THANK YOU, BMACH!
Now I don’t have to jump in like I often do with this subject. Just suffice it to say that on Wednesday I was kayak surfing for 2 hours in 35-degree water, with a wetsuit, and…I’M STILL ALIVE!!!
Tony
ps. I was warm, almost hot, when I came out of the water.
Drywear Over it
I have gotten away with combos over and under a wet suit below 60 degrees, but somewhere around 55 and below I am altogether much safer in a drysuit. But that’s me. Good drywear tops and wetsuit combos, with a heavier top like maybe the Mystery stuff as well, will keep you pretty warm and can be gotten on steep discounts if you scavange the sale listings on this site and a lot of the overstock sales.
You’ll get wet if you swim, less so if you find a pair of mating dry pants. But depending on your tolerance you may be OK for a shorter swim. The big diff between dry and splash wear is that the latex gaskets will trap heat better than a lot of the splash wear gaskets, and tend to all be quite windproof.
I don’t know if you paddle with other who can assist or have practiced a self-rescue - you should always add in the time it’s likely to take you to get back into the boat.
Celia
the 3 mm wet suit will work???
– Last Updated: Feb-06-05 1:17 AM EST –
till something really bad happens. Like a doslocated shoulder, bad surf sucking a paddler out of their boat and making it impossible for them to be quickly rescued etc. May God forbid these things. If they happen, then really bad will go to really, really, really, bad pretty fast. A wetsuit as you describe is not recommended by most paddlers in mass but you can do what you like.
Most of us saw plenty of mustang goretex flight survival suits for sale at $100. while not the best for paddling they are certaily acceptable. add some latex booties and you could have gotten a good suit for under $200.
I would not paddle with anybody with less skill than sanjay in winter beyond the breakwater without proper immersion gear.
When our daughter was born my wife and I talked about whether we would risk her health on a trip to some funky destination before she was two.
We decided a 1/100 chance was unacceptable/ that a 1/1000 chance was unacceptable but a 1/10,000 chance was possibly OK. Before you say it's ok for anyone else beside yourself to go paddling in a wetsuit in NE in open water this time of year, the level of risk should be considered. I'm planning on at least 1000 ocean paddling days before I snuff it and do not want to take a 1/10 chance of croaking while I paddle so my risk tolerance is pretty low, (and my safety consciousness is pretty high)
I am not writing this to change what you do on the water, that is up to you. I'm sure Tony is well aware of any risks he chooses to take. I am writing this to attempt to counter your influence with any new paddlers reading your writing.
going over in 8 foot swell near the breakwater is a possibility, and the reflected stuff there could make a rescue interesting for an intermediate paddler.
Nice post Craig!
this bears looking in to
elios suits
Get an Elios wetsuit - made for freediving.
I wear a 5mm one in water down to 8 deg C and am comfortable for an hour or so freediving.
In 12 deg C I am fine for about 2 hours.
Range of finishes and good prices.
Range of neoprene (yes ! do you know what your suit is made of ? Heiwa ? Yamamoto ? Lots of different reasons to pick and choose).
Very flexible, nice suits. Good fit as are custom made.