drysuit
I wouldn’t say drysuits are always mandatory on Lake Superior. On a hot, calm day in the Apostles, I’ve seen plenty of people in shorts and t-shirts paddling open canoes and open cockpit rec kayaks, and not given it a second look. Although I generally prefer at least a shorty drytop even on the hot days, there are times when the surface water temps and conditions are not as dangerous as many say.
That said, it can turn quickly, so if you are gonna be island hopping for more than a day, you’d want to have better gear.
Dress for immersion
– Last Updated: Apr-02-12 8:11 PM EST –
Even the comparatively 'protected' bays of the Great Lakes can turn foul—and cold—much faster than anyone can paddle back to shore for a warmer jacket.
Certainly, you may be safe wearing lighter protective gear if paddling close to shore in backwater bays with little likelihood of foul weather bringing cold, rough water, but that margin is usually not as wide as assumed.
To say, "I've seen plenty of people in shorts and t-shirts paddling open canoes and open cockpit rec kayaks, and not given it a second look," is akin to suggesting that one doesn't need a seatbelt while driving, because you see a lot other folks not wearing them. It only indicates that there are a lot of ill-informed amateur paddlers.
Looked at another way, nearly all the kayakers who die on the Great Lakes each season are underdressed for the conditions in which they eventually found themselves, and in which they eventually died.
The upper Great Lakes, and the Apostles in particular, claim a few kayakers every year, and the majority do not drown, but die of hypothermia. Nearby Lake Michigan just claimed another, fairly experienced kayaker a couple of weeks ago, just a few yards from shore.
A couple of years ago, on a hot August day, we launched from a bay of 70-degree bathwater on Stockton Island, and paddled to Outer Island, where we stopped for lunch. The air temps were in the 90s, the water was like glass, and we were sweltering in our full drysuits, so I waded in up to my chest to cool off. Within two minutes, my legs had cramped up and I could barely clamber back out of the water. I cannot imagine an offshore capsize and a long immersion in that water, and would gladly have sold my soul for an extra 5mm of fleece underwear.
Please, dress for immersion, and do not underestimate the danger of cold water.
Delphinus
http://www.AquaDynology.com
Georgian Bay is MUCH warmer than
Lake Superior.
BTW I have dumped in Lake Superior and there is a thermocline about two feet down… I stayed on the top layer of water which is much warmer. Its about 34 below two feet. Neither of us was wearing a drysuit. Yes we had them and used them for cliff areas where we had to stay way out to avoid clapotis.
If you do any kind of open water crossing even if less than a mile…a drysuit is mandatory. Solo the same.
And a PLB is really almost a necessity. A marine radio for sure.
That said there is excellent swimming in the back coves of Pukaskwa with the sandy beaches that reflect lots of light back and warm the shallows.
what they said
They beat me to it. You can’t judge anything by what other people are doing. The Apostles are a magnet for unprepared kayakers. Anyone who attempts a multiday trip on Lake Superior without a drysuit or serious full length wetsuit is asking for trouble. That’s not to say there are not times when a prudent experienced person can’t venture out for some purposes without one, but any type of crossing requires more sense. The lake can go from calm to 5 foot waves in minutes.
Anyway to the OP I was just curious what your skills and preparation level and plans are going to be to help you plan better. The Apostles with a well equipped group in July is entirely different from solo in May or October, and Pukaskwaw is a whole different bag of fruit.
Wilderness State Park Peninsula
http://www.wildernessstatepark.net/parkmap.htm
Waugoshance Peninsula has several small islands off the tip of it jutting out into Lake Michigan. This is a place I used to dream of returning to with a kayak or canoe.
Negwegon State Park
South of Alpena and North of Harrisville on Lake Huron, you need a car you don’t mind scratching up to get into the part. This is a great piece of coastline for day trips. Rather remote and off the regular trail. Bear tracks on the beach in the mornings.
but he’s right
– Last Updated: Apr-04-12 1:39 PM EST –
Setting aside the anecdote, there are quite a few summer days when a short wetsuit is enough for upper great lakes paddling. The trick is to know when to give yourself the latitude and when not to.
If you don't believe me or think there's always a thermocline, take a trip to marquette in summer, go to presque isle park, and join the college kids diving off the cliffs to beat the heat.