I wear
mine October through May in Maine–forgo it in the summer—in NOVA/MD area the paddling season without a drysuit runs longer—Maybe starting in March or April and ending later in November–I’m paddling this weekend and I’ll be wearing my drysuit–the first time since May in Maine—I’ve found mine to be quite comfortable once the neck gasket is worn for awhile—the first few times I wore it I was like being strangled–after a while it stretched enough to be comfortable but still waterproof—if you wear it only once in a while it will be too tight.
as a WW paddler,
I’ve routinely paddle sub-50 degree water without dry suit. About half of my paddling partners wear dry suit and half wet suit.
At 40 degrees, those wearing wet suit would NOT be comfortable and bitch about it. Those in dry suits are still happy as a clam.
Is dry suit “neccessary”? Life or death? My experience said NO! Not if you have buddies who’re skill at fishing you out of the water and the shore is only feets away. Even less “life and death” if you have a half decent roll (yes, even canoeist can roll too!!!)
So, “location, location, location” is key. Though the “location” isn’t just geographic ones. It’s also the location of the shore (and the location of one’s rescuer)!
Is dry suit NICE? Well, at $500 minimum, it’d better be. And it is, as far as my limited experience (2 trips so far) can tell.
insulation
You’d be surprised I think to find how many don’t understand the basics. In this era of online buying, people tend to get very fancy gear with very little knowledge on it’s use. Perhaps it’s because I’m in the midwest, but we see it here all the time.
Bill H.
You’re right, Celia
When we paddle in ME, I always bring my dry suit, then decide if I need it based on the actual conditions on any given day. Like you, I’ve used mine on cool, foggy days in July. When it comes to selecting paddling clothing, the calendar is NOT the determining factor.
pfds and drysuits for canoeists
– Last Updated: Nov-28-09 8:18 AM EST –
In a nearby state park, there's a little memorial to two teenage canoeists who died afer capsizing in less than 8 feet of water, less than 30 yards from shore, without pfd's,in April. The grieving parents built a little stone kiosk with a compartment dispensing life reservers, for free. I think there's little question that had the paddlers been wearing drysuits and pfds they would have lived.
You can find drysuits for @ $600, used ones for less sometimes They're quite comfortable, its nice to stay dry while paddling , and its cheaper than your life.
and it extends your paddling seasonNM
options
If they had been wearing pfds OR shorty wetsuits they probably would have lived.
I have a drysuit and I like it. I used it last weekend to take the dogs out in a canoe on a NH lake. But it’s one corner of the comfort/protection/money tradeoff, and there are other options.
Folks surf all winter off the New England coast in wetsuits. Sure, they’re not as comfortable for paddling, but they are an option, especially if your winter trips are fairly short.
For conditions like those the OP cited, I’ve sometimes worn a thin neoprene shorty under fleece/splash layers. I did test-swim the combination in realistically cold water – it wasn’t fun, but the neoprene layer did dramatically reduce the initial shock, and probably slowed the heat loss enough to improve my chances of getting to a nearby shore.
Drysuits are a great option, but they’re not the only one.
Winter days can be warm but SHORT
We sometimes get days in the high 60s in winter. Of course, the water is usually frozen.
Today the air temp hit 69 degrees, full sun, a bit windy. Water temps in the 30s.
I wore the drysuit and it didn’t feel too warm, partly because I did some rolling. (Can you say “ice cream headache”?) I used to wear a drysuit for summer roll practice even with merely cool water (60-something). Now I use wetsuits for that. But not for winter paddling, because…
Here’s the critical thing that nobody has mentioned:
Winter days are TOO BLOODY SHORT! Sure, it got to 69 degrees today…for a little while. It took its sweet time reaching that, and then once the sun goes behind the foothills, it feels like walking into a huge freezer. With the ground frozen and the water so cold and no leaves on the trees, there’s nothing to hold the little bit of daytime heating. The air here is too dry for that.
In summer, if I get chilled in my wetsuit after a long rolling session, big deal. Stand in the hot sun for a few minutes and chilling is a distant memory.
But now, getting chilled would mean staying chilled a dangerously long time. And THAT is the big difference between a wetsuit and drysuit in wintertime. The wetsuit stays wet and cold even when no longer in the water.
might as well post too …
– Last Updated: Nov-28-09 1:40 AM EST –
...... I don't have a dry suit , I want to paddle this winter , I wanted to paddle last winter and the winter before that ... but it's not going to happen , the water temps. are 46*-53* now . (canoe)
"Again" , I have to wait it out till water temps. warm up late in spring ... this is what sucks !!
That (have to) part is a choice I agree , but I just can't envision me out on the river doing the river thing without one . You all probably know I'm only on the water for the fishin ... so here's the surprise , I'd be leaving the fishin rod at home and just paddlin for pure paddlin pleasure .
Fishin would stink anyway in cold waters , be too slow for my taste ... because of that I get a fuzzy feelin thinkin that I could just paddle and be happy doing that only ... strange concept to me .
You watch , I'm going to pick a day when it's snowing , bundle up and paddle around one of the little local ponds just to paddle in the snow (or when snow is on the ground) this year ... something I've never done but always wanted to !!
I usually tell this story sometime or other when the water gets cold , goes like this ,
"Stick a bare hand and a bare foot in 38 degree water and see how long you can keep it there ... tell me if it hurts and how much it hurts" .
Ask me and I'll tell ya "it hurts like hell after 30 seconds" ... any takers cause I'd like to compare notes ??
comfortable
Um…in the fall, winter and spring I’ll always wear either the dry pants/top or the drysuit but I’m not sure I’d ever call them comfortable. Necessary yes, comfy no.
Bill H.
economy and drysuits
First, you don’t necessarily have to have a full on drysuit. You can get most of the same features (yes it’s not as dry) with dry pants and a dry top often for a heck of alot less money than a full on drysuit. They also offer the advantage of not having to wear the whole suit. In the spring and fall when the water’s warm enough to not require the full suit, the drypants (specially those with feet) allow one to wade out into the water to launch the boat without getting wet, very nice 
With today’s economy you can often find dealers that have been sitting on drytops for a year or more that will make deals. My Kokotat drypants with feet were only around $140 list and are quite comfy and have a neo tunnel area (around your waist) that seals pretty well to a dry top (even better with a skirt). The Stolquist semi-dry tops are also very comfy with their neo neck gaskets and are quite a bit less money than one with latex seals and work well specially if you’re not rolling.
Bill H.
couple experiences
I started off, like so many others, with a wetsuit. Found it too hot in a canoe, in fact I was sweatin’ like a pig on the way to the river. Wetsuits are used in surf situations from what I understand because a tear won’t be catastrophic like it’s be in a drysuit.
Pilotwingz, bite the bullet when you can. Winter paddling is special. Headed out right now :-), 50 mile per hour winds and all. Thank God for gorges ;-).
Comfort is relative
Compared to wearing neoprene and/or being wet and cold, a dry suit is very comfortable. No, it’s not as comfortable as wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of the summer, but neither is wearing a coat, hat, gloves and boots in the wintertime, yet the alternative is much more unpleasant.
There are downsides to tops and pants
Many paddling pants are made with coated fabric that’s not breathable, so your lower body ends up quite damp. You have to carefully mate the top and pants to get a good seal and even then, they will probably leak if you’re immersed for any length of time. You’re also adding multiple layers of elastic material around your waist, which can be uncomfortable and hamper your ability to rotate your torso.
While I own and use dry tops, I don’t see the top/pants combo as a great substitute for a dry suit, at least not if you need complete protection on a frequent basis.
waders
i have done waders and dry top and wading belt over it to keep the water out. It kind of works.
Drysuits
– Last Updated: Nov-28-09 11:30 PM EST –
Gosh, reading this I should've been dead almost everytime I went out winter paddling. Living in MI we're lucky that most of our faster rivers don't freeze over. Of course we paddle mostly smaller rivers with only class I rapids. About 25 years ago or so when I started winter paddling and camping (daytime highs not much more than zero and lows 20's below not uncommon on our feb camping trips we did) we were in jeans and cotton shirts with wool long sleeved shirts. Had more than our fair share of swims. Always had a few changes of clothes along. As time went on upgraded to polypro and fleece...then on to paddling pants and jacket. Then neoprene under paddling jacket and pants. Still only have a NRS Black rock jacket and pants. I wear them with either neoprene pants and top or polypro/fleece depending on temps and where going. I have played at a local playspot with smallish class II rapids in March when air temps were low 40's and water temps mid 30's. Did many rolls, got a bit wet, always played for 4-5 hours and never cold. OF course it was easier to do this as it was a park and play type spot and paddling hard. If I lived where I could paddle more WW I'd have me a drysuit, but for my present skill level and rivers I paddle I can use that money better elsewhere for other gear/boats I want. I've had and seen many swims in the winter and can't recall any that were life threatening...cold yes, but on our rivers the shore is usually only 10' away and you'll be able to walk in most places. One thing not mentioned though...everyone reacts differently when in frigid water. Most say something like "Dang that's cold" and get their wits and get to shore. Others can almost go into instant shock and will need help. It's wise to know how you'd react in cold water if you paddle in the late seasons. Of course it's best to always paddle in groups and never let anyone out of sight. Stuff happens to even the best paddlers and it's much quicker and easier and appreciated to have help.
But I'm here to tell you that yes you can paddle in the winter and be comfortable and warm without having a drysuit...if you're not on big water/lakes/ etc.
Mike
2 guys, 2 days, 5 swims. LOVE drysuit!
Matt (Bowler1) and I paddled the Lower Gunpowder Friday and the Gunpowder Gorge (twice) Saturday. Between the two of us, we had five swims. As I posted in reply #25 to this thread, I paddled and swam many winters without a drysuit, and I don’t believe they are a necessity. But man are they nice!
Matt and I both swam on the Lower GP, yet on the final, challenging rapid we carried back up and ran the rapid two more times. No way would I have done that if I’d already swam without the drysuit. I still have non-drysuit mentallity, and on the way back to the top of the rapid, was getting ready to climb into my boat to cross an eddy next to some big rocks. Matt passed me and just jumped in and waded through the waist deep water. That reminded me, “oh ya, I’m in a drysuit.” So I followed his example. I wouldn’t do that without a drysuit. In fact, since I already swam, without the drysuit, I probably wouldn’t be going for a second and third round. Too risky, since I would have already changed into my back-up gear.
I mentioned this thread to Matt on the Gorge. He told me drysuit in winter is such a no-brainer he never opened the thread and didn’t know what I was talking about.
I always felt drysuits were not necessary for winter paddling. I still feel that way. But now I feel they are really nice, and worth the price. I do grimace at the price, but am very happily enjoying mine. I’m even considering buying a better one. But, ow, ow, the price. You can buy a whole boat for the price, or you can buy yourself another season on the water, a boatload of comfort and fun.
~~Chip
depends
Most of us were talking paddling in big lakes/oceans not steams. Yes you can get away without a drysuit in steams where you’re always near shore. In big water it’s not the same thing by any stretch. You’re not going to wade to shore and change into dry clothes if you’re 5 miles from shore.
Bill H.
dry tops and pants
Still, not everyone is able to spend $800 for a drysuit. Far better wearing a drytop/pants combination than doing without any dry clothing in cold weather.
Bill H.
maybe similar
5 miles offshore or stuck in the woods soaking wet,25 degrees,miles from the takeout, could stink too.
Had a flip myself yesterday, 42 degrees, 3 miles from Scotts Jeep, playing at my local spot
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2950428640094366337NWxuad
at about 40% greater flow than in this pic… All I can say is ,the water felt great on my face.