Suit Yourself, Part 1
Published September 9, 2006 | 
I could hide out under there
I just made you say ‘underwear’-bnl
So I read this article about hypothermia the other day. In it the author talked of paddling in around 40f degree water, 40f degree air and noted snow on the ground. Well, he chose to wear a wetsuit and ended up swimming which led to a discussion on hypothermia. Interesting, but not surprising. This is why we have drysuits. Each year around this time we begin to start hearing the arguments for and against the drysuit. There are always the old school guys who tell us a ratty $90 farmer john is all they ever used or needed. Fine. And I’m not going to argue with the guys who paddled around Great Britain in blue jeans and a nice wooly jumper either. But times have changed and there is no need any longer to take that sort of risk. The thing that gets me about the pro-wet suit guys is that they don’t often recognize that each paddlers skill level and paddling enviroment also needs to be taken into account before they go off on some bombastic tirade about how a wetsuit is all you need. Bull. In some conditions and some situations a wetsuit is perfect. Yes. However, in others a drysuit is not only appropriate but dare I say, obligatory.
Now I know everyone new to paddling does not feel good about spending $400 to $1000 on a drysuit. I’ve been there. But at least here where the water will soon be well below 40 (if in liquid form) and the air will be somewhere between damn cold and freaking cold, a wetsuit is not a smart option. Sure, it’s better than being naked. Nude winter paddling anyone?? But in a wetsuit you will still feel the shocking cold when you hit the water. You will shiver and shake. You will gasp. Yeah, you may live a little longer but the chance that you’ll have a clear head to save yourself is an open question.
My vote is to stay off any water you can’t swim for about an hour in comfortably until you can invest in a drysuit. Does that sound a bit over-the-top? Well, look at it like this; At some point this fall the water will hit that point where I can still swim comfortably for say a half hour or so before I start really getting chilly. At this temerature I can jump in the water with no real shock and with my hydroskins I can maybe extend my playtime to 45 minutes or an hour. But then I’m going to start feeling the first signs of hypothermia. I’ll get cold. Then a few more weeks will pass by and I won’t be able to just “jump in”. The water is just TOO cold. Even the hydroskins are not going to make it fun. So this is where you assume the wetsuit comes in. Thing is, at this point a wetsuit does not really extend the swim time. It’s still cold. You just may live a bit longer if you can’t self-rescue or get to shore. But you’re not really WARM either. You’re not having fun. If on the other hand you switch to a drysuit, you will again be comfortable in the water. And comfort, means more play time, a clear head, and better chance at survival. And frankly, in the winter I sometimes swim in my drysuit just for the fun of it all. I use this example because at what point we get “cold” varies from person to person. Sure there are basic guidelines out there. But if you follow the “stay off any water you can’t swim for about an hour in comfortably without a drysuit” rule you’ll most likely be a happy camper. And yes there are all sorts of provisos and grey areas, just remember it’s YOUR life.
These days my old wetsuit hangs in the “corpse closet” with all my other dead paddling gear. This is the stuff I thought was such a great idea at one time and got over or grew out of. I should probably have a kayak yard sale! The truth is, I was just never warm in my wetsuit and drysuits have become very affordable in the last couple years. Once I got a drysuit I began to wear it as soon as my hydroskins were no longer keeping me warm. Then of course you vary the layers underneath depending on the day. Drysuits keep you dry, they do NOT keep you warm. For my part I would recommend Icebreaker or Reed for all that stuff we wear under our drysuit. Hmmm, and maybe Victoria’s Secret but that’s another post entirely. . .
Stay Tuned. . .
Additional Reading:
Symptoms of Hypothermia – core temps/symptoms
Hypothermia Table – shows effects on immersed paddler
Related Posts:
7 Responses to Suit Yourself, Part 1
och, something else for the long list of ‘I want’
I paddle in thermals and dinghy waterproofs. I find a wet suit too uncomfortable.
I know what you mean. It’s great now that you can get semi-dry suits for people who are not constantly rolling. They are quite a bit cheaper. I know Kokatat, Palm & Reed all have some variation that is almost affordable. But then you guys on that side of the ocean are immune to cold water I think. .
Years ago, long before paddling dry suits even existed, I went diving under the ice in the arctic. We used 1/2 inch wetsuits which doubled around the body core, providing a full inch of rubber. We’d pour warm water down our necks before entering the water to avoid the shock when water entered. In the winter, we kept a small hut over the entry hole, heated so keep the suits pliable enough to get into without them breaking. They would be hard as wood before they warmed up! Dry suits are so much better, not to mention more comfortable for fun paddling.
wow Michael, that’s amazing. I can’t image you moved through the water very well either.
Thanks for the crappy snap back to reality:) I expect you to keep things warm for me until I get home.
I always wear a drysuit when the water get below 60f. There are arguments for a wetsuit though:
1) A damaged/ripped wetsuit is safer than a damaged/ripped drysuit.
2) Layered wetsuits do a pretty good job of keeping you warm. In the old days, we used to swim in 40f water, wearing layerd wetsuits(3mm farmer john and 2mm jacket). It was cold, but not bad.
3) $. Many paddlers are going to paddle in dangerous water, even if they can’t afford a drysuit. I’d rather see them in a wetsuit than a T-shirt and jeans:-)
stevie mcallister
Hey stevie,
You’re right of course. a wetsuit is better than a t-shirt. And like I mentioned there are situations where a wetsuit is more appropriate. Still would’nt want to have to swim in 40f water in a wetsuit. Yikes!!