winter gear?

[ghetto johnny]

just trying to get some input on winter clothing.
this will the first time paddling in the cold,i paddle a spanish fly by the ways.
anyways,
just curious, didn't want to buy a dry suit just yet ,don't know exectly how many days i will this winter besides pool days
what about blood circulation?
thanks for any input
john c.
cincy,ohio

[Mike W.]

When I was paddling OC, I 1st bought a wet suit. It was cold Then I broke down & bought a gore-tex dry-suit It is not cheap. I've bought many boats for less than I paid for that dry-suit. However, it keeps me dry. The layers under it keep me warm. I look at it as safety gear. As for circulation, the ankle gaskets restrict blood flow. If I wear thick (3mm) neoprene socks under the dry-suit the ankle gasket's presure is spread out by the sock & I'm more comfortable. I hear that the suits with the attached gore-tex socks are the best way to go. I think my next suit will have them.

Get a releif zipper! It's conveneint, plus it saves wear on your entry zipper, neck & wrist gaskets since you don't have to take the suit half off to releive yourself.

Pay for breathable material. You never regret buying the best. If you don't, you can remind yourself how much $$ you saved every time that pool of sweat settles just above your ankle gaskets

I think it's a good idea to get the flap over the entry zipper. It keeps mud & sand out of the zipper & keeps the zipper from shreding your life jacket & hands.

[bearboater]

Im all for the dry suit, I have the Gore-Dura from Kokatat, and I love it, its a sweet suit, i got the booties, and the relief zipper, so it basically is the coolest suit out there. I haver paddled every month since last march. you'll appreciate the drysuit alot if you get one.
cheers
-isaac

[Larry Horne]

gore-tex (it IS worth it!) drysuit with at least two fuzzy layers underneath
neoprene gloves
neoprene hood-- this makes a huge difference

winter boating is great fun, don't swim!

[creek1r]

I wear my dry suit from Dec thru May. The water is still really cold in early spring. I have used mine even in June in West Va. Best investment you can make.

[sbroam]

When I was primarily open boating, I had a dry top with a spray tunnel and a good pair of paddling pants - I could tuck them well up into the spray tunnel and stayed pretty dry and pleny warm enough to paddle year round. Various layers of polypro under that. That worked well as I moved into the decked boat as I would most often not used the pants. Understand that I am (was?) paddling the southern Appalchians, though right on through the winter - like the Nolichucky and Chattooga with air temps in the mid thirties.

Another set up I looked at was a Kokatat (?) bib / overall that was made to mate with a dry top.

I've never experienced much benefit from Goretex, maybe I sweat too much and stay too wet!

[msims]

I'd have to agree w/ scott. I've paddled w/ both nylon and gortex and was equally soggy in them from sweat. fat bastard.

Anyway, my first season i paddled w/ a wetsuit. Basically the one thing it teaches you is to buy a drysuit. Don't bother with a wetsuit unless you're somewhere where it's warm, like in WV, Tenesse...never been there but heard it's practically bathwater year round!

If you do paddle when there's ice on the banks, you'll *need* a skull cap - icecream headaches are EXTREMELY painful when the water's 1-2 degrees above freezing.

[sbroam]

I forgot about the skull cap - don't go with one made of fleece only - you'll roll up and have water running in your eyes for 5 minutes. Go with a fuzzy rubber one like RapidStyle makes. I've got two just in case I lose one...

Pogies are a must, too - I like the Mt. Surf Creek Mitts - easy to get your hands into and out of and plenty warm enough for me. If it's cold enough where you are, you might think about gloves or mitts.

[ghetto johnny]

thanks for the help
i currently have a whirlpool drytop and was thinking about the bib combo but haven't heard any input from anyone that actually used it
as for as the skull cap, is there any problems with being too tight under a helmet , i have a sweet protection strutter
anyways thanks for all the help
john c.
cincy,ohio

[Jan_dettmer]

use a fuzzy rubber skull cap. They are thin and warm and fit under most helmets.

Cheers, Jan

[yarnellboat]

GJ,

I used an overall bib with a roll-together drytop. I even tried it with 2 drytops on - a shortie and full sleeves. I also had a velcro weight belt / back support thing that I'd crank around to keep it all tight & together... (the rivers on the BC coast are cold!)

It's much better than just a wetsuit, and it's OK for a mild swim or 2. I thought I was just getting wet from sweating (a lot) - then I actually tested it in the bathtub. Because of the "dent" down the spine, you can't really seal the top and the bib.

Better than just neoprene, but just another stepping stone to drysuit. Might be better for c-1 than OC.

P.

[chuck naill]

I just purchased a Mystery Shirt from NRS, http://www.nrsweb.com/, for winter use. I also use a dry top and Hydraskin tights.

[the great gonzo]

I think a full drysuit is, at least in our northern climate up here in Ontario, pretty much mandatory for late fall, winter and early spring paddling.
Even good boaters who 'never' swim should use one in my opinion, mainly since a paddler without one is pretty much useless in an emergency situation when a rescue is necessary. We had an incident late fall last year (early December, temperature slightly below 0 deg C, snow on the ground, ice is starting to form on the larger flatwater sections) where an open boat pinned in a small class 3 canyon, and it took us probably close to 1 hour, if not more, to rig the ropes and get it off. Msims and I were standing for most of that time chest deep in the cold water rigging ropes and working to get this boat off. If we hadn't been fully decked out in cold water gear (drysuit, fleece undergarments,heavy duty booties, neoprene gloves and skullcaps), we would have been in no shape to salvage that boat. Drytop/drypant combinations and wetsuits just don't cut it in these kind of situations.
I always try to derss for the worst case scenario.

martin a.k.a. The Great Gonzo!