When you stop for lunch
you might try a storm cag type garment that will go on over PFD and dry suit. I happen to use a Kokatat strom cag - there are several other good brands.
Mike
Yeah, they make a HUGE difference
I’ve got a Hilleberg “Bivanorak” that my girlfriend gave me a few years ago, which is always in my paddling gear as an emergency shelter. I’ve also been shared the British kayak bivy shelters that were all the rage a few years back and are big enough for 4 people or more. As soon as you put another layer over your wet paddling gear, the difference in warmth is incredible. In some cases, you may find that you even get too warm, especially in the multi-person shelters. However, you don’t need to buy one of these expensive shelters, a simple poncho or even a tarp wrapped around you can create a lot of warmth.
I have gone back to wool
precisely because I sweat alot. Lunch in the past always got me chilled with synthetic base layers.
Merino or Icelandic wool only. Its not the same wool as everyday wool…its longer and finer staple.
Insulates well even when wet.
My new favroite wool windblocking layer (mind you this is for snowshoeing and canoe camping near freezing is a dense Wool Blanket Shirt by Empire Canvas)…Over a merino Icebreaker undergarment.
Wool no longer has to be itchy or scratchy.
Of course all this is of no interest to those allergic.
“Emergency blankets” work, too
I’ve never needed one on paddling trips, but it sure came in handy during a cold storm and downpour on a mtn bike ride. Big enough to cover two people scrunched together, waterproof, lightweight, compact, and cheap.
I got to try one of those 4-person tent-like covers and you are right–it gets warm immediately, and it quickly became too hot under the conditions we tried it (about 55-60 degrees). I didn’t like it, and a claustrophobe would probably freak out.
One huge problem with wool
MOTHS.
Otherwise, I’d switch all my base layer garments to merino wool ones (after they wore out). As it is, I have a mix. Wool in winter only, when moths are dead. Synthetics the rest of the year, when I don’t dare hang up wet wool items to dry.
It is heartbreaking to find a very fine wool item with moth holes chewed in it. Especially if it’s an heirloom kind of item like a beautiful wool blanket. Or my ancient Woolrich heavy wool shirt, purchased for a whopping $25 back around 1975. I love this thing for shoveling snow in; put on a turtleneck base layer plus this shirt and I can shovel for hours in 15-degree temps without getting either sweaty or chilled.
Certain types of trunks will keep you warm in cold water. The two types that work best are cold water trunks and drysuit trunks. Cold water trunks are designed to keep you warm in cold waters and when paired with a wetsuit you can spend hours in the water without freezing to death. Drysuit trunks are another alternative. Merino Wool base layer keep you warm by keeping the water out. Paired with a dry top, you can enjoy the water for an extended period of time.
You have to experiment some. There are folks who swear by silk as an underlayer, my husband was one. All it did for me was turn into a wet handkerchief against my skin. Some folks like breathable wool blends. I can’t have that layer next to my skin because it itches. Turns out I do best in tweaked synthetics - polypro, capilene and fleece. But that is just me.
When biking or paddling, if I am not cold when I start then I will be drenched after 15 minutes. So dress lightly enough that you feel chilly when you start.
On days when I’m starting early and it warms up, I peel off layers. Of course layers under a dry suit won’t peel, so @MikeT T’s suggestion of a jacket over the suit makes a lot of sense to me.