Whatcha wearing? aka winter paddling gear questions

[sig]

So... we (three) bought boats in May, managed to get into Rec School in June and have been floating whatever has water on it since then (Little Missouri tailwater, Ouachita River, Little Maumelle, Lake Ouachita, Lake DeGray, etc).

But I know it's going to get cold and rainy one day and there will be more floating to do and said floating will require more than swim trunks and a t-shirt.

So... What winter paddling clothing is typical in Arkansas for people who want to to whitewater and swamps and lakes?

Are dry suits mandatory? Dry tops? Damp tops? Paddling Jackets? Fleece?

What's typical, suggested, overkill?

Thanks for your suggestions though I'm hoping your answer isn't "mandatory drysuits" because we'll be purchasing these items in groups of three (wife, daughter, myself). (c:

[Half Ton]

Since we're in Arkie Jungleboatland you can get away with a hodge podge of gear none of which is cotton or matches and boat with jubilant pride knowing that the best fashion is the one that just works for you.

Fleece, wet suit, neoprene, wool, dry pants, dry top, from head to finger and toe in all sorts of variations.

Dry suits are a luxury that are likely the best possible winter/cold water gear of all. Not necessary though.

The more remote, challenging, and enduring runs and colder the temps or desire to play or learn - the better a dry suit is.

How cold tolerant you are and how much $$$$ you can spend or how well you can barter/trade is also a big factor.

[tomOzarkVideo]

In AR it is very nice to have the dry top/ dry pants combo. You'll only use the full suit when it's really cold and it's nice to have one or the other for certain trips. (summer paddling in cold water, fishing.. Etc)

You'll need fleece or wool layers to insulate you and they'll work even when wet.

[sig]

Having a background in backpacking, caving, bike touring, rock climbing, etc we have fleece and stuff. Other than caving though, those are pretty dry activities.

Thanks for sharing your opinion on the paddling tops. I tend to be warm blooded whereas my wife is cold when the temps drop. How cool does it have to be for you to not overheat in your full suit?

FWIW, my wife and I are planning on attending SnT this weekend so feel free to chat us up about clothing options then.

Bryan & Aly

[Cowper]

Just get the drysuit for the one you love the most

Depending on water temperatures, I've worn drysuits with temps in the 70's, but more typically in the Arkansas climate I would say from the low 60's on down I can be very comfortable in a drysuit with very thin layers.

If you can't get a special discount for a "bulk" order, then I'd go with buying them in order of who is least cold tolerant based on knowledge from your other outdoor activities. My guess would be daughter, wife, and then hubby last.

I think user feedback from whoever gets one first will likely lead to additional purchases. I always suggest an intentional swim with the suit, in really cold weather, just to get a full appreciation for why the suit is worth every penny.

[Half Ton]

I'd say to get your wife and daughter the most gear within reason, your daughter may still be growing so keep that on mind before buying a couple hundred worth of gear.

Ive used a combo of wetsuit ,dry top , fleece or wool top and some pogies for about a decade in cold weather and been okay. I just upgraded to some dry pants the other day as I was planning for the rain to return as also are you.

Dry top and wet suit or dry top and dry pants are probably the best route for now I'd say just as Tom said

Beyond a decade ago I was in a canoe, and I had even less gear just because of never paddling continuous 3's and less interaction with water in general which comes along with the canoe in general as compared to the kayak.

If you do get a dry suit and you do get warm you can always do some roll practice to help cool you back down.

[AR-Nimrod]

Brian,

I feel your pain. I too have to buy 3 of everything when I buy. Wife, daughter and self also. In cooler months we limit our paddling to places where a swim is less likely. We use wetsuits (Farm John style) semi-drytops, fleece, pogies and some splash pants that when paired with the semi-drytop kinda become semi-dry pants. Look forward to seeing you and Aly again.

Chris

[cpresoz]

I just upgraded to some dry pants the other day as I was planning for the rain to return as also are you.

I knew something stopped that rain from coming in. Now we know who did it.

[Half Ton]

Oh, you got me there Curtis Ha ha. Maybe I need to get a dry suit as it may not rain again till hades is at freezing.

I'll be in a mental institution iffin it doesnt rain again till next summer though

Cowper and Chris offer great insight and I agree 100% ( which is crucial - of course)

[prophet]

i think its just a trade off between cost and the number of possible paddling days. If you dont mind missing the colder,cloudy,windy days you can get by with less. Dont forget to look for used stuff, or highly discounted sales. Post a "gear wanted" on the for sale page, you never know what might come out of the closet. or who

[cpresoz]

I would definitely keep obsessively perusing the For Sale & Gear Swap forum. I picked up a great deal on a full dry suit when a friend gave up paddling for the moment. The full suit is somewhat overkill until it gets pretty cold, since I'm very warm blooded and get more wet with sweat inside the suit than any water getting in. Combinations of neoprene, hydroskin, dry tops and dry pants with paddling jackets thrown in give you a whole lot more options, as stated above.

[Jbyrum]

I'm about to put my two drysuits on the For Sale forum...

[tomOzarkVideo]

HUGE sale.. I wish i could swing a couple $$ for one of those GMERs!


http://www.kayakacademy.com/pages/store ... _sale.html

While expensive, Kokatat has the best lifetime warranty on the market for their GORE-TEX line. Just send it in.. Fixed/replaced.

[sig]

Thanks folks for the feedback here, on email and over beers!

[sig]

We've gone ahead and bought a few Kokatat suits at 30% off and this weekend we'll figure out if we bought the right sizes.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Bryan