bingo
what could happen
I did some quick research online to get the chart of survival times. For 32-40 degree water, you would become exhausted or go unconscious in 15 to 30 minutes. And your hand and legs would be the first things incapacitated (which you would need to get back in a boat), which would happen well before the 15-30 minutes.
Survival chart is at:
http://www.ussartf.org/cold_water_survival.htm
I think the comment above about wet suit down to about 50, and dry suit below that is a good one.
Palm Stikine dry suit
Dry suit is the only way to go! It’s like a security blanket. It’s just feels nice knowing that even if you blow the roll and go for a swim, you’re staying nice and dry and toasty warm. Don’t leave home without it!
Skills Are As Important As The Gear
– Last Updated: Oct-23-07 8:43 PM EST –
when in doubt, go with the drysuit.
Having said that, the last couple of years I surf paddle all winter in 33-40 degree water and air temps down to the upper teens (15 is about cut-off point for me, if the wind is blowing). On a weekend session, I easily go 4-6 hours in my winter wetsuit.
There are other options than a drysuit but a big deciding factor is your skills (and judgement). These provide a wider range of viable options.
sing
Love my wetsuits despite having two top of the line drysuit sitting unused in the basement.
With a couple of titanium hips
I find it almost impossible to get out of a standard Farmer John wetsuit even with a polyester underlayer.Cutting the thing off after each use is expensive and leaving it on permanently is a social liability. Unlike the "old days’ when i paddled all winter, i will now be satisfied if I can stay on the water and close alongshore until the water temp drops below 50F which is usually around the end of November. I’ve heard of the stuff called “Hydroskin”. Is it easy to get on and off? John
on marginal days
marginal meaning air 50F water 50F I wear a kokatat paddling suit. I’ve got the kokatat dry suit but only use that if the air is 30F and water 45F and lower. Skills yes, gear yes, judgement yes, and knowing what (if you can) you cant get into. For most of my paddling its big lakes and the crossings are rare, short, or can be avoided by another 30 minutes of hugging the shore. The paddling suit to me is inf. more comfortable than the drysuit and my thinking is that my head/neck will in all likely hood be above the water so minimal water will pass the neo neck before I’m heads up. Because of the paddling suit I’m in a suit far more often now, no dread of the neck gasket, no dread of the ripping/pulling it takes to get it past even my short hair. Even for rolling practice the paddling suit does a fine job, it will leak a bit but not enough to worry about and probably a less amount than I will accrue with sweat. Another plus is the paddling suit is much cheaper than the drysuit-though it is not as robust in construction.
UA cold gear
– Last Updated: Oct-24-07 1:15 AM EST –
I have a compression Under Armour cold gear top that does a good job whisking moisture and cutting the wind. I also wear waterproof pants w/ wetsocks/gloves. While I live in ND and water temps are now ~50F, I'm paddling on a narrow river, typically less than 10-20 yards from shore with little current and very little boat traffic. While there is a remote risk of tipping, I'm confident that if s*** hit the fan, I can make shore and get warmed up.
As always, I carry a dry bag with extra change of clothes and an emergency signaling device (aka cell phone). I live several blocks from the river, so worst case scenario I'm in water for less than several minutes, and wife can pick me up within 10 extra. Would I be comfortable? Probably not, but I'm not dead either.
a great layering garment
I am just getting back into kayaking and doubt I would encounter water temps that cold where I live in central coastal California. On the other hand the water temps in the ocean are in the 50s, regardless of the air temperature being 100 or 30. I have found that a clothing line called mysterioso (mtech series) works great as a base layer over a wide range of activities. It is fairly wind proof, breathes, wicks perspiration, stays warm in the water and air when wet, and is about the thickness of pair of sweats. I would compare its insulating abilities to thinner neoprene. I wear it alone on medium days and under a wetsuit on colder days or inclement weather. I have been very happy and satisfied with my purchase. Another point to consider is if you get wet, how long would it take to swim to shore, or how long would it take to remount your boat, under the worst conditions, and get to shore and change into dry clothes.
awesome /thankyou
great and timely advise thanks one and all… mia i will check out the nrs website as well…
Wetsuits
I keep forgetting - there are wetsuits out there that are way more technical than the usual Farmer John (or Jane) paddling wetsuit. Lighter weight and warmer, also more expensive. Last I checked they seemed to cost towards a cheap non-breathable (and ultimately barely worth the investment) drysuits. Sing has mentioned these and would be a good resource.
I tend to stay with drysuits because they are probably the best choice for my particular habits and needs, but if you are just starting out it would really be worth checking out these other wetsuits. The more inexpensive drysuits tend to be short-lived investments - often paddlers find that they wish they’d gone for the more expensive one after a season in the lesser suits. A high end surfing wetsuit would no more expensive and probably way better.
By the way, you should still think about having a wind-blocking layer on you no matter what for winter paddling. Up in the air, sweaty or wet is a problem in a cold breeze.
Almost Killed Me…
the winter wetsuit I bought last year for $350 was on sale for $250 last month. 
The needs of a paddler is different from a surf paddler who is constantly getting wet.
If I were just paddling in the winter, I would not go with a 6/5/4 winter wetsuit. I would sweat to death. I would go with a 4/3, or even a 3/2 paired with a drytop. 4/3 if I weren’t particularly fast in getting back into the boat after a swim. The hard part is regulating heat when sitting in the boat since one is supposed to dress for immersion. Heck, when I used to layer for immersion in a drysuit I would sweat like a pig when just paddling. Needed to roll periodically to keep relatively temperate. But, this approach can also be applied to wearing a really warm wetsuit too. The difference is that a 4/3 fall/spring wetsuit paired with a drytop only works out to maybe $350 – the price of a non-breathable (obstensibly) drysuit.
As I said, there are options but these are much more limited for folks at beginning stages of skills development.
sing
A Tuilik
is one of my favorite pieces of cold water/weather apparel. I wear a long legged farmer jane, topped by a drytop, then the tuilik. I like the water tight seal I get around my face with the tuilik. It keeps my head warm and keeps water out of my ears when I roll. Cold water in my ears has given me vertigo in the past, so I take precautions to keep this from happening again. I can take the hood off to get my head wet if I get too hot. I am surprised that no one has mentioned this versatile paddling coat. Once I invest in a drysuit, I will probably still wear the tuilik on top because of the great hood, warmth and comfort of this great piece of gear.
-Nancy
Given
The obvious alternative to a roll to cool off is a reliable scull, one that is solid enough that you can choose to just turn your face to the water without collapsing. That way a decent part of your shoulders, back and scull gets cooled off without risking the gasp response of a full roll in cold stuff.
However, it is common for paddlers to have a somewhat useful roll a lot sooner than they get that solid a scull, unless they came up greenland. So - if you need to anticipate a full swim, and on a warm sunny day with really cold water there will inevitably be a lotta sweating going on.
I usually bring two changes of clothing - one to change into at break to replace my sweated up layers, and another to change into if I have something like a drysuit failure or forget to sip up fully after I’ve donned that my change of clothes.
profile says beginner
may come out of boat
Yup
Reason I and some others jumped to drysuit or something pretty close to equivalent. This person is likely a while away from a roll in 30-odd degree water.
Scull & Roll, Either Or…
most folks who roll reliably can scull reliably. Same continuum. Actually, I advocate folks rolling before, during and after a winter paddle. That’s the way to get acclimated and NOT get shocked.
sing
im always prepared for a wet exit…
but manage to stay dry most of the time lol… im ok in the kayak bt not near as confident with the canoe as of yet…
what do the numbers signify?
6/5/4
4/3
3/2
2/1
thickness in mm NM
Dress for Immersion?
Many posts here either stress or presume the need to dress for immersion. Like “always wear a PFD,” it seems almost irresponsible to quarrel with that advice. And it’s good advice for lots of people.
But maybe not for everyone. Some of us are strictly flatwater canoe guys – we’re far less likely to get significantly wet, much less “roll”, than kayakers. (There was a recent thread on this topic.)
Moreover, if we boat in southern climes, the whole business seems (and I believe IS) much less threatening. Where I live, average daily highs (air) are 50 degrees in January; I’m guessing the water is warmer still. When the wind kicks up, and wind is the only plausible threat, I stay home till it settles down. When I go out, I generally stay near the (lee) shore (see that thread).
The point is that a one-size-fits-all approach to winter apparel does not “fit” everyone. For a person like me, spending $300-400 on drysuit gear just doesn’t make sense. For that price I can buy two very nice paddles! 