Bnystrom strikes again !
Or should I say strikes out again !
Guy
Brian’s Right…
The primary insulator is the neoprene, not the water.
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howwetsuitswork.html
If this were not the case, I would need only a 1 mm wetsuit to keep me warm year-round. Atlas, not true. I have 1 mm for summer, 3/2 mill for later spring and early fall, 4/3 for early spring and later fall, 5/3 for winter and 6/5/4 for deep winter. These number signify thicknesses of core, and limbs in the wetsuit and, thus, level of insulation for the water temps.
Yes, water does seep in and it gets warm (taking body energy to do that). But, the water is not the insulator. The more water that gets in, the more one will burn energy to heat that water. That’s why a well fitting wetsuit is needed to work well. I can wear a 6/5/4 and still get cold in spring, if said wetsuit is a size large and I am a size small. At the same time, I can have a well fitting 1 mm wetsuit on in the deep of winter and not last more than 10-15 minutes because the neoprene lacks sufficient insulation as the colder surrounding water will just suck the energy right through the suit and the thin layer of water underneath.
sing
As a person who favors his wetsuits, for his type of paddling venues, over his two drysuits.
hopefully brian’s wearing a drysuit
It’ll be easier for him to clean your bodily fluids off his pantleg.
Here’s Key Paragraph…
in the article:
“Keep that water out!
For a wetsuit to work properly, any water that seeps in has to stay inside and stay warm. If a wetsuit fits badly, or isn’t well sealed, the warm water layer will constantly “flush” in and out and be replaced by cold water from the sea—which, if you think about it, would be almost the same as wearing no wetsuit at all. As wetsuit inventor Hugh Bradner (see below) first realized, a neoprene wetsuit keeps you warm in spite of the fact that it makes you wet, not because of it.”
oops
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/wetsuits-drysuits/do-you-know-how-wetsuit-really-works
This source differs.
Last person I trust to tell me how a new car works is the dealer.
Missed the point…
So much negativity here. I’m not trying to be an olympic kayaker. I’m new, know very little, and have nobody to ask. I’ve been boating for about 20 years, run, swim, fish, camp, and live in a very rural mid-western farm community… So no, dirt, water, animal poop, all of that nasty stuff, none of it bothers me. The concern isn’t the water being dirty, it’s what it does to my body and how I can prevent it.
I appreciate the kind suggestions and useful information, but no need to make assumptions about me being “in the wrong sport” I’m fairly young and athletic and was looking for a new outdoor activity and welcoming folks who had advice to give. I received a personal email from someone on here who was very helpful and kind, and provided me with the insight I needed. I don’t mean to sound totally rude, but this is one hell of a way to welcome a newby.
Dirty Little Secret.
– Last Updated: Aug-12-15 11:24 AM EST –
Many divers will pee in their wetsuits to warm up while diving. What sounds discussing to some at first becomes very acceptable even welcome once you try it and feel the warmth.
Just don't lick any wetsuits on a dive boat..
Unfortunately
You’ll have to get used to that here. The vast majority of people are nice and helpful, but there’s a few that are so gung-ho and better than the rest of us that it comes off as really, really abrasive (and off-putting to the relative newcomer who just wants to know more about the sport). Over time you’ll come to learn whose posts are worth reading.
sorry, but it was an odd question
If you had some unique medical vulnerability, that could matter to the answer. It does in my case, for over 3 decades now.
If the issue is solely water, the same solutions as for swimming should work.
There was no way to tell exactly what you were asking, so yeah l didn’t answer wit something of use. I am still not sure that there is something going on here that has gone unmentioned.
to defend the forum
People come here with all sorts of questions from all sorts of perspectives. Some people actually just don’t like water. Some people don’t like thinking about safety. And so on and so forth. To Celia’s benefit, you never mentioned why you didn’t want to get wet, that there was some risk of infection.
I disagree with Fred in that I don’t think anyone was trying to be rude. Celia apologized for the misunderstanding. The sidebar about how wetsuits work, well, that’s a bone of contention as you can see.
It will be difficult to stay dry on a SOT but beyond that it sounds like you got the help you needed. Please chalk the rest up to misunderstanding, and don’t be shy about giving the forum a second chance.
Brian and sing are right
I have worn wetsuits of varied thickness, coverage, design, brand/model, and tightness.
There is no doubt that tightness, i,e., minimizing water intrusion, is the most important aspect of staying warm in a wetsuit. The drier, the better.
Maybe see a doctor
Possibly you got an infection from something other than paddling a SOT in icky water. It could have subsided but never really gone away, and paddling merely allowed the bacteria to multiply enough to become noticeable again.
If you were on antibiotics and the infection returned, which happens frequently, the best thing would be to stay off the water while you aggressively treat the infection. You can figure out the best pants to wear in the meantime. That, and be scrupulously clean about any other activities that could have caused the infection.
Or they pee in their wetsuits because
it’s too much hassle to get out of the water, remove the wetsuit, pee, re-don the wetsuit and get back to the location they were when the urge to pee overtook them.
You said you are a new paddler, so
the responses seemed appropriate for a new paddler asking the question.
Some input from very experienced female paddlers was offered and you didn’t like it.
The fact is, that for many SOTs, keeping a dry butt is nearly impossible because of either water getting into the seat well from the body of water or from sweat when trying to keep out the water by using waterproof shorts.
As others have stated, if you want to kayak, getting a sit in kayak and using a spray skirt will greatly improve your chances of having a drier seat.
Happy paddling.
that’s exactly what
I’ve experienced swimming. I once wore an old stretched out wetsuit and swam. Nearly froze to death. A thin layer of water trapped next to the skin is what you want. Not a continuous stream of water leaking in and out
When you first get immersed in a wetsuit you initially cool down until your body warms up the water in the suit. In a stretched out suit new cold water comes in while the warm water leeks out.
So if this is all mythical i must have been ridin’ a unicorn rather than paddlin’ my old gyramax.
I almost became a myth that day- able to get most of my body up on the boat and out of the water until some other boaters arrived.
This is the part of the OP
– Last Updated: Aug-12-15 12:37 PM EST –
that I don't quite understand: "As a lady, I really need to keep my shorts as dry as possible." Like Celia I wonder if there is something more that is not being said? Whatever.
My feeling is that if it is important for you to stay dry while paddling a sit on top kayak you are going to have a struggle. Dry suit works well but expensive and probably too hot. Sit in Kayak certainly much dryer than a sit on top. Maybe there are some goretex shorts or long pants on the market that would help? I just came back from a two hour paddle in my sit in kayak with a spray skirt - I wore my bathing suit as I generally do this time of year and in this sort of environment (protected coast of maine waters close to shore). My bathing suit is pretty much 100% dry right now.
I wish i knew a good answer
but i don’t. You stated you boat when its hot, on a SOT. I would go with some light loose nylon shorts that dry quickly, and keep things aired out (commando). I think staying dry will difficult so think fast drying instead.
Take a shower immediately after boating and wash clothing after each trip.
another lady paddler weighing in
I’ve been doing “immersive” sports my whole life, from swimming in questionable ponds as a little kid to snorkeling, diving, swimming and paddling in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams all over North America for 45 years. And I admit I am as puzzled as Celia by your presumption that water coming into your kayak will cause (or is causing) lady parts infections. I’ve suffered various such annoyances in the past from the side effects of antibiotic use, picking up tinea crurens (jock itch) at the gym, swimming in chlorinated pools (which messes up your pH and can trigger candida albicans florescence) and inadvertently sharing microbes with a couple of boyfriends, but never had anything attributable to microorganisms in any natural water body vector. So please forgive our skepticism but this just is not a common concern among us lady paddlers.
That said, and respectfully presuming that this is something that you really do need to address, the various wicking and wetsuit suggestions are NOT going to keep the waters you are paddling in from contacting your nether regions. The only method I have found to keep ambient waters out or to a minimum is Goretex or other breathable waterproof full length paddle pants with neoprene waistband and ankles. I have a pair of NRS ones like these linked below (on sale as a matter of fact).
http://www.outdoorplay.com/NRS-Womens-Carolina-Kayak-Pants?sc=7&category=184
If you capsize or swim some water WILL get in through the waistband, and even though they are breathable your will sweat inside in warm weather, so if your troubles arise from the sorts of infections like tinea or yeast that are aggravated by moist warm conditions, it won’t be much help. But these will pretty much keep the bulk of the water flushing into your boat from soaking your pants. In warm weather I wear them over a tank suit (like a Tyr or Speedo) with hard soled rubber dive booties or soft neoprene dive socks, which help keep water from going up the cuffs.
I would try a pair of the pants – always a good investment anyway since they are great for rainy weather hiking and biking.
Thank you
The concern of being a lady and the water is the constant presence of moisture, which I was told by my physician is causing the problem. I am seeking advice as to how to stay as dry as possible. I appreciate your feedback.
Not quite, and another idea
Moisture itself is not the cause. Rather, it provides an environment that the cooties find easy to thrive in.
I still think you need to give your body a break from the wetness, to make things harder for those bugs.
Also, I remember seeing one kayaker put a mesh seat pad on his SINK’s seat. He did it for comfort and cooling in hot weather. It would also help with your problem. I tried it in his kayak and liked it. But I don’t know where he bought it from. You might be able to adapt a mesh car seat pad, or make one yourself.