[Paddlewise] Dry Suit Field Test

I loaded up the truck with kayaking stuff Friday night and amazingly, didn't
forget anything.  Saturday morning I made the hour drive to my put in,
getting out on the water about 8:30am.

I had several objectives to this little outing:

    See how my various body parts were functioning:

        Right shoulder was broken in February.  I have pretty much a full
range of motion back and have been working with weights again for the past
couple of weeks.

    Left shoulder/upper chest area had an incision a couple of weeks ago but
has healed nicely.  Haven't done any strength work on it since February
because the incision was made about the time my right shoulder healed.

Dry Suit Field Test:

    A few weeks ago I made a brief test and discovered (to my amazement)
putting the ankle gaskets over bootie tops isn't a particularly good idea as
it leaves a nice channel for water to flow up the legs.  I also wanted to
try a self rescue with the dry suit on.

GPS work:
    Have probably forgotten most of what I learned about the Garmin 12XL
last year.

 Water temperature:
      Curiosity

Before shoving off I got out the water thermometer and loaded the batteries
into the GPS.  I guess you're supposed to check batteries and stuff before
you leave home.  I had about 8 alkaline batteries from last year but the 4 I
put in didn't work so I said the hell with it.  I wasn't going to spend half
an hour playing the battery combination game.

I didn't have much perishable stuff and just had a small chart case along.
I put my wallet (which has a set of car keys) and some Quaker Oats granola
bars (great stuff) in the bag and put my car keys in a (shudder) PFD pocket
and immediately thought of that Jack Martin guy and how he'd probably
chuckle at that sight.

I shoved off and laid the thermometer on the spray skirt.  One thing I've
noticed, is when I was first getting used to the Looksha IV stability I used
a lot of butt cheek muscles to keep myself balanced.  That made for a tight
butt and I was thinking of hip pads to fill in the cockpit space.  At the
beginning of this season I'm a little wobbly but am using more thigh
muscles.  I guess the ole butt is gonna spread out to fill up the cockpit
now so I won't need the hip pads after all.

Anyway, when I finally thought to take the water temperature the thermometer
was gone.  Anyone care to guess water temperature in southern Maine the
first of May?  My guess is the mid/late 40's.

It was about 2 hours into a flood tide so I paddled to a small beach about
half an hour away.  This beach has a pretty sharp drop off and as I waded
out I was chest deep within 20-30 yards or so.

I immediately deduced putting ankle gaskets over fleece socks isn't a very
good idea either.  Water started crawling up my leg at a slower, but steady
pace and my shins started aching again.

As before, when I started floating, the water moved up my hamstrings and
settled around my butt.  I had skipped the long johns and sock and glove
liners this time and just had on Polartec 100 tops and bottoms, fleece socks
and fleece driver type gloves with a leather palm.

I floated around for about 10 minutes or so and was just on the wrong side
of comfortable.  After checking my watch (under the wrist gasket), I put my
hands in the water and started paddling myself around.  That lasted 5-10
seconds before the pain made me get my hands out of the water.  How cold
does that make the water?

I'm laying on my back and take the gloves off to wring them out and the
water goes right up my arm.  Wearing a watch under the wrist gaskets is
probably not a good thing either.  BTW, this was a cheap, waterproof Timex
Triathlon I wanted to test anyway since I broke the seal to change
batteries.  I dunked it later and it's still working.

I didn't intentionally get my head or neck wet; I'll save that little thrill
for some other time.  The most difficult part of floating around was holding
my head up.  My neck was getting tired and when I got a little water on the
back of my neck it really got my attention.

I waded into shore to get the kayak for a self rescue attempt and decided
not to inflate the paddle float on shore so I'd get a more realistic feel
for things out there.

In a vertical position again, more water came in through the ankle gaskets
and the thought passed through my mind that I'm cold, not so much the
numbing cold of the water, just cold..

There is very little wind and no waves or chop but I'm having a hard time
holding onto the boat with my elbow hugging the cockpit.  I slip my arm
through the running line but can't keep it there as I move my hands to try
to inflate the float.  I finally decide the boat being empty is the problem
and it's riding much higher than a swamped boat would.

I get one side inflated and slip it over the paddle blade and spend a few
seconds trying to snap the strap into a grommet and then find the snap.  It
takes 60-90 seconds to get the float on the paddle and inflated.  The whole
rescue is supposed to take 60 seconds.

I'm cold but not shivering and don't think I'm hypothermic.  I think I'm
thinking rationally but realize I've made a couple of dumb moves already.

I'm in a hurry now and haphazardly throw the paddle up on the aft deck
behind the cockpit coaming and try to hook my foot over the float.  For some
reason the float is sinking and then I realize I haven't attempted to pull
myself up over the cockpit and my full weight is on it.  I finally hoist
myself up on the aft deck on my stomach and get my feet in the cockpit.

I know I'm supposed to have one hand on the paddle and maintain constant
pressure on it to maintain balance as I turn over.  But something's wrong
with the paddle set up and as I squirm around to find and fix it I go over
the other side.

When I come up, the paddle leash is wrapped around my leg and it takes 30-60
seconds to get free of it.  I had a River Shorty on the PFD but it never
occurred to me to use it.

I thought briefly about making a second attempt but decided the overall
strain was too much for me and headed for shore.  Looking back on it, I
figure I could have made another serious attempt, probably followed by at
least one more half-ass attempt.  Things being what the are, I don't like to
put forth much more than 75% effort unless I have to so I passed.  I guess I
was in the water close to 20 minutes altogether.

I waded to shore, stripped down, wrung everything out and got dressed again.
I was pleased with the effect of wet Polartec stuff and didn't put the dry
suit on until the wind started picking up.  I gobbled up the granola bars
and drank a half a bottle of water to give the old bod some fuel to work
with.  I was on shore for 30-45 minutes but never really did warm up until I
started paddling again.

I paddled a few miles, warmed up and felt ok until I hit some wind and
adverse current while making a half mile crossing.  Then my left shoulder
started bothering me a little so I just took my time getting back.

At the take out, I waded out and floated around with the gaskets covering
skin rather than objects.  I don't think I took on water but it was really
too warm to tell.  Seemed like it was almost body temperature in that little
protected area.

As I was taking out, a couple pulled up with 2 kayaks on the top of a SUV,
one a kevlar Looksha IV the same color as mine.  The woman and I started
talking and she tells me where they're going and volunteers they don't roll
and they're wearing wet suits with short sleeves and legs.  When I ask if
they've practiced assisted rescues she says no, she doesn't plan on going in
the water.  I related my little story but her S.O. made a couple of grunting
noises and she took off.

Observations:

    Check equipment (batteries) before leaving home.

    Secure equipment (thermometer).

    Drysuit usage: While there is a lot of information about care and
feeding and benefits, I don't recall seeing anything about proper use of
one, ie: Gaskets go next to the skin.  Don't put them over booties, socks,
watches, gloves, etc.  Get wrinkles out.  Zip the damn things up!!!  Common
sense?  Maybe.

    I was well satisfied with the Polartec stuff.  My feet were comfortable
though soaking wet.  My finger tips were cold but not unbearably so.  I was
comfortable in the wet top and bottom (55-60F?) until the wind picked up.

    Paddle float rescue: I dunno.  I have a couple years of doing them in up
to 3-5 foot surf zones.  Do you forget that much over the winter?  Lack of
recent practice?  Empty boat?  Cold water, hypothermic?  Weakened condition?
Cold body?  My original condition (I think ok to fair)?  A combination of
these things?  Something else?  I do know it was a miserable failure.  While
I probably could have succeeded during a second attempt, it probably would
have meant failure (death?) in any kind of lumpy water unless I had a major
surge of adrenaline  Everything seemed so difficult.

    Paddle leash: I know there are strong feelings against these but I
haven't made up my mind yet.  I feel they provide a lot of advantages
although I now think it's possible for one to kill me.  Risk assessment?

    Previous discussions on safety suggest gear and skills may provide a
false sense of security causing serious problems.  This experience might be
such an example.

    I let that woman walk away knowing she wasn't dressed properly, couldn't
roll or perform assisted or self rescues.  They were headed up a shallow,
protected passage but I presume they were doing a circumnavigation and would
be coming back an exposed coast and into an ebb tide.  Conditions were mild,
still……

    I've posted this experience for two reasons: 1) for a little
constructive group analysis and 2) for those who have just bought or are
thinking about buying a dry suit.  They're not necessarily a ticket to
everlasting safety.

Clyde Sisler
http://csisler.com




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