I will be moving up to WA this winter and would like to know what people wear to paddle in the PNW. I tend to get very hot while paddling so I will need clothes that breathe or vent. In Hawaii I cannot wear long sleeved paddling jerseys because I overheat. I suspect there are also some suggestions for what types of clothing will help if one were to huli.
Mahalo,
~Q
Submitted by Qpaddler66 on Wed, 10/21/2009 - 7:54pm
do not try to wear a fullsuit! won't name names, but some have tried, and it's not good!
i normally wear 2mm neoprene pants, booties [the ripcurl 7/5/3 are super nice when it's snowing out], a capilene midweight layer, and pending wind/temps, either a paddling jersey, 0.5mm hot core top or 2mm warm top [mostly used during downwind runs in puget sound in winter]. a beanie will be nice, and the thinnest neoprene gloves you can find. i have 1.5mm, just enough to keep the chill off your fingers, but not too much to make you unable to feel the paddle.
if you can afford it, a lightweight drytop [like those for whitewater kayaking] are great to have should the weather turn or you stop paddling and get a chill. if you're fearing a huli, make sure to have plenty of neoprene as that will at least help keep the wind off and warm you back up.
if you're up here by december, there is a great race on december 12, deception pass dash!
#1 Wed, 10/21/2009 - 8:17pm
Bevan manson's knee boots and plastic bags:
#2 Wed, 10/21/2009 - 8:33pm
exactly what Kev suggested works great. Until it snow/sleets up here, I will also wear a couple layers of dry fit tops. You will learn - layering is critical. I will usually layer one lightweight long sleeved shirt and then several (sometimes 3 or 4) layers of short sleeve tops on (rashguards work great). this way, I get some of the protection on my arms, but I don't overheat. I also will use a drytop when the weather is really bad or like Kev sayz, for downwind runs.
If you are still in the Islands, stop by the Xcel store and they have a great top - it is a thin shell that has a layer of fleece on the inside (sorry, I don't remember the product name). but it lets you breathe a bit and not get so hot.
also, for bottom layers - hydroskin and Mysterioso are awesome products.
all bets are off if you huli.... ha ha...
also, be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes and such after paddling - I will usually be fine during practice (with warmth), but as soon as we get the canoes out of the water, that is when I generally when I get cold...
contact me if you need any other ideas or such when you get up here.... but enjoy the warm water while you are still there!
ken
#3 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 9:39am
ekv is right for the most part, but in the gnarliest of conditions a kayaking dry suit or full wetsuit is really the only thing that'll truly protect you. Usually we get away w/ wearing the stuff he recommends, but if you had to swim for it in that kine gear in the middle of winter you'd probably die. I've noticed that we oc1ers are way less cautious than our surfski/whitewater brethren when it comes to this, they almost to a person go w/ drysuit and full insulation (wool, fleece) underneath, especially when it's rough. They think we're crazy and we are, I guess! We look forward to having another member to our Pacific Northwest paddling Ohana!
#4 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 12:49pm
Kokatat drysuits seem to be the choice of professionals in these parts: http://www.kokatat.com/product_drysuits.asp
#5 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 12:54pm
Don't huli.
Don't paddle by yourself.
Make sure you got a change of clothes in the car.
#6 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 2:12pm
I had the same question 2 years ago when I moved here. Jim and Kev both have good advice. The thing I found was that my feet and hands are what got cold. I bought a pair of neoprene 'socks' and booties, neoprene pants and neoprene gloves. That helped a lot. I also got a Mysterioso top that was quite comfortable. Like you, I overheat easily so I found that I really enjoy paddling in the colder weather. The first 10 minutes are a little uncomfortable but once you warm up it feels good.
I read an earlier post of yours that said you did well in the flats but didn't do as well in the surf......you should be fine up here. Unless you go out in the Sound surfing is not a big part of paddling up here.
What part of the PNW are you moving to? There are a lot of paddlers up here...nice people.
#7 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 2:30pm
Aquatherm top and Aquafleece pants by "Reed"
Short sleeve Lotus EKG jacket for wind.
5mm surfing booties.
Drysuit for colder conditions.
Diving bootes, neoprene and hydroskin do not work.
Mysterioso does if you keep it dry (unlikely).
#8 Thu, 10/22/2009 - 6:14pm
Mahalo for all the suggestions. I will have to work my way through them to figure out what I think will work for me...at least for my initial attempt. I'll adjust from there.
I will be in WA the week following Thanksgiving but then wont make it back up to WA until 31 December unless my schedule changes. The Deception Pass race sounds interesting. I do look forward to racing in the different environment/conditions.
I will definately have to hit the excel shop. Does REI have pretty good gear for paddlers?
I will be working just South of Tacoma but am trying to find a house closer to Seattle...maybe Kent or Renton areas.
Again Mahalo,
~Q
#9 Fri, 10/23/2009 - 1:24am
http://www.chillcheater.com/ Here's that stuff Serge is talking about. Neoprene doesn't work? What do you wear while surfing? Feathers?
#10 Fri, 10/23/2009 - 2:00pm
I moved a few years back to Hawaii from the east coast...here are the rules of thumb under which we paddle in ECORA. Enjoy the great NW...lots of aloha there in the paddling ohana of OR & WA as well as wisdom for paddling on the Columbia, Lakes Washington & Union, & the Puget. A hui hou from Honolulu. Liz
OC-6 clothing:
Base: fleece lined rash guards (find them in most CA surf shops) + fleece lined paddling tights (PaddleMe in SoCal carries them, order same size as your Xcel paddle shorts) or fleece lined running tights (same principle, just thinner in the okole) + dive socks (E.g., SealSkins)
Top: LAYER for thermal & moisture control, flexibility, & depending on conditions - polar fleece jacket + fitted &/or breathable dry jacket (Kokotat for example has both kinds; but you need to ensure that you have one breathes so you don't get ice ice forming from your sweat on the inside) - or a wind jacket + dry or wind pants + polar fleece fingerless gloves + HAT!
OC1 clothing:
Base: ditto OC-6
Top: ditto OC-6, with note for to think about a farmer john 4mm wet suit when water temps still in the 40s but air is up to 60s; full wet suit when water 40s, air 40-60; layer jackets on top, rash guard(s) under
Safety:
PFD - when water conditions command wearing, otherwise ALWAYS carry enough PFDs for each paddler in the wa'a (and don't forget your emergency whistle)get one that fits and practice with it - outrigger paddlers can wear them a little looser than whitewater paddlers. They are a royal PAIN. But the alternative makes the annoyance worth while. Come summer, on the OC-1 I suggest looking into getting a waist pack or equivalent CO2 cartridge PFD (www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/082000c.htm). I bought mine at West Marine a few years back for ~$40. Fits like a fanny pack and weighs nothing - good for those runs when the weather and water conditions will (and DO) change.
ALWAYS have a whistle with you.
This vid clip was originally shared in winter 05. The wisdom is still valid in this vid clip, with or without the ice. See the following link for anyone who wants to know how to survive a fall into cold water or might need to rescue someone else who’s fallen in. www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx.
Most cold weather states have safety gear requirements (MANDATES with penaltie$ for non-compliance). Your new paddling ohana should be able to fill you in on requirements in the NW.
#11 Fri, 10/23/2009 - 4:12pm
paddle sista said
If you're going to go through the trouble of bringing a PFD along, just go ahead and wear it. After about five minutes, if you buy a decent one designed for paddling that fits you well, you're not going to notice it. You'll note that all of the paddlers in the photos from the Mayor's Cup in NYC a couple of weeks ago were wearing PFDs. This was a requirement for the race, regardless of conditions. Just spend the money and buy a decent one and not the $10 special at the sporting good store.
Look at it this way, a good PFD will cost you maybe $80 and last you five years easily if you take care of it, coming to a total of $16 per year. After over five years of regular use in a non-ideal environment my lab finally replaced our Extrasport PFDs. We wear them when deploying instrumentation, hauling on wet lines, dealing with zebra mussels, cables, hauling weights around, etc. Basically far more wear and tear than they would ever see paddling and they were really dirty but still would float us if needed.
Go check out Cold Water Boot Camp. It is a very simple and informative look at what happens to your body in cold water. The folks who put it together are great and will send you copies of the DVD for free if you want. There's a U.S. and Canadian version, I like the Canadian version a bit better personally, content is essentially the same except temperatures are in Celsius in the Canadian version.
Finally, practice self rescue/huli recovery (or whatever you want to call it). Even if you paddle with other people or in an OC-6, you need to be able to right your canoe and remount it in as little time as possible. The longer you spend in the water, the colder you will be. Depending on how cold the water is, you have maybe 10 minutes before you're going to have trouble moving and performing basic physical tasks. Putting on a PFD is not something you're going to want to stop and do when trying to get out of the water.
Have an awesome time paddling up in the Seattle area. It's a lot of fun up there and all kinds of racing year round.
#12 Fri, 10/23/2009 - 4:49pm