eBay and Facebook marketplace are full of inexpensive little-used neoprene garments.
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Jumping into cold water is an invitation for the gag reflex.
Sure, I agree in principle that we need to be careful about recommending marginal stuff. And we rarely know enough about the paddlers and their paddling venues to make optimum recommendations so it’s good to be conservative.
But even you are saying that immersion protection is expensive. For some folks that may be true and I’m also in the camp of “you get what you pay for” but I firmly believe that there are good low cost options for recreational paddlers out there that never get discussed on this forum. I’d lend cold water gear to someone if they asked and as doggy paddler points out you can look for used neoprene. I’ve bought some Chinese neoprene from Amazon that seems like good quality even though inexpensive. I think it’s good to remind folks that you want to make sure your PFD is snug when paddling in cold water since it insulates better when snug.
I’d love to see something on coldwatersafety.org about low cost immersion protection.
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The weather here in SW MI is also interfering with my paddling.
Dear TomL,
I agree with the idea of lower cost protection. At 6’5" and 300 pounds nothing new is low cost or even readily available. I have an older pair of neoprene chest waders and a pair of neoprene muck boots that would adequately protect me if I elected to paddle in foul Fall weather.
We do have good quality raingear so excursions on foot will be the order of the day, or so it appears.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg PA 
I’ve had some brand name drysuits- like kokatat, stolquist but now I go semi-dry with off brands- gul, palm, typhoon marketed toward sailor and kite boarders over in europe, suits made in china,
but works well for what I do- running smaller rivers and creeks , not far from shore and I find them more comfortable with the neoprene rather than latex neck gasket. https://www.watersportsoutlet.com is my go to for this, wore this suit on sunday- didn’t swim but would have been fine:
2022 Typhoon Hypercurve 4 Back Zip Drysuit & Underfleece 100179 - Red / Black | Watersports Outlet
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Your willingness to be flexible when nature doesn’t give you what you want will help you stay safe.
Have fun on your VACATION. It doesn’t always have to be about doing a particular activity.
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parachutes aren’t cheap either so i stay in the plane. 
if you go submerged in the water that gear will not do much to help you.
Agree. The side stroke also doesn’t require as much attention to breathing as the breast stroke and crawl since your mouth and nose remain out of the water. Works better for older people with limited range of motion in shoulders or hips, saves energy, easy to rest between strokes, good glide between strokes. Nice streamlined stroke. Even small movements of the arms and legs will keep you moving forward with the side stroke if you don’t have full range of motion.
I was taught a crawl when I was younger. I stank at it even then. But I can flip around between side or breast or back all day long, slower yes, and still see where I am going. One of those who cannot open my eyes under water which makes for some awkward landings at the end of a lap.
Biggest single talent in the water IMO is to know how to keep enough air in your lungs to aid in flotation as needed. After that it is just the details of where you place arms and legs.
Dear PaddleDog,
I’ve been submerged up to my neck in 40-degree water wearing those waders and I’m still typing.
You could easily overturn in 75-degree water and hit your head on a rock and be dead or have a broken neck too.
Leaving the house requires risk taking. The question becomes how much of a risk one is willing to accept? That is a personal choice. In this case I see no advantage to kayaking in the rain and trying to take pictures so there is no need to worry.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg PA 
how long do you think you’d last in 40° water up to you neck in your gear. How would you do swimming in it?
People kayaking near rocks wear helmets if they want to reduce risks. I’ve done risky things but always look to reduce the risk. Quality drysuit reduces risk greatly.
People around here wear a winter jackets and feel their risk is covered till it’s not.
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If I feel cold I stay home and wait for warmer temps. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.
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I agree with you on the low cost gear, with the caveat that you test it. Put it on, get into the water, and see how it works. I suspect that for prolonged exposure (5-10 minutes) you are going to need a drysuit or full coverage wetsuit (not just a Framer John). I agree on the PFD, not for the insulation value, but to keep you floating until someone can fish you out.
If you are only looking to go out a couple of times when the water is cold then not spending a lot of money on suitable cold water gear and foregoing the kayaking until things warm up seem quite sensible to me.
If, however, you want to extend your paddling season and kayak regularly, then spend the money for the appropriate gear.
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Goobs said he is 6’5” and 300 lbs. A really big guy can tolerate the cold water better than a small person, all other things being equal.
I’m not recommending that anybody try this, but remember when Rulon [can’t remember his last name], an Olympic champ who was also a big guy, had an accident that had him swimming for his life in mid-winter somewhere? I think it was Lake Powell.
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One late fall surf session, i got startled outside the breakzone with voice hailing me, “Hey, how are you doing?” I turned around and was shocked to see this (heavyset) guy smiling and swimming near me, without a wetsuit, in water temps somewhere in the 50s. We exchanged some small talk and I went after my waves. (He was totally congent and showing no sign of distress.) After several rides in and paddling back out, the guy was still merrily “swimming”/floating around on the outside. I actually got worried – not about him drowning – but me running him over accidentally if he were to wander into the break zone. It was cloudy and cool day. He did not particular stand out in the water (like a board surfer).
PS. I checked the news the next day. No report of any drowning at that beach.
sing
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Dear pikabike,
Rulon Gardner is the man’s name. He and 2 friends survived a water landing of a small plane in Lake Powell in February 2007 by swimming a mile to shore and spending the night with no shelter. No serious injuries were reported by any of them. In 2002 he dumped his snowmobile in a river in Wyoming and spent 18 hours outside before he was rescued. He did lose a toe to frostbite that time.
I’m not going to chance kayaking at Raystown this coming week. The weather is just going to be awful, and I’ll have all I can do to keep my wife from killing me for picking the wrong vacation time. She is Sicilian-American, and I’ll have to sleep with one eye open the entire week, lest she exacts her revenge! 
I’m glad I started a thread that was so active. I learned things and I hope others did as well.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg PA 
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Woke up today and I see snow covering the mountain about 1/3 the way down.
Ice-up is not going to be far off now.
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