Here we sit at the first of November. It won’t be long again before that long look out the window will include a slight shiver as I contemplate loading the boat for a little paddle. Winter paddling comes of course with more challenges to accent the new experience. I love paddling in snow storms. I love the wind chime rings of floating ice. I pause on the water looking at the alien like teeth formed as the water rolls up and down the rocky shores. I love the dark grey skies and biting winds. Winter paddling can be a torture or a leap into the sensual world depending on how you look at it.

Of course to really enjoy winter paddling you have to stay warm. You layer your body with breathable, wicking clothing that keeps you warm and pulls the moisture away from your body. I wear a Palm Stikine drysuit which is a pain to put on alone with it’s back zip, but is also heavier and warmer than other drysuits. Over the years i’ve been paddling i’ve still to find gloves that keep your hands warm. I have found however that nice gloves in combination with a pair of pogies does seem to work well. You need to take more food and water along as well to give your body the energy it needs to say warm as well.

You also need the skills to get you out of trouble quickly. In summer you have the luxury of warm air and warm water to give you a larger window to save yourself from a bad situation. Even then some people don’t make it. In the winter you just don’t have the time. Hypothermia is a constant threat. Add to that, that often your boat is covered in ice that forms as water rolls onto your deck and freezes. It’s harder to hold onto your hull or the deck lines. Often you paddle is slippery, your pump is frozen up and your fingers are numb. If you end up out of your boat, you have to be proficient with your rescues. It’s in winter where all that Greenland rolling practice starts to seem like something practical and not just “play” that some paddlers seem to think. Yeah, you may come up with a nice “ice cream” headache but that’s nothing compared to a swim in 34 degree water.

Of course it can be said here that you should never paddle alone, but as much as it’s said it’s often just not possible. Heck sometimes you just don’t feel like chatter. Most of the time though, you just can’t find others willing to join you on your winter forays. This just makes having signaling equipment on you all that more important. Just in case. I can’t say that though without saying that a realistic rescue from land is rare. You have to assume you are on your own. You probably are.

In the end winter paddling is a wonderful and unique experience. Paddlers in winter as in all times of the year have to honestly evaluate their abilities, and test their cold water skills in advance of taking off alone. All the gear in the world won’t save an idiot and sometimes the most skilled of us get caught in unforeseen and unlikely situations. When we stand on a frozen, snow covered shoreline and contemplate the ice, snow and black water surf we have to be honest with ourselves. Is it worth it? Are we up to it? If the answer for you is “Yes”; Good Luck, have fun, stay safe. Paddling does not need to end when the snow flies.