Clyde writes: << if I'm not going to be comfortable in clothes in 40F weather for an extended period of time, I'm not going to be able to handle 40F water either. >> Right - but as others have often written, the problem comes when the air temperature is above 65 or so, and the water temp is 40 or so. On those days, even with a Goretex drysuit, I get uncomfortably hot. After a couple of hours (or less), my polys are almost as wet as if I'd been in the water. So - when the air is hot and the water is cold, I limit my time on the water, and try to paddle "gently". If both air and water temps are 40, I can dress for that, always assuming that I'm not going to spend much time at all in the water. On those days, I don't make long crossings alone, and if I practice rolls etc I do that very near to shore. Drysuit zipper lube - A candle, rubbed *vigorously* along the zipper tines is the bast thing I've used. Getting in and out of the suit - I think each person works out his/her own salvation here. The only thing which hangs me up is getting the anke gaskets off. I've worked out a several-step way of doing this which works well - but I've noticed that some others just yank 'em off, and apparently that works for them. It wouldn't work well for me. Bill Hansen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue May 04 1999 - 04:07:46 PDT
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