50 Degrees
I find around 50 degrees F to be a good temp to start or end kayaking. I put a warm shirt under my vest and I’m good to go. I take along a pair of warm gloves if needed.
As already stated, cooler temps will have you finding less boat traffic, and it can be a good time of the year to see migrating birds if you are in an area for that, spring and fall.
-Capri
If I didn’t paddle below 50
I’d only be able to paddle a few weeks a year. I have paddled when the air was 18F and the water 33. It was calm but it was cold, Ice formed on the deck and sprayskirt from drips/splashes. I often paddle in the upper 20’s with little or no breeze. I did my first roll of the year again on New Year’s Day, air temp 27F water 34, three rolls.(btw I’m 67)
Trial and error by feel has
established 25F’n air-degrees with
no wind, as my absolute bottom line
for winter paddling frigid 1-2 rivers.
(And since 25 is half my age,
this seems reasonable to me in
some foolhardy way.)
Your results may vary.
Just a side input here
No matter what the temp I would not paddle if there were any ice shelves along the river. For me the temp would be mid 20s if mostly sunny.
Around 25 - 30 F
Saturday was too cold to paddle – it was -9 F when I got up, so we went XC Skiing. Yesterday was a balmy +12 F and snowing in the AM, so I went snowshoeing and then shoveled the driveway.
Freshwater has been solid for a month, so we’ll paddle saltwater when it’s too warm to ski unless the harbors freeze. That happens about 2 years out of five.
Usually, I’ll paddle down to about 25 degrees if there’s no wind, and if there is wind, the rule is 35 by noon, or I don’t go.
Ahh,
when the water is frozen solid??? You find geese frozen in the ice?? Couple of good indicators,maybe??
My personal coldest paddle with moving non- frozen variety water was 22degrees. Even went for a swim and the water felt warmer then the air. Had Dry suit on but feet got cold just after getting back in the boat.Quick thinking paddling pal saved my feet with an old pair of wool socks to put over dry suit booties and inside my Muckluks. Lesson learned,pack extra socks.
billinmd & apple
Cold Weather Paddling
To all of you paddlers that can handle the cold weather, kudos to you. I could not. I get cold very easily. I’d have to have way too many pieces of apparel on, and would therefore not be able to paddle:)
If I lived in an area where it was cold most of the time, I probably would not have gotten into paddling. I give you all credit for not letting weather temps stop you from enjoying kayaking.
It’s going to be 45 degrees today, and I was ready to paddle, but there is too much fog on the Puget Sound, has been like that for the past few days where I could barely see down my street as I live a few minutes from the Puget Sound.
-Capri
Liquid nitrogen.
When there’s no open water…
– Last Updated: Jan-19-09 8:29 PM EST –
We usually paddle year 'round - it helps justify the expense of dry suits etc... I usually refrain from voluntary rolling once the water temp is much below 50F, though to check out my best insulating system i did once roll in something around 40F water.
In reality , I rarely paddle when the air temps are below 20F.
I took this photo of George on November 30 of 2006:
Too cold to paddle
Well, if there are no mosquitos, no swimmers, no sweat bands and no bikinis, it is too cold. Luckily here in central Florida we can wet a paddle almost any given week.
too cold
It’s too cold to paddle if you have any issues taking a swim before you even get in your kayak. This is also the best way to prove that your gear is adequate.
Paddle when it feels right to you.
I don’t worry too much about the temp, as long, as your breath is not leaving your mouth and falling to the ground. Just dress warm and put your supply of safety gear on board.
But use some common sense unless your like me and just don’t care about the weather and you go paddling the day after New Years on Lake Michigan in blowing snow and breakers.
Was too cold for me at
5 deg celcius or in your terms 41f. That was ok for the last freshwater fishing of the year but end of enjoyable temps.
Right now it is -30c or -22f. Traded canoe in for a toboggan at end of November when it reached 0c or 32f. Everything very frozen including the canoe in the snowbank.
Is this Cold enough for you …
Corran who put’s these together is the designer of Dragorossi kayaks like the Squashtail and Fish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dofPl12HmV4&feature=channel_page
Too cold is when…
…I’d rather be skiing then paddling. 
Right now my “cold weather gear” is basically a wetsuit, gloves, wool hat and socks, mukluks and some outerwear and mid 40s on a windy day in November was the last time I paddled and even I found myself wishing I had better gloves. A windless, sunny day would probably have me happy in the 40 degree range.
This winter I had the choice between buying new ski boards (basically short skis) or a dry suit and went for the skis. I’ve skied in below zero temps a lot and it doesn’t phase me, even when I’m skiing in the rain but when you ski you are moving constantly (except for those long rides on the lift…Brrrr). I’m just not into being cold AND wet paddling for long periods of time and until I have a proper drysuit and can self rescue properly I won’t venture into the really cold water. IMO hypothermia is the real deal and I respect that cold water. We got lots of ice on the rivers now, this being the coldest winter we’ve had in quite awhile.
However some of my fellow club members have done paddling when it’s snowing and it sounds fantastic. Paddling down a river with everything covered in snow sounds great. With some more training and a drysuit I can see giving it a try for next year. Like one person pointed out, I want to be at the point where I can survive should I find myself IN the water. Not there yet. I’m really looking forward to spring. Figure in these parts (central NJ) I can head out on the water again in March.
It is never too cold!!!
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1120361930049735028wGQhTz
What the hell is a drysuit? Never owned one, haven’t seen the need yet.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
2 cold 2 paddle
well when dat the ice is frozen and dat cant paddle on current water but sit on dat frozen ice,thast mean duh it 2 cold 2 paddli9ng…this answer your question…
Personally…
The questions for me are how likely it is that I’ll have to roll, and the coldest water temps in which I can do so. That’s about cold shock to the face, not the body which can be layered to protect the body to ridiculously cold water temps with really good layers.
The other is hands - again, I can protect my body better than I can protect my hands even with scuba gloves.
Personally I wouldn’t try anything moving in temps under about 45 degrees (water temp) because somewhere in there I’d be concerned about either gasping or having to wear so much covering that it’d feel too claustrophobic. I am much less restrictive for flat water because it is much easier for me to avoid capsize and exit/wearing a more covering head piece is easier since a helmet isn’t critical.
You obviously didn’t…
Click on the link in my post above???
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Yer kin’ lead a canoo ta water…
but waan it’s solid yer kin’ only drag it de rest o’ de way…
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2492723560094647494tkcKLG
FE