Clothing for Canoeing and Kayaking
Rev. 1, edited 05/01/06
Clothing for Whitewater Boating:
Outing Club Members,
Every year we are fortunate to have a sizeable number of people try whitewater kayaking or canoeing. In the spring and fall each year the colder temperature often make staying warm a challenge for those without specialized gear, but by following some simple rules it’s possible to stay warm without spending much money. By borrowing many ideas from an old post by Helge Klockow and adding some of my own I’ve come up with some tips for dressing to get wet when it’s cold.
On a beginner trip, your trip leader should always send out a list with suggestions for what to wear, but here are some guidelines:
You should ALWAYS wear some type of river shoe or neoprene booty. These will add comfort in your boat and they will also protect for sharp rock, broken glass, and fishhooks (all of which are common at Sac). If you can fit in the boat and don’t have trouble wet exiting with old tennis shoes these are acceptable, but a water shoe or specialized boating shoe is much better. Some people also like to wear nose plugs for added comfort. These are by no means a necessity, but they’ll keep the water out of your nose. They cost about $8 at Rutabaga or buy a cheap pair somewhere else.
Until you know you want to stick with this sport, there’s no need to spend too much money on gear. The following items can be found easily and fit into even a poor student budget.
Windbreakers: Evaporative cooling is the way heat leaves your body fastest. A simple nylon jacket will work. Just put it under your PFD and make sure to tuck in the hood so you don’t end up with a hood full of water.
Wool or fleece insulation: Wet cotton clothing will actually move heat out of your body faster than wearing nothing at all since it does not drain water well. Be sure to wear synthetics like polypro or wool as an insulating layer. You don’t need anything fancy and you can usually find a cheap fleece or wool sweater at a garage sale or good will.
Bottom Wear: Fleece or polypro long underwear is great for this, but may cost a little more. The best option is a wetsuit. If you’re going on a trip, as around to see if you can borrow one since a lot of advanced boaters have extra gear they’re willing to lend.
Socks: If it’s cold and you’re sitting in a boat your feet are bound to get cold. Wool socks can add comfort and warmth, but remember, NO COTTON.
Remember that you can always take off clothing if you get to warm, but if you don’t bring enough clothing on the river, it could be a miserable day. It’s best to wear lots of layers. This keeps you warmer and lets you easily adjust if you start to get too hot. Finally, if you think you’re going to stick with any paddle sport, a wetsuit is a great investment. It keeps you warm, provides cushion in your boat or if you swim and provides a little extra buoyancy. Plus you can usually find a good one for around $75 and it will last for many, many years.
As an additional reference I made a simple chart of the type of clothing I would wear under certain conditions. This is a very rough guide and some people may prefer to wear more or less, but hopefully it should give you and idea of what is appropriate in certain situations.
Cold, Cold, Cold
(air and water temp less than about 55˚ or warmer water but air less than 45˚)
This list assumes that you do not own a dry-suit. If you do, you don’t need me telling you what to wear.
|
Head |
Skull cap, preferably neoprene, worn under helmet |
|
Upper Body |
1 or more synthetic/wool base layers, wetsuit, fleece top, dry top |
|
Lower Body |
1 or more synthetic/wool base layers, wetsuit |
|
Feet |
Thick wool socks, neoprene booties |
|
Hands |
Pogies or neoprene gloves are necessary |
Brisk
(air temperature 50-65˚, water temperature>45˚)
|
Head |
Skull cap under helmet (optional at warmer end of the range) |
|
Upper Body |
Synthetic/wool base layer and/or fleece top, wetsuit, dry top OR Synthetic/wool base layer, wetsuit, fleece top, semi-dry top OR (at warm end of range) Multiple synthetic/wool base layers, wetsuit, fleece top, windbreaker/splash top |
|
Lower Body |
1 or more synthetic/wool base layers, wetsuit |
|
Feet |
Wool socks, neoprene booties |
|
Hands |
Pogies or neoprene gloves are optional, especially at warm end of range |
Warm
(air temperature 60-75˚, water temperature>55˚)
|
Head |
Just a helmet |
|
Upper Body |
Synthetic/wool base layer, wetsuit, and dry top or semi-dry top or windbreaker/splash top OR Skip the wetsuit and add additional synthetic layers (at the warm end of the temperature range) |
|
Lower Body |
Synthetic/wool base layer, wetsuit OR Fleece pants OR 1 or more synthetic/wool layers (at the warm end of the temperature range) |
|
Feet |
Neoprene booties or water shoes |
|
Hands |
Nothing required although some people still like thin gloves |
HOT
(air temperature>75˚, water temperature>60˚)
The clothing options are numerous. Make sure to wear or bring along something to counteract evaporative cooling like a windbreaker and remember to wear synthetics or wool. A wetsuit is probably overkill at these temperatures unless you get cold very easily.
A few final notes:
Remember that you can always take off clothing if you get to warm, but if you don’t bring enough clothing on the river, it could be a miserable day. It’s best to wear lots of layers. This keeps you warmer and lets you easily adjust if you start to get too hot. Finally, a wetsuit is a great investment. It keeps you warm, provides cushion in your boat or if you swim and provides a little extra buoyancy. Plus you can usually find a good one for around $75 and it will last for many, many years.
