Re: [Paddlewise] Is Some Rethinking on Drysuits, Wetsuits In Order?

I think that everyone's comments so far on this thread have some
merit - for certain conditions, for certain people, at certain
times.  The 'other' Ralph raises good points about hypothermia
and staying in/near the boat.  Kevin makes valid points for the
long distance touring paddler. Bill suggests obtaining
quantitative data, but it seems to me that there are so many
variables that it would be impossible to gather enough data to
provide 'rules of thumb' for all paddlers.

The key point IMO, is that each paddler must decide for
him/herself what clothing to wear on each trip, and build a
mental 'library' of different clothing options for different
weather conditions, trip locations/durations, etc.

When I teach paddling - particularly in colder weather/water
conditions, I *always* dress for immersion in the event that one
of the students will end up in a situation requiring me to get in
the water - possibly for an extended period of time.  OTOH, when
I'm paddling with a small group of friends and am mostly sure
that nothing untoward will happen, I often dress in a manner that
would incapacitate or kill me if I were to spend much time in the
water.

The development of hard skills is one mark of a paddler as s/he
progresses from novice towards expert.  Another, and perhaps
equally important, measure is the development of soft skills such
as knowing how to dress for a particular trip and developing
judgement to determine the level of risk that s/he is willing to
tolerate on that day and in the situation that is evolving.

On club trips that I host/coordinate/lead, I've often been asked
"what should I wear?", and my typical response is "that is
something that you should decide for yourself."  That response is
followed by a discussion of factors to be considered in making a
clothing decision, e.g.
- How long is the trip (several hours vs. several days)?
- Will there be periods of intense activity followed by inactive
periods?
- What are the temperature/wind conditions now, and what are they
forecast to be later?
- What are your skills?
- Are you certain that you will stay upright?
- If you tip, can you roll?
- If you can't roll, how quickly can you re-enter?
- Do you like to stay active, or do you sit back and watch?
- What is your basal and active metabolic rate?
- Do you get cold easily?
- All over, or just your hands/feet?
- Do you have extra clothes along that you can add/change into?
- Will there be an opportunity to add/change clothes?
- Have you eaten a good meal this morning?
- Have you brought water along so you can stay hydrated?
- Do you have some sort of head and/or hand covering/protection?
- What are you wearing on your feet?
- Are your gaskets in good shape, or are they about to tear?
After laying out all of these (and any other that come to mind)
options, I might discuss how I am dressed that day and why, and
maybe play '20 questions' with the paddler who asked my opinion
to get them thinking - **and making their own decisions**.

Ralph posed the question as to whether or not we should be
rethinking the wetsuit vs. drysuit (vs. tuliaq?) questions that
arise every so often in this forum and in various media.  My
response is that we should rethink all of these things - every
time we go paddling - and especially in cold water/weather
conditions.

Erik Sprenne




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