So you’ve ordered five dry suits then?
Sorry, couldn’t resist!
Six-
Just in case one developes a hole.
people do all sorts of things-
– Last Updated: Dec-18-14 6:40 AM EST –
when it comes to boating. I don't judge but you are asking for advice and I'm gonna tell you what you don't want to hear. If I was takin' kids out in the winter on the water I would want at least a wetsuit on them and a drysuit would be better. If I couldn't do that I wouldn't take them. I live in wv and the water temps are typically in the 40s and 50s- swimming is unpleasant in the winter. Respect the water. Your 5x more likely to die in cold water so you have to plan accordingly.
Minimizing your risk by boating a smaller stream and staying near shore is sensible. Taking children out who aren't properly clothed for the conditions isn't sensible. If you can't afford at least wetsuits for the kiddies you've got no business takin' them out, regardless of how much you want to paddle. Think of the kiddies first. Boating in the winter can be great fun, but it can be dangerous as well.
Kocho had it right about wetsuits and drysuits adding flotation. You float higher. Your riding higher out of the water and in a cold water scenario that is a very good thing.
So do what you want. That's is one of the great things about this sport. You get to make your own decisions and live them. When kids or seniors are involved, I'm suggesting we hold ourselves to a higher standard and put their safety first.
Note on wool
I credit wool with keeping me alive once when I was too young and stupid to realize about hypothermia. I climbed into a wet, ancient Boy Scout wool sleeping bag in the stage where teeth are chattering, whole body is shaking and brain is no longer working worth a darn. I came out again several hours later still wet and exhausted beyond belief.
But I came out. In synthetics that may not have happened. No one was present to check on me.
The old WW guys, I worked with one, before the days of the clothing we have now wore wool sweaters, wool pants, wool hats and given the environment you can be assured were wet. One of the really spiffy finds was a pair of lineman’s leather boots. With wool socks underneath.
Wool is heavy and generally not something anyone would prefer to swim in, and the really good stuff smells like last week’s garbage if it stays wet long enough. But it has some pretty stupendous properties too.
Sounds like he’s sufficiently prepared.
I realize opinions vary but under the circumstances it sounds to me like he has everything pretty well in hand. Under those circumstances a swim in cold water with cold air temps would be absolutely miserable but manageable. He’s stated that he’ll have backup dry clothes handy for them all and backups to those and the clothes he has for them are appropriate. Getting on the water in any weather is a calculated risk and all one can do is prepare to the extent one is able. It’s a bit extreme to impune his judgment just because he can’t drop $500 to $5000 on wet or dry suits in order to take his kids float camping on a class 0 stream.
Salvation Army
I just visited my local thrift store. One could outfit in wool from there for app 15$ per person.
Turtle
not characteristic of a typical class I
– Last Updated: Dec-19-14 6:16 PM EST –
stream when you figure in cold water temps. That's a game changer in my book. Tipping over a boat/canoe with a family on board in winter without proper immersion wear sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. kyed sounds like a great soul but I'm not gonna tell someone its safe to do something I believe is a bit risky. Ultimately, we all make that decision for ourselves, unless your a minor depending upon adult to make safe decisions for ya.
Dry clothes properly stored will help. Carrying a sleeping bag for rewarming is another trick they can employ since they will already have camping gear but none of that makes it okay during the initial immersion phase if they swim.
So kyed if your serious about this, have the family take a little swim test wearin' their wool sweaters, pants, and shoes on, at the put in. If everyone is okay with it then I say its a go.
I just can't imagine wanting to dress a kid up in heavy wool garb and then expect them to swim to shore in Dec. or Feb. I think OP wants to know if its safe to do so. I don't think it is but its just one opinion.
I'm always preachin' the environment- meaning you need to have the skill set and materials to match where you are on any given day. Its not about ratings, its about understanding that in this situation cold water demands respect. If your not going to dress for immersion or do it only partially, then you take your chances- which could be miniscule or huge depending on your skill level and your ability to not make any more mistakes.
I believe the Op is wanting to know if its okay to throw some wool on and take the family out for a spin in the family canoe in the winter. That's sketchy in my play book. The op has options- they can postpone until warmer water later in the year, drive somewhere warmer to paddle, invest in drysuits and wetsuits, or go ahead and chance it.
Sometimes it sucks being a responsible adult. I'm as cheap as they come, but never asked my kids to go swimmin' in winter wearin' a bunch of wool. Maybe I just needed to tell them to "man up" and that its part of character building.
I myself have left my wool pants, and wool sweaters (which were sandwiched between two paddlin' jackets) days in my rear view mirror. Now I'm wearin' one of my farmer john wetsuits, or my semi drysuit, or full drysuit, or my neoprene pants and drytop.
kyed I'll be glad to go paddlin' with ya sometime. We're neighbors. Just try keepin' your brood alive until we get a chance to do it.
You got Ollies in your neck of the woods? sometimes they sell wetsuits dirt cheap.
some links to help ya out
http://www.zappos.com/kids-wetsuits?gclid=CJi4wO-c08ICFRCLaQodz48Aww
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kids+wetsuits+for+swimming&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=31541582357&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=476846486160411552&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5gk5jv1738_b
http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/wetsuits/category/kids-juniors-wetsuits.html
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/exposure-gear/wetsuits-c-116/wetsuitsyouth-c-116-288.html?gclid=CKHuloie08ICFQkIaQodrxYA2w