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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: How Cold?
Posted By: Lee In Response To: How Cold? (Don Beale)
Date: Saturday, 23 December 2000, at 3:10 p.m.
Is there any sort of a guide for clothing vs water temperature?
Hi Don, I think the guide is your experience. Last year in March for the ACA workshop the water was 48 degree, air temp 45 degrees. Wool socks, goretex socks, neoprene booties,med. weight long underwear,3mm neoprene farmer john, fuzzy rubber pants and jacket, neoprene vest, med weight poly long sleeve top, dry-top, fuzzy rubber hood, divers lycra hood liner, neoprene gloves. Good for rolling and paddling. Good for immersion and 15 minutes in the water with warming up in the kayak. Adequate for 30 minutes in the water. Will probably keep me alive for a few hours. Without the two layers of hood liners I think I would be severely impaired even though the rest of my body and core temp would be fine. Neoprene beanies aren't very helpfull if cold water can flush in ears and around neck/jaw. When fingers become numb and the rest of your body isn't pumping massive amounts of heat into the extremities it takes forever for them to become fully functional, again this is long before any loss of core temperature. After two winters of trying to make neoprene work for immersion I give up. Inaugural outing tomorrow with the drysuit.
I wouldn't entrust learning by accident because of some guide. Get in the water and practice rescues with whatever you are counting on to keep you safe, but do it with someone there to help you if necessary.
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