Other cooling option
For non-rollers (yet). Ask a fellow paddler to stop so you can take good dunk off their bow.
I err on the side of too warm and often switch out the sweaty inner layer for a fresh one at lunch break.
Easy to keep a neoprene hood on you
Just put it on after the dry suit or dry top is on, leave it around your neck. That way it is always ready to pull up if you do need it for warmth.
Just have to remember to take it off before pulling the dry suit over your head.
Celia
wear
a balaclava rolled ito watch cap under a Seattle gore hat. Bring gloves.
use a goretex spray skirt.spend the $$$
Amazon has balaclava, REI and other online sellers have discount ski gloves abt now.
Expedition wool socks …this leaves the torso…
long sleeve crew polyester with poly Tee from 75/65, Tee above 80.
at 65, use light weight thermal underwear pants.
at 60 think of a light thermal top with the Tee or move into the synthetic silks
below 60 in overcast, expedition thermal underwear with a hood on hand
below 60 requires experience with thermal underwear with a course of …thermal underwear.
I see Patagonia and wool are available…that is P and W are leftover.
for the bottom end, below 65\overcast with Gore sprayskirt n a large cockpit, skinny paddler, we have 4 way stretch at abt .25" thick top n bottom also use full for artic nights in the 0 degree PolyMummy.
You’ve given me lots to think about.
I had been reading about the dangers of cold water. I wound up at Keith Wikle’s blog and came across an old article discussing the death of an experienced paddler on Lake Superior. The last sentence stated: “Students, be prepared to approach your skill development as if your life depended on it and train hard.”
That statement had a lot of impact because I realized that while I train on and off the water, I’ve ignored regular training in self-rescue, something I really should be adept at since I paddle solo. I have no excuses for not doing it; not even lousy ones.
I figure if I’m wearing gear that will keep me comfortable in cold water, I’ll actually do self-rescue training early in the season and do it often.
My current wetsuit/NRS neoprene jacket setup keeps me comfortably warm when the air temp is cold, but I’ve never tested it in cold water. I plan to in the next few days. From what I’ve read about wetsuits, it should also keep me somewhat warm.
I know a Kokatat GoreTex dry or semi-dry suit will keep me dry but getting the right amount of layers sounds like it could be a challenge. I still recall the discomfort of those wearing drysuits in my L2 class last summer because they had overlayered.
All the advice and experiences shared here have been valuable and I thank you for it.
We’re always told to try before you buy when it comes to boats. I think I’ll apply that advice to a drysuit and rent one first before making any final decision.
Sizing and Fit
Don’t know about other manufacturers, but Kokatat has an excellent sizing chart on their site. Just knock around and you can find it.
And don’t assume what size you would take. It turns out I am a lousy fit for all of the womens sizes. The ones that were OK in the middle didn’t give me enough shoulder and the ones that were OK in the middle had way too much length ion arms and legs.
Turns out I am a nearly perfect match for the unisex small as long as I keep my butt from growing too much into the two inch margin they recommend. Legs, arms shoulders and torso were an exact fit.
I concur on Kokatat fit
Though my Kokatat drysuit fits pretty well (women’s L and I’m a shortwaisted 5’ 5" size 12), I’ve found that Kokatat sizing can be goofy on the female side. I tried on every size of their Outer Core thermal long pants last summer and the women’s style simply did not fit and had a weird design that I did not like, particularly around the back waistband. But the men’s large fit perfectly. It used to be that men’s pants were too low rise for women but the reverse seems to be true in recent years. I have a long rise and too many women’s lower body garments are hiphuggers style, which is quite uncomfortable especially when sitting in a kayak.
I also had bought a short sleeved women’s large Outer Core shirt (clearance rack deal I could not resist) and liked it so much for paddling that when I saw the same shirt in a long sleeved version on sale very cheap on Sierra Trading post I ordered it. The long sleeved one is considerably smaller than the short sleeved one marked in the same size. Perhaps that was why STP had it (mislabeled?). Kept it anyway. More incentive to drop a few pounds.
The Outer Core garments are nice on their own for in between weather (when it’s too chilly for summer garb but not quite to wetsuit conditions) and I expect they would work well under the drysuit in cold conditions, though probably not as comfortable as the fleece bunny suit I got for that. One advantage is that you could never wear the bunny suit on its own, but you could strip down to the Outer Core layers if conditions got warmer and keep on paddling. Outer Core is sort of a cross between stretch fleece and neoprene. You do get damp skin under it but you stay warm – it wicks and dries quickly. A bit like wool but not as itchy and more windproof.
gortex
I make notes on the weather I paddle in and what I wore to really know what to wear without guessing especially when it gets warmer. Water temp is the ultimately the most important. My Kokatat has worn well and still looks like new. I do pamper it when I am done. I paddle solo a lot as long as water is not frozen so it pay to treat equipment right.
Fit of one piece vs switch zip
Especially in the women’s style of drysuits with Dropseat zippers, the Kokatat fit is very different in the one piece front entry versus the two piece switch zip systems. The later not being as hippy as there isn’t the Dropseat to tailor for. Also the torso has less material as there is no chest zipper adding to the circumference which without wouldn’t allow for the wearer to duck their head under when donning.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
fb.me/theriverconnection
Field test and Kokatat sizing
Field tested my neoprene gear today after paddling. I wore my NRS full length FJ, a merino wool undershirt, lined poly 3/4 zip, and NRS neo paddling jacket. Neo boots, Glacier gloves, and a wool hat. 45F and 15MPH wind. Water probably in the 40s as the ice just went out last week and it’s been in the 20s and 30s at night. Springtime in Northern Michigan.
Entered the water, paddle in hand, and kept walking up to my armpits. I had planned to practice swimming with the paddle but the water was so cold, I chickened out. It was sharp and icy at first, then just cold. Not my idea of a day at the beach. I’ve read of the dangers of cold water, but those were just words. Being bitten by it gives one a different perspective.
Plan to try self rescues over the weekend to see how long I can function in cold water - but close to shore.
The neoprene was great once I was out of the water. Even with the wind I wasn’t cold. Worst part was sloshsing around in my water filled boots and soggy Smartwool socks.
That leads me to wonder if a drysuit would have been any warmer. Dry feet, yes, but uncertain about body warmth. I understand how neoprene works but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around how you’re protected in really cold water with just a couple of layers underneath a drysuit.
As to Kokatat sizing, their chart puts me in a small. I only have two pieces of Kokatat gear. My surfskin pants and the merino wool shirt, both purchased through The River Connection. The surfskins are a small and fit fine. I deliberately ordered a medium shirt because I like some looseness in my shirts.
Marshall of The River Connection is my outfitter (except for my FJ and jacket as he doesn’t handle wetsuits). I’m renting a drysuit from him so I can experiment in cold water and if I purchase a Kokatat suit, he’ll supply it and I’ve no doubt it will fit.
Paddledog, I like your idea of taking notes about weather conditions and what you’re wearing. Thanks.
Water cooling
Real simple. Water robs your body of heat 25 times faster than air does.
Wet wear mitigates that some. Staying dry mitigates it a whole lot more. So the thickness of the layers along with the fact of being dry can be less for the same level of protection.
The hardest part…
…will be the cold water on bare facial areas. No getting around that, and it is painful to roll in 45 degree water, or at least it was for me. When I rolled at water temps above 50, the first roll would give me ice cream headache, then there would be a reprieve for a few rolls before the headache returned. At 45, there was NO reprieve. It all hurt.
I actually find a hooded full 5mm wetsuit better for protecting head and neck because there is minimal bare facial area, and the neck is fully enclosed up to just below the lower lip. But I don’t really want to paddle the sea kayak in such thick neo. (I got it to use with the wave ski and it was fine for that.) And it does not allow tuning layers like a drysuit does, though I have heard of a scuba diver wearing TWO 7mm wetsuits layered. I heard it took him half an hour just to get dressed, and I bet undressing was even worse!
I have gotten to be a wimp about making myself roll in cold water. Probably should do it as a wonderful refresher on what it is like. Even though I never forgot.
No need to be delicate
I’d probably be considered a high-frequency drysuit user, spending perhaps 75-100 day a year in a Goretex Kokatat suit and I don’t find they need pampered at all. There’s no real wear over a couple years, except a bit of color fading sometimes. Leaks occasionally happen from a tiny puncture or catching the fabric in a zipper, but those take a while to notice and are easily repaired by kokatat for a very reasonable flat-rate. I generally send my suits in about every other year to be tested and to take care of any patches. Gaskets need to be taken care of, and for me they last 1 to 1 1/2 years.
Nate
you gotta do it sooner or later
My intuition is that once you’ve been through it and are used to it, you’re less prone to shock if or when you get into cold water unexpectedly.
I find when the water’s really cold I still feel it through the layers, but that a drysuit keeps me a bit more isolated. Again that’s just my opinion. Agree with Pikabike about the worst being exposed open areas such as the face and back of neck. And I couldn’t do cold-water drills without at least a hood and preferably earplugs, it just wears me out otherwise.
I’ve only been in the water once and certainly didn’t do any drills so I feel a bit sheepish…
too cool off I do
– Last Updated: Apr-29-16 1:58 PM EST –
I do this, picture of me two weeks ago wearing kokatat drysuit. Not rolling just sculling.
http://www.pbase.com/dc9mm/image/163108970/original
Heaven on earth
That’s what a good drysuit is. Mine is Kokatat, used only a few times every winter and well cared for. But Like you, Rookie, I paddle solo. I’m looking to add to my margin of safety with the suit and with a very careful eye on the weather forecast. And in addition to safety, there’s a big increase in comfort. If I get too hot, I take off my gloves and let 50-degree water on my hands cool me down. If cold, I put on a neo hood – only had to do that once this winter. In short, my drysuit was money I’ve NEVER regretted spending.
Good luck.
G in NC