actually look forward to winter paddling. In the winter all my paddling trips become short day trips but that’s what I do most of the time, anyhow. The biggest problem I have is finding like minded folks to paddle with. Most of the whitewater crowd that paddle in the winter like harder runs. I definately step it down a notch. I’ve experienced a cold water swim on the New River 20 years ago and learned to respect how quickly cold water zaps you. I can’t imagine doing that again- older, fatter but wiser.

Consensus seems to be

– Last Updated: Oct-24-12 11:52 AM EST –

A.) Protect body with proper clothing for Immersion
B.) Weather, wind, wave reports crucial
C.) Thermoses, food, backup supplies of food
D.) Survival Kits - shelter, fire, warmth
E.) Planning Ahead - SPOT units, letting people know
F.) Personal Responsibility - knowing what we can handle
G.) Daylight Factor - it gets dark fast

Plenty of Autumn fun to be had on the water.
It just needs some pre-planning and thought
before launching on a whim when the sun shines a bit.

I love fall paddling
Water temps can hang on a bit longer than air temps before dropping.

cold weather paddling
Willi,

Good question. Agree with most others. Dress for immersion, bring lots of hearty food, be less ambitious in choosing rapids, and pay more attention to a cozy camp. I like a fire in front of a lean-to like the traditional old-style canoeists. It is cheery compared to 14 hours inside a nylon tent.



I love the lack of crowds. We are headed to the desert in Feb.

Little changes…
Since I always seem to be in cold water (

Ice shelf - take out after an excursion
The concept of an old sealed tight bleach bottle

on a string around a tree, overhanging the ice shelf,

has helped tremendously getting out of a river, lake.



What have you guys done when ice accumulates

making take-outs a bit dicey ?



It sounds a bit stupid and perhaps absurd, but I’ve

seen people stay dry the entire afternoon, only

to fall in at the takeout.