The nauseating spinning
I had that happen once even after wearing earplugs. Lots and lots of rolling, with me fiddling with the plugs occasionally, displaced one of them. I got water in there that didn’t drain right out. When I next tried to drain it by dropping my head down (bending fully forward while standing) and shaking it, boy did I regret that. Thought I was going to puke right then and there. I had to stand stock still for a few moments before the spinning stopped.
Put the plugs in correctly and then LEAVE 'EM ALONE!
Keep Rolling
– Last Updated: Oct-27-11 5:30 PM EST –
Second the advice to use ear plugs as cold water in ears can affect sense of balance which is not a good thing.
Second the advice to get a good hood or use a tulik. You can find good neoprene hoods at surfer and dive shops. The hoods are different and I suspect you might prefer a surfer's hood. Gloves or mittens are good.
As to risk. There is that possibility of the dreaded cold water reflex gasp which could be fatal if out playing alone, but if you know you are not prone then would seem a minimal risk. Otherwise be prudent about when and where you do your solo rolling. Also keep in mind you can usually hold your breath for a lesser amount of time when in cold water. Be careful about spare paddles and sprayskirt getting frozen onto boat and thus hard to remove.
Otherwise, just keep rolling. It will acclimatize you so paddling in cold water is safer. It will make 50 degree water seem warm once you have some experience rolling when the water is in the 30s. And it only hurts when you are upright. By which I mean even 35 degree water is not bad (if properly dressed) when in it although the sensation is an order of magnitude different from water above 50. Something akin to the difference between O and -20. I find the worst part of winter paddling is getting the gear and boat back in and on the car.
To put it in perspective, the Greenland championships require folks to do a large number of rolls on both sides in water that is around 35 degrees.
yes…i would love a Tuilik…but
the budget won’t allow it, even used…have a friend that has made his own, and i am up for making one, it will be later rather than sooner though. It is on my wish list though. 
Those areas are covered by
my Drysuit…Hmmmm?
Sounds aweful…ICK!
Yeh…i doubt if i will be rolling
around in 35 or 40* water…i am game up to point, not trying to prove anything…if i was with a group maybe, but not alone…Hell , that doesn’t even sound fun. And i agree, the worst part is loading the gear in cold weather, it a lot more work it seems the colder it gets.
Cold rolling
55 degrees is not too bad, but there are real problems with repeated rolling in water much colder than that. Ear plugs and nose plugs help combat the effect of the cold water. Getting very cold water in your ear canal can eventually cause your it to narrow and even close. Not good, requires serious surgery.
Tuiliq hood still has to fit tightly
…around the face.
I borrowed one a couple years ago. The lender tightened the face cord so tight I was very uncomfortable. He loosened it a little at my request.
That little bit was enough to let water into my ears after a few rolls (did not have any ear plugs in). I got dizzy enough that I had to cut the session short.
Next time I borrowed one I left that cord cinched TIGHT. “Makes face look ugly,” as Maligiaq said. But it keeps that water out.
You won’t like it
Rolling in very cold water is not pleasant even with a (cold water) hood, mask and drysuit. You might do a few rolls but you’ll feel that water temperature and It’s not inviting. I do it but usually as I am quitting and close to my car.
There’s no reason to roll in water any deeper than waist deep. If you panic or blow the roll you can stand up and walk in.
If I do the cold water rescue practice type of thing, I have a lot of layers under the drysuit and I feel nothing - BUT I could not paddle any distance without overheating. That’s the catch 22 of dressing for the water in the winter.
One other idea
There is a point of coldness where you need to cover your face pretty fully - not just the head. When I was doing that, before deciding that nice warm indoor pools and waiting for water in the 50’s was nicer, I was using an Ice Cap and goggles, like divers use. But - there is some blue stuff that works similarly to an Ice Cap (it may be spelled Ice Kap) and can be washed off. Surfers use it - I think Sing mentioned it once here.
I can’t vouch for how safe the stuff is near a dry suit, but my guess is that worst it’d stain it. It is probably most similar to really, really thick vaseline.
Take a swim
before going out and then do a couple rolls at the start. It lets you know if there are problems with your suit and prepares you for an unexpected capsize and/or swim.
thanks everyone… i think
i am almost done with my rolling here…we will have a thin skim of ice in a few weeks and then the paddling will be done anyhow. I emailed Doc’s and have not heard back from them. we have no scuba , dive or big Sports shops around here, so i will have to order them, i want them for all season rolling anyway…the river i roll in looks pretty nasty most of the time, but at least it’s moving water. I like the hoods at the dive shop of the link that was posted.
Thanks everyone…great info.
Yeh…i do that when dressed in cooler
layers especially…i learned that in my cold water rescue class.
Order thru 3rd parties
I think we ended up ordering all of our Doc’s plugs online, but it’s like Snapdragon skirts. Strictly speaking they sell thru shops.
You really should always be wearing ear plugs for intensive wet work anyway, as much as possible, to protect your hearing. It can be surprisingly easy to start a case of otitis when you are first concentrating on these skills.
Making own
I’m going to make one this winter for myself and Ilena is going to make one too. I want something slightly lighter than the one I currently own.
I priced everything out and it’s about $130 per Tuilik. Ordering 11 sheets of neoprene at once drops the cost down to around $60 or $70. I just need to find 9 more people to go in on the order.
cool idea
Well, it is going to keep one warm
Question - do you wear PFD under or over the tuiliq?
Shops in Portland
There is a very good dive shop in Portland on Commerical St. I know that is a bit of a hike, but nice place to visit.
Yeah, its getting time to tune skiis…2 inches plus this morning.
under if you are just out paddling
in practice situations…one often doesn’t wear it. They are really warm.
Ohh…thanks for the tip
The snow doesn’t make me very happy. My Bike and my Kayak make me happy.
so pull the neck out
I wear a drysuit also. I just pull the gasket out enough to hit those spots.