Cool water, warmish air. What do you wear? I am hoping to expand my paddling season a month or so on each side. Being off the water for four or five months just isn’t cutting it any more. I’m not going to get a drysuit, so don’t even go there.
I’m thinking a semi-dry top or good paddle jacket that has a wide neo waist (like NRS Apex) over waders would do the job. I have tried waders with a wide waist belt and using PFD as a chest belt and that’s worked, but would like a little better wind/evaporation protection on top. Plus if there’s a good neo waist, that’s that much less water that could get into the top of the waders.
My personal limit for water temps is 45 degrees unless ShenandoahRiverRat gives me a call and wants to catch some winter bass.
Sounds good. I assume you are talking about the Approach as the fishing vessel and your winding rivers with rapids that could dunk you. All that, combined with a skirt should work. Down here, most wear waders or wet suits when the water gets below 55. In my Loon, I mostly wear rain suit pants and top…not too worried about a dunking, just hate the paddle drips on my legs and arms. As the water temp seldom gets below 55 and I’m usually no more that 30 yards from shore, I haven’t worried much about it, but suppose one day I’ll go for a swim.
Yep. Approach will be used in the cool water/warm air times.
I’ll be using the Scanoe on slow moving, lazy fishing trips in the summer when water-wear will consist of a pair of swim trunks and sunblock and it’ll be more likely that I’ll jump out to cool off as it is that I’ll take an accidental swim.
Thanks. Good link. The semi-dry top is about $15 less than the NRS version (which is a paddle jacket in their parlance, but looks like a semi-dry top to me) and has a skirt tunnel (or whatever those things are called).
I was looking at the pfd’s. Had bought my son one, price driven. But, from the website, it looks like not a bad choice. The tops and pants look good for mild weather. May look into one of the jackets.