Re: [Paddlewise] Insulation under a Drysuit

From: <LedJube_at_aol.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 20:31:36 EST
In a message dated 11/27/00 10:04:07 PM, dana.dickson_at_unisys.com writes:

<< My question is have others who paddle in cold had similar experiences with

insulation dampness?  If so, have you found a solution to the dampness? >>

Hi Dana,
    I have found a similar issue with dampness inside my GTX dry-suit. I know 
we're all supposed to dress for immersion but I will certainly suffer from 
heat stroke if I wear more insulation inside my suit. I wear Polypro with 100 
weight Polartech fleece inside the suit. This seems to be good for air temps 
around freezing while I'm paddling as the moisture build up is minimal. If I 
stop for lunch, I strip the top of the suit off and put on another fleece 
with a shell. I have immersion tested this setup and while I would not want 
to spend a lot of time in the water it certainly affords me more than enough 
time for a slow self rescue. And with a reliable roll, I feel well protected.

    I find that the range of temps is very limited with regard to comfort. If 
I wear more the sweat builds up in the suit if I wear less I go mildly 
hypothermic. I'm starting to think the solution lies outside the drysuit. 
Maybe an insulation layer outside the suit coupled with a windproof shell 
will do it. I'm already using a fuzzy-rubber hood to attempt to manage my 
heat loss

    At the end of the day my polypro is moist but not wet. It seems to dry 
with about 10 minutes of exposure to the dry air. I think if I can workout 
the insulation issues external to the suit that I'll have a workable system.  
It also helps to back-off of the pace just a bit and really strive for an 
efficient stroke. But for me, with the testosterone junkies I paddle with, 
that's just not a viable solution.

Good Luck
Jed

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Received on Mon Nov 27 2000 - 18:59:49 PST

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