Hi Kathleen, You are definitely not being a wimp. I agree with the reply that says you need to get the wet-suit or maybe even a dry-suit. I bought some HYDO-SKINS from Northwest River Supplies. I have a farmer john (that's the suit with no sleeves) and a separate long-sleeve top. The HYDRO-SKINS have a very thin neoprene outer layer and fleece layer on the inside. One layer of HYDO-SKIN is supposed to have warmth retention about midway between 2mm and 3 mm neoprene wet-suits. By using both the farmer john and the top I get a little less than 3 mm equivalent on my legs and arms, but get 4mm-5mm equivalent on the critical torso area. The fleece inner layer makes them a lot more comfortable than the all neoprene wetsuit. You might want to check with you instructor to see how he thinks they would do in you area. I am pretty sure that just one layer would not be enough for the majority of you water temps, but having two pieces allows you more flexibility to dress comfortably when the water is not quite so cold, but still too cold for just swimsuit. One thing you said does concern me a little. You talked about the air temp as a limiting factor. I believe you really should just forget about air temp and concentrate on dressing for the water temp. You almost never underdress for the air temp since you feel it before you start paddling, but it is very easy to underdress for the water temp. Unlike hiking were you adjust your clothing so that you are not sweating (in order to prevent evaporative cooling) you really need to be sweating in your paddling gear. The water is almost always cooler than the air and even at the same temp the heat is pulled from you body much much faster when you are in the water. Everybody has a different criteria for what to wear for a given water temp. Talk to your instructor and some other paddler's he might suggest to get a starting point. I have heard that being able to float and swim for 30 minutes without starting to shiver is a good test. You would have much more actual survial time than 30 minutes, and 30 minutes without shivering means you would be able to maintain enough warmth to stay functional (ie be able to help) even through a pretty long assisted rescue or several self rescues attempts. I admit that I have not tested my gear for a full 30 minutes. As the water temp gets lower you finally reach a point where wearing enough insulation for this 30 min test means its just too uncomfortable to paddle. At that point you stop paddlling or recognize the greater risk and select you paddling destinations with that in mind. My current thinking kind of goes like this: 1. Water temp > 70 deg F - Dress for the comfort in the boat 2. Water temp 65-70 deg F - Light to mid weight poly-pro bottoms and top under waterproof jacket (a paddling jacket or dry-top) and waterproof paddling pants 3. Water temp > 60-65 deg F - Hydro-skin farmer john with mid-weight poly-pro top under paddling jacket OR 3mm farmer john wetsuit lightweight poly top and paddling jacket. 4. Water temp < 50-60 deg F - Hydo-sin farmer john, mid-weight poly pro top, long-sleeve hydo-skin top and paddling jacket. (Can Add light-weight poly pro bottoms under farmer john for more warmth in legs) OR 3 mm full wetsuit and paddling jacket. Note: Closer to 50 you might want heavier poly-pro under hydor skins or add light-weight poly-pro under 3mm wetsuit. 5. Water temp < 50 deg F - Dry suit with appropriate insulation for 30 min swim test. From what I have read this would require something like Polartec 200 weight tops and bottoms for the 40-50 deg F range Note: I have never actually paddled in these conditions but set this as a requirement for some of the trips that I was considering (ie, I was not going to make those trips unless I got a dry-suit first) I am probably on the overdressed side compared to most paddlers, but since I spend most of my time in pretty warm water I feel unprepared when I get in cold water and therefore add a little extra warmth. Some paddlers I have talked to say they use wetsuits down to the 45 deg F level and some say they do not go to any kind of wetsuit until the water temp is < 60 def F. Since you lose lots of heat through your head, carrying a neoprene hood or skull cap is great protection if you find that you can not get back in the kayak. You need to keep it own your person or very quickly accessible on the kayak (not in a hatch) so that you can get to it and put it on while you are still in the water. They are also real nice to have when you start to practice your rolling or just get caught in a rain shower. Hopefully some other paddlerwisers will let you and me know if anything I suggested is way out of line. I am not putting any of this out as gospet. It's just how I do things based on reading books and talking to people whom I consider safety oriented paddlers. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Dec 26 2000 - 18:09:53 PST
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