i can’t stand 'em … alot!
I like mine, too!
Got some Wildwasser ones for Christmas (are yours Wildwasser, Cooldoc?) and they are a ton warmer than anything else I’ve used. I wear a thin pair of Isotoners underneath for extra insulation, but don’t really need them. They’re still pretty warm with nothing underneath. Easy to get into and out of… a great addition to the gear stash. I hear the toaster mitts are awesome, too.
I respect your opinion liv2paddle
You are an advanced paddler, liv2paddle, so I have little doubt that you have tried more types of warm weather gear than I have. I like the feel of the paddle with the pogies; prevent hand slippage which is very common with mittens and gloves.
why I like them
I can lend them to other folks and they fit! I can’t do that with my gloves.
My complaint with pogies
With pogies I can’t stretch my fingers out straight so my hands aren’t as comfortable. I’ve gotten used to opening the upper hand with each stroke to keep the grip loose and the blood flowing.
But I have two pair…
doesn’ ?
neither does doesn’
I love them…
Nothing keeps your hands warmer when running early spring whitewater. I can’t stand gloves as I need to be able to feel my paddle. Of course with my Greenland paddle, I have no choice but to use gloves in the winter. (I have Bomber Gear Spyder Mitts)
I Don’t Use 'em
since I have Nordic Blues. But I do see a lot of year round paddlers up here with them. If they don’t work, I doubt folks would be sporting them.
sing
Hey Dan
You can add another Dan is Right to the list. I got a pair of Nordic Blues and they do keep my hands dry and warm. More interesting, as you predicted, I have not been using any gloves and my hands have been fine. Water temps have been hovering around 50 and my hands seem fine without gloves. On the other hand, the NWS site has been showing the water temps slowly ticking up and it won’t be long before we can throw all our cold weather stuff in storage for nine months.
Mark
Something to consider …
First, let me state that I do use pogies, but with a caveat.
I think they might be good for whitewater use where you have a pretty good chance of getting to shore/out of the water quickly, but for touring/sea kayaking a caution:
What happens if you capsize and you are out of your boat for an extended period? I’ll answer. Most people I see using pogies have a thin glove liner or nothing at all covering their hands under the pogies. Pogies are attached to the paddle. If you lose your paddle in surf/wind or capsize and your roll fails, your hands will be exposed - essentially with little or no protection. Therein lies the danger.
I use pogies as extra protection and insulation from wind. In very cold conditions I use them over NRS Reactors or now with my new Toaster mitts. If water temperature is not too cold I may use them with Hydroskin gloves to help keep evaporative cooling to a minimum.
Remember, with all equipment there are risk/reward tradeoffs. Make sure you condier both the pros and cons.
~wetzool
I think that is an advantage.
If you have hydroskin or other thin gloves under the pogies, you still have decent feel on the paddle and significant warmth for immersion. Then instead of trying to grab perimeter lines or whatever with clunky gloves the thin gloves don’t hinder dexterity much. That is a definite advantage in keeping a bad situation from getting worse. I’d rather be able to hang onto my boat and get back in than to have thicker gloves that cause that loss of dexterity you are trying to avoid.
The heat loss through your hands isn’t as important as your core for survival situations. So the key is to protect your core, neck, and head.
A number of people seem to get cold hands while paddling so the pogie/thin glove combo will keep them comfortable and keep from numbing the hands to the point of losing dexterity before going over.
But then as I said, I don’t use my pogies much and YMMV.
Deep See dry gloves
I own pogies and Nordic Blues. Personally, I prefer Deep See 4mm Comfort Dry Gloves.
Better feel than Nordic Blues and you can put them on without assistance!
We found ours in a scuba (diving) shop.
Hands
"The heat loss through your hands isn’t as important as your core for survival situations. So the key is to protect your core, neck, and head."
I’m not sure about that. One minut in icy water and my hands are numb. Attaching a tight sprayskirt wont work. Grapping the paddle still works but only barely.
I might be a wimp but I consider warm hands critical for my safety. I use mitts under thin pogies in cold weather and have no problem with dexterity - eat, pee and navigate - http://www.hamberg.dk/spg/kajak/oer/fyn/fyn_7_03.jpg
/Peter
I like them, but…
I have an awful time getting the second one on and forget about taking wildlife photos when you’re using them. They are warmer and block the wind nicely. Mixed feelings.
Whitewater
I know there’s folks that love their pogis on whitewater but keep in mind that if you’re playing hard and dunking your hands below waterline frequently you will flush that nice warm atmosphere your hands have made within the pogis and have to start over again.
My preference:
Pogis = Touring/Sea Kayaking
NRS Toasters = Whitewater Play.
See you on the water (either one in this case)
Marshall
www.the-river-connection.com
Getting the 2nd one on
My Kokatat pogies are a PITA to get the 2nd one on (and to get the first one off).
BUT there are other choices in the fleece-lined nylon category. I just didn’t know about them before. Then my husband found a company called Lochbuie (sp?) that makes them for rowers. Unlike my Kokatats, the Lochbuies have a full fleece lining, not just on the backhand side. Also unlike K, they forego the elastic wrist waist. Instead, the gauntlet is a narrower, stiffer nylon chute. Easy to put a hand through without resorting to teeth-tugging! They cost much less, too. I wish I’d known about them. Anybody wanna buy my Kokatats, used only twice?
pikabike
I’m surprised that the Kokolats are that tough to put on. Mine are simple neorprene, no liner, and I just keep 'em attached to the paddle, and wipe my nose or whatever, and then just place my hand back in them. I am surprised that I can paddle in, say, 30F weather and feel prefectly warm in them… in fact, much above 40F and I prefer no hand covering at all. So, as long as they stay dry, I am wondering how low a temp I could go to where the neoprene only pogies (unlined) would still keep me warm. Likely somewhere in the teens.
Gosh, there are so many polar thoughts on the love/hate issue of pogies. Learned a lot here, like they fit most all paddlers, for instance. I like keeping my hands right on the paddle. I don;t like gloves or mitten cloth between hand and paddle as I lose a sense of control: too slippery through gloves.
Love/hate?
I actually merely like pogies! I have them because the only gloves that maintain good feel are SealSkinz, and those take forever to dry out. The fleece-lined pogies dry fairly quickly. I bet they would work great for cold winter bike rides, too–if the openings for the paddle shaft match the diameter of the handlebars–in which case I would wear a light glove in addition to the pogies.
okay, you were right
This is the thread to be reading, Cool Doc/Shaft. And don’t think I didn’t catch your little “polar” pun in the post above. Lame.