Re: [Paddlewise] Dress for water temp, not air temp - ummmmmmmm

On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 8:56 PM, Derek <glamourpets_at_yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dress for the water temperature, not for the air temperature.  I've always
> thought this advice to be a bit of a paradox.  This time of year, the water
> is very cold yet the air temperatures are comparatively warmer.  If you
> dress for the water temp you are overdressed for the air temp.  If you
> overdress inside your drysuit, your body will sweat.  Your clothing will get
> soaked with sweat.  Your wet garments will cause you to chill.  You start
> out dressed for cold water, but end up prepared for neither.  Thoughts?
>

This is always the catch-22 of paddling. Everything depends upon the type of
clothing you are using. First would be good undergarments next to your skin.
I believe that the bottom layer should be skin-tight and form fitting. One
thing I hate is when clothing under a drysuit rides up and/or wrinkles and
causes a chafe point you can't get at. NRS hydroskin shirts are excellent
for this but I have also been using Everlast poly tees (bought at Big 5 for
about $10 each) with great success. Next layer is a fleece of either polypro
or merino wool. I used to use a separate bottom and top but a few months
back I bought a one-piece underliner from NRS in their bargain loft and it's
wonderful. I then use a poly/wool mix or, if I can get them, pure merino
wool socks. If water temp is close to freezing I add a thin merino wool
sweater top with long sleeves.

I'm not sure how long this will keep you warm in near-freezing water but I
can tell you that standing waist-deep in water very close to freezing did
not chill me in the least.

The key to all this is the drysuit itself. The suit should be capable of
passing moisture from the inside (your perspiration) to the outside but not
passing moisture (rain, fog, etc.) from the outside to the inside. The first
material to do this was Goretex but there are now several other versions of
this fabric. If you just use a splash top or a rain suit or one of the older
drysuits or a scuba drysuit you will end up with the problem you described
(e.g.: cold and clammy). Kokatat, NRS, and Stohlquist are the major
manufacturers of breathable drysuits. They range in price from about US$500
to US$1000 but can be purchased second hand at good discounts. I bought a
Kokatat Goretex drysuit for my wife (with a men's relief zipper which women
can use with a device) for $400. It looks to be brand new.

So the process is one of dressing with clothing that is designed to wick
moisture away from your body under a suit that is built using a material
that will pass moisture out but not in.

You can do most of this with a wetsuit farmer john and a drytop but I prefer
a drysuit. I used a Kokatat drytop combined with their bib bottoms for years
but always wondered if they would hold up under a re-entry due to the way
the top and bottom are joined.

And the final part of the puzzle is: don't wear cotton. Period! Merino wool
is excellent and doesn't seem to smell like poly can after a few days of
use. But polypro clothing is now available almost everywhere. Including
Goodwill. I have my daughter, the Goodwill Queen, stay on the lookout for
merino wool garments and it's amazing how many she's turned up.

I was a skeptic 5 years ago too but was nagged into submission by Pam. I am
now a believer. I am now a believer. I am...


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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