Beginner Questions

Rookie doesn’t this work?

http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/twosuperiors.html

You can get in the ballpark if you take the average of, say, the last 2-3 weeks air temperature (low and high). The water will be pretty close to this; perhaps +/- 5 degrees C. I haven’t actually done the record keeping to check, but this is roughly what I do to estimate temperature if I haven’t been out in a while. Smaller/shallower bodies of water will more closely approximate the average temperature, larger ones will lag significantly.

Get into the habit of actually taking a temperature reading with a reasonably accurate thermometer every time you go out. Stick your hand in first and make a guess, then see how close you got by checking with the thermometer. After a while you’ll have a pretty good guestimation just by sticking your hand in.

Lake Huron surface temperature can be found here: Lake Huron Temperature

I trust you can find the other lakes by navigating from the above link.

Now, I know that you probably won’t be paddling in open Georgian Bay any time soon, but unfortunately I know of no data records for other small lakes. The only other published data I know of is river flow, but haven’t really figured that one out since I’m not into rivers myself.

@kayamedic
Yup, works fine for the Great Lakes but OP stated she wants to paddle small lakes and calm rivers, to begin with.

@Overstreet said:
Look for an ACA or other sanctioning body kayak instructor for your lessons. You might also look at the Meet Up group to see if they have any ACA or like rules, ratings, etc.

ACA is for the States. there are some ACA certified instructors in Canada, but not many. paddle Canada is the Canadian equivalent, so that would be the “other sanctioning body” mentioned above. https://www.paddlecanada.com/

@janetliz said:
From the reading I have done so far, it looks like I should wait until water temperature is at least 75F before going out, as I don’t plan to purchase a wetsuit/dry suit right away.

75 F?.. does it ever get that high in Canada?

In Yellowstone, Wyoming they thought the water was warm at 55 F in the summer. Here we use the 120 rule. If the combined temp of water and air is less than 120 you need immersion protection.

@Overstreet said:

75 F?.. does it ever get that high in Canada?

Some of our inland lakes here in Northern Michigan reach those temps in late summer so of course inland lakes where janetliz lives (west of Toronto) will get as warm. I’m certain the summers are warmer in her area than here on the 45th parallel.

Thanks for the very useful information. I will be checking the Paddle Canada website in the spring to look for a lake course.

I had already planned to get a thermometer to try to verify water temperature before going in the kayak, even if I could find that information online. However, is the temperature near the shore a good gauge for the temperature further out into a lake? I will be staying within swimming distance of shore until I gain some confidence in doing a self-rescue.

Any suggestions for stores to look for a PFD in/near Toronto? So far, I have come up with the following list:

Sail
MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) - downtown Toronto or Burlington
Complete Paddler
Hiker’s Haven (Oakville)

I don’t need to rush to purchase a PFD, since all of the lessons and rentals that I have seen include the PFD. It would be nice to have my own, though, for a good fit and so I don’t have to worry about forgetting something in the pockets when I return a rental.

Per their website, all Complete Paddler instructors are Paddle Canada, ORCKA and/or BCU certified, so you’ll be fitted accurately there.

As you haven’t been in a kayak yet, I don’t think there’s any need to purchase a PFD if one is provided with your rentals. When/if you do decide to buy one, be wary of PFDs with bulging pockets and lots of doodads on the front as they can get hung up on the cockpit coaming, etc. and impede your attempt to self-rescue.

@janetliz said:
Pool lesson has been booked for late April.

Next question - is there any way of finding out the water temperature for a given location before leaving home? Picking a lake at random, I have tried googling “Pine Lake” “water temperature” Ontario, and didn’t find anything. From the reading I have done so far, it looks like I should wait until water temperature is at least 75F before going out, as I don’t plan to purchase a wetsuit/dry suit right away. I don’t want to drive an hour to try kayaking, just to find out that the water is too cold when I arrive - particularly if there is another location nearby where the water would be warm enough.

Check fisherman websites for your area. Sometimes they post water temps at specific lakes and ponds.

It doesn’t really need to be 75 degrees in the water before you paddle, unless you have a physical condition that makes brief immersion in it dangerous. Indoor pool water is only about 80 degrees. Have you swum outdoors in water that is, say 68 degrees? People vary in cold tolerance. I know someone who swims in sea water that is only 50 degrees, wearing only a bathing suit and cap! It is possible to gradually train your body to acclimate, so I doubt 75 degrees is a threat.

The key factor is how quickly you can get out of the water, whether by simply swimming to shore or by doing the various capsize recovery techniques. At the beginning, it is best to assume your fastest way to land is by swimming, so STAY CLOSE TO SHORE.

At this point, I just want to try on PFDs if I am in the area of a store - it should help narrow down the choices when I am ready to make a purchase.

I have never actually measured the water temperature when swimming outside - there were plenty of other people in the water, so I wasn’t worried.

I thought I read a recommendation somewhere to wear a wetsuit if the water temperature is less than 75F, and figured I should err on the side of caution, at least in the beginning.

70F, not 75F. http://www.coldwatersafety.org/WhatIsCold.html

As pikabike suggested, paddle close enough to shore that should you capsize, you can quickly get back to the shore with your boat and paddle.

Usually lakes north of Toronto are under 70F. till well late June… When spring comes take a jaunt to MEC and the Complete Paddler and check out their paddling wetsuits. They usually have a nice selection of PFD’s. I don’t buy that a rental PFD is good enough. Often they are ill fitting for some and evehtuallly you will want your own… Expect to spend time looking in several stores. One store is not necessarily the best . PFD fit is so important that it matters not where you buy it.

Check out the Outdoor Adventure Show in TO Feb 24-26/

You can stay near shore too with spare clothes in a dry bag… Some bigger lakes have a thermocline and in the middle is the coldest. You could wait forever for those to reach 70 ( lets call it 21 C). I doubt Opeongo ever gets that warm

Its the folks in Algonquin that scare me. We went one year right after ice out and many paddlers were not wearing a PFD…

Don’t think latitude only for lake warmth… Depth and elevation of lake matters too which is why the west side of Algonquin thaws later. its higher… South of Algonquin is the Adirondacks… which ice out on the higher lakes is even later because they are higher than almost all of Ontario.

Many years ago before we had kids my wife and I paddled in Algonquin Prov. Park and camped on our own little islands. I remember taking a swim and was surprised how cold the water was in mid-summer. Much colder than lakes I had been swimming in Michigan and Ontario.

@janetliz,
When shopping for the pfd be sure to leave a little room for anykind of wetsuit/drytop. If possible check out NY State in the springtime. Their spring water temps will warm much earlier than up in your area(I think)…giving you plenty of paddling time. Fwiw…

@BigSpencer said:
@janetliz,
When shopping for the pfd be sure to leave a little room for anykind of wetsuit/drytop. If possible check out NY State in the springtime. Their spring water temps will warm much earlier than up in your area(I think)…giving you plenty of paddling time. Fwiw…
nope… The Adirondacks are higher. Lived there for a few years. We used to take a trip to the Oswegatchie River in late May and the weather could be hot. One year it was… Jumped in… Walked on water to get out five seconds later.
Kawartha Highlands lakes may be OK in early June
Adirondacks are around 44 degrees lat and Toronto about the same. But that part of ON is lower.

@janetliz said:
At this point, I just want to try on PFDs if I am in the area of a store - it should help narrow down the choices when I am ready to make a purchase.

Good things for a PFD…good fit, large unrestrictive arm holes, rear panel high enough to clear rear seat/deck, and pockets. One or two of those four sided gismos for a knife or other clip on is good.

You should check out the pfd,s that NRS has on sale right now. The Ninja is marked down to $72.

@janetliz said:
Mississauga, ON - just west of Toronto.
The lessons I have looked at, as well as the rentals, state that a PFD is provided. However, I will try to get one of my own, to try to get a comfortable and consistent fit.

I am in London ON and I could possibly be of some assistance to you next season as I head to your area often,
let me know.

chris

Thanks for all of the input. I have written down the dates for the Outdoor Show, but if we snow that weekend, I am hoping to photograph dog sled races in Guelph that weekend.

I did check the NRS website, but none of the local dealers they list show NRS PDFs on their websites.