The concept that, “we are all adults here” is very flattering, but perhaps a little over estimated at times.
I suggest the quick drying wear. Kayaking is a wet sport. Bicycling (less pad), running and other rapid dry synthetic wear are good choices.
I have a lichen planus. I hope you don’t have it… Mine is in a better place than that covered by shorts. This is a persistent skin condition that basically they don’t know much about. I think I got it from the water. It seems to activate in questionable and/or potable water. I got a steroidal crème from the doctor that knocks it down. After cleaning up I treat the area and it keeps the area from a break out.
@bwilley5 said:
New paddler here. I have a SOT 10’ kayak and I’m having a terrible time staying dry. I’m getting less messy, but I’ve plugged my seat scuppers and left my front/feet scuppers open. As a lady, I really need to keep my shorts as dry as possible. Do any of you experienced folks have any advice on keeping my bottoms dry? I’m paddling primarily in our river, which is not the cleanest, and mostly when it’s hot. Should I try wetsuit shorts? TIA!
First, my apologies for how off track this post has gotten. Not the best introduction to the board.
Wet suit shorts, or dry pants would mostly do what you want. Mostly, as if you swim, likely either would let water in. A full dry suit would do everything you want, even with a swim, but is costly and would be overkill in warm areas.
A larger SOT kayak would also work. SOTs function by being filled with air and floating on top of the water. The more you weigh in relation to the max weight the boat can handle, the lower the boat sits in water. The lower you sit in the water, the more water comes up through scupper holes. A 10 foot boat likely doesn’t have a huge weight capacity. Going to a larger capacity boat would lift you up higher, which would generally keep you dryer. An extreme example - we use Ocean Kayak Malibu 2XTs in the rental fleets of a place I work for. Ocean Kayak lists max capacity of 450-500 lbs. I weight 215. if I use it solo, with seat in middle, it is a very dry ride. If I paddle with front and back seats with a second person my weight, we will have water coming up through scupper holes and the feet well and seat well will be flooded, so will have wet shorts (though the boat still floats).
Bwilley5 - I’ve found that rain pants (I use GoreTex rain pants that cost me $10 at a thrift store) are usually adequate for keeping my shorts dry. You might combine them other solutions, and make sure the drip rings on your paddle are near your hands, and not at the ends of the paddle, to keep much of the drip water off.
Kayaking is a wet sport, period, especially in a SOT. No getting around that fact, whether moisture comes from the inside or outside.
A drysuit will keep your bottom dry from external water entry (splashes or capsizing) but it will not keep it dry from too much sweating. Even if it is a Goretex suit, the butt is sitting on a solid seat, unless you put a mesh pad over that.
A SINK prevents direct hits of water, but the interior becomes covered in condensed moisture, from your own sweat inside the spray skirt and from temperature differences between the environment outside and within the cockpit.
If paddling a SOT in hot weather, the best option would be to wear quick-drying synthetic shorts with a mesh liner or undies, and CHANGE CLOTHES after paddling. Wearing wet or even damp shorts while driving home feels nasty, and it eventually makes the car smell bad, especially if the water was foul.
@pikabike said:
A drysuit will keep your bottom dry from external water entry (splashes or capsizing) but it will not keep it dry from too much sweating. Even if it is a Goretex suit, the butt is sitting on a solid seat, unless you put a mesh pad over that.
I believe that the original poster was not so much concerned about being wet, but about exposure to bacteria or similar bad stuff from the water she is paddling. If so, sweat and condensation likely would not be a concern, as these are not exposing her to the water she is paddling in.
I have a sit in kayak and was looking for solutions as well. My concern wasn’t so much about infection as the discomfort of swamp butt and sitting in a puddle all day long. My hubs and I prefer paddling creeks and rivers and we end up taking on a little water in rapids. He has a LiquidLogic with one of those seats that resembles a camp folding chair. This allows him to dry out in no time when he gets wet. I have an Elie with a plastic molded seat that doesn’t drain or get any kind of air flow. I just bought a spray skirt and haven’t had the chance to try it out yet. Most of the time we’re paddling it’s very warm out and I don’t mind cooling off with the water every now and then, I just hate sitting in a puddle all day. And the quick drying surf shorts I wear wont dry if you’re sitting in a puddle
So far the solution I’m going to try this season is to drill a couple holes in the lowest portions of the molded seat for drainage. I’m also going to replace the stock seat pad with this interesting elastic silicone gel seat cushion I found on Amazon. It’s claims include:
The gaps between the pillars is favorable for air circulation, ventilation and breathable, can prevent eczema and hemorrhoids caused by sedentary sultry
The raised pillars can massage the buttocks, relax the muscles and relieve sedentary fatigue
Never hot design, the gel cushion pad will keep your buttock cool and dry. And it¡¯s easy to clean, washed with water directly and dried quickly
Non-slip cushion, the small suckers at the bottom make the cushion anti-skid, don¡¯t worry it will move back and forward. The cushion can be placed in office chairs, sofas and other places
@bwilley5 said:
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.
We don’t have enough information to answer your question very well. If we’re talking about yeast infections (not actually sure we are), I think there’s a difference between “water” and “constant presence of moisture.” Your doctor is stating a basic well-known fact, although I think you have to add in the presence of bacteria, lack of air, and heat. So bacteria + heat + moisture + unventilated clothing may = yeast infection. If water were that dangerous by itself, women wouldn’t be spending much time in bathtubs, swimming, etc.
So the antidotes are daily washing, drying yourself well (a hair dryer is helpful after a shower or swimming), wearing loose clothing, and avoiding cotton underwear (or avoiding underwear altogether, to be honest). I don’t see avoiding water as a preventative. I have often spent a few hours in a kayak with wet shorts. On a hot summer day there’s nothing better than taking a dip in a lake and getting back in the kayak sopping wet. That keeps you cool for another half hour. That seems healthier than wearing hot, humid waterproof shorts all day––in fact, getting out of the kayak in clean water is cleansing. I would avoid water that looks unclean. (Yeah, you can’t actually see bacteria in the water but some water is obviously filthy and not a great choice for kayaking.)
I certainly wouldn’t give up kayaking or being in the water due to a fear of a yeast infection.
If you have an existing infection of some other type, by all means follow your doctor’s advice. But I would also research your type of infection and get some solid medical information––exact type of infection, causes, remedies––to help you make a rational decision. Personally I never automatically follow a doctor’s advice without doing my own research.
Not always. I have a SOT and I stay dry. All the time. I want to be able to set my camera down in front of me and that requires that area to be bone dry.
I get in from the dock, I have plugs in the scupper holes and the “cockpit” generally stays dry. If I dip my feet in the water, the draining water stays in the foot area, away from the seat.
Obviously not all SOT kayaks can provide a dry ride, but it’s far from impossible.
