Re: [Paddlewise] When in Rome do as the Romans do?

I wonder if air temperatures factor into the possibly greater use of 
wetsuits and drysuits on the East Coast vs. the West Coast? I own two 
drysuits and a wetsuit and carry at least one of these when touring or on 
aggressive daytrips. That said, there are summer days when I simply could 
not wear any of them without being overcome by heat prostration.
(Honesty requires me to own that while my abdominal muscles retain the 
washboard-like hardness of my youth, they have unaccountably become 
concealed beneath a certain amount of natural insulation which could also be 
contributing to this overheating problem. From a kayaking point of view I 
suppose I should be happy to be evolving into a marine mammal who will 
eventually be able to dispense with my wetsuit (and perhaps my sprayskirt!), 
but from a romantic point view, it's hard to imagine that (human) females 
find the image of a rather prosperous-looking seal to be beguiling :-)
My impression is that even what folks from Maine sportingly call "summer" 
can be pretty cool. My experience of kayaking on the East Coast - I grew up 
in Canada's Maritime provinces - is two or more decades out of date. 
Kayak-specific immersion gear wasn't on the market then (at least not in our 
literally back-water towns), so I have no current East Coast basis of 
comparison. I do have to say that to see immersion gear actually being worn 
is the exception rather than the rule here on the British Columbia coast, 
but I'm not sure if this is the result of higher air temperatures, or local 
(bad) habits.

Philip Torrens
N49°16' W123°06'

>Hal Levine wrote:
> >
> > Here in New England us Romans usually wear some type of thermal
> > protection (wet suit, farmer john, fuzzy rubber, dry suit or dry top,
> > neo booties etc.) when going out on the open ocean or large bays when
> > the water temp is less than 60 F.
> >
> > I had the wonderful opportunity to paddle in the Pacific NW (San Juan
> > Island and Glacier Bay) last week and the only protection anyone
> > (individuals or outfitters) wore were knee high rubber boots.  The water
> > was in the low 40s in the San Juans and less in Glacier Bay.  I was a
> > good Roman and went out but was not at all comfy.  What's the deal?
> >
> > was very surprised. In a week of traveling around in Southern Alaska and
> > Washington I never saw a wet suit or dry top.
> >
> > Is is a right ocean right brain; left ocean left brain thing?
> >
> >     Hal


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