[Paddlewise] Pogies --- counterpoint

     There are a lot of new-design pogies available these days.  NRS has a 
     new neoprene pogie with titanium flecks which purport to be even 
     warmer than standard neoprene, and several manufacturers are using 
     some of the high tech Malden Mills fleece products to make a good 
     pogie.
     
     However, I've always thought pogies work best for WW scenarios, where 
     a blown roll can be followed by a short swim to a nearby shoreline, 
     worst case.  In sea kayaking, where the nearby shoreline can be miles 
     away, your hands are not going to be protected much at all by pogies 
     if you wind up swimming for some reason.  Very cold water will make 
     your unprotected hands non-functional within a minute or less, and 
     your ability to effect a self- or group-recovery is going to be 
     limited if not non-existent.  The longer it takes, the less likely 
     your hands will work.  For open water situations in a cold 
     environment, I'd choose neoprene gloves in a heartbeat, and accept the 
     fact that my ability to finesse a chart is going to be limited.  Even 
     the lightweight neoprene gloves faces with manmade "leather" give some 
     protection, and are easier to work charts.  The idea of having 
     neoprene gloves in a pocket is a nice idea, but try putting them on in 
     a canned situation --- cold water (under 50 degrees F, but try it in a 
     big bucket of icewater!) before you need to see if it will work for 
     real.  They're very hard to put on once you're swimming, especially 
     after several minutes in cold water.
     
     Just a thought.  Personally, I like "fisherman" lighweight neoprene 
     gloves with one of the Malden Thermal Stretch ("Polartec 2000S", at 
     one time) pogies over them.  But I also like redundancy in a safety 
     situation.
     
     Jack
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