PaddleWise by thread

From: Michael R Noyes <mnoyes_at_gsinet.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Paddling Clothing for New England in July
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 13:16:19 -0400
mkircus wrote:

> I'm planning on bringing my canoe to New England and possibly also renting a sea kayak
> and doing a trip or so.
>
> Here in hot Houston, I seldom paddle in more than mid weight long underwear under a
> dacron shirt and nylon pants plus a sierra sombrero and gloves.  In really cold weather,
> I add either a paddling jacket, a nylon jacket, or that fuzzy stuff - it's the last day
> of school and I can remember nothing.
>
> So what part of this do I need to bring?  What else is a must? I have paddled in Arkansas
> with the air in the 20's and the water probably in the high 40's.  I had less
> technological stuff than I do now.  I remember bread bags played an important role in
> keeping my feet warm in old tennis shoes between 2 pair of socks.  So for paddling near
> shore, I'm not too concerned but I may paddle a longer trip.
>
> Marilyn Kircus
>

Hi Marilyn.
The sea water temperature in southern Maine today is 52 degrees F.  In mid July it may be ten
degrees warmer.  If you have a good tolerance for that kind of water temperature you can get
away with a swim suit.  I don't, so I keep a wetsuit handy.  The thinner shorty wetsuits
should be fine for July or August.  The North Shore Paddlers Network, a northern
Massachusetts based group, will not allow a person on one of their trips without a wetsuit
until the end of June because of water temperatures.
Knowing the water temperatures and your own tolerance levels you should be able to pick the
correct clothing.  By the way, the air temperature near the coast that time of year rarely
gets over 90 degrees F, so a heat adapted person should have little trouble with a little
extra clothing.

I hope this helps.

Mike
--
    Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are
visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great
blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a
mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your
passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space.
Mark H Hunt


***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:14 PDT