What do I wear to walk from Penn to 18th street?

2010-10-09T19:38:44.985-04:00

Andrew, thanks for the comment. I was going to get...

2010-10-09T16:02:16.789-04:00

Andrew, thanks for the comment. I was going to get into gloves and head gear in the next post. Primarily because this one got so lengthy. I will also be talking about the physiological effects of a quick submersion in cold water. thanks again for the comment.

PO

I'm a whitewater kayaker, also ready to start ...

2010-10-09T15:57:08.663-04:00

I'm a whitewater kayaker, also ready to start fall paddling season! It's wonderful being the only group on the river - no competition for play waves, and a much greater feeling of solitude.

My cold-weather gear is similar to yours. I haven't gone the drysuit route due to monetary limitations. I have Kokotat bib-style drypants which gasket together with my drytop, and didn't have any water reach my base layers during a rather lengthy class IV swim. I usually wear a hydroskin, with 1-2 layers of fleece over it, then fleece pants on the bottom.

I also add a couple things I didn't see you mention. I wear a helmet liner to keep my head warmer, and wear pogies to keep my hands warm. This setup keeps me warm down to 40 degree water/40 degree air. I haven't tried any colder than that, we'll see how late I keep paddling this year! With 40 degree water, as soon as you flip you get an instant icecream headache. I make sure and practice my roll as soon as I get on the river, so I can make sure I have it when I need it. It can be tough to adjust to the shock of water that is SO COLD!

Comments on Paddling Otaku: cold

What do I wear to walk from Penn to 18th street?

Andrew, thanks for the comment. I was going to get...

I'm a whitewater kayaker, also ready to start ...