One reason that many of our cooler weather excursions are
limited to a few hours, is the chill that often sets-in to the extremities:
cold fingertips and toes. While our core stays toasty, thanks to multiple thin,
warm layers and our exertion which seems to fire-up that inner furnace, that
warm blood doesn’t always keep our extremities warm. This is one of those
ongoing subjects to which you hear plenty of solutions and opinions, but aside
from avoiding cold weather, there’s no “one size fits all solution,” which is
especially important to remember if you’re guiding people. You could be wearing
the same gear as your paddling companions, but having an entirely different
experience. Age and gender figure heavily
into blood circulation, but there are enough other variables that it’s pretty
tough to guess what someone else is feeling.
One way to deal with the cold is with gear. As the air and
water turned cooler this winter, I noticed that my feet were getting chilled
every time. (It doesn’t escape me that, since we paddled in warmer climes last
winter, it had been almost two years since I’d paddled in freezing water, and,
well, I – and my blood circulation system – have grown older during that time). The
first thing I did was put a foam pad beneath my feet, something to insulate
them from that 30-odd-degree water on the other side of a thin fiberglass
shell. That helped. But then I ordered the thickest wetsuit boots I could find.
Most kayak-specific gear is not quite thick enough for ice
water and clomping around in the snow, so I thought I’d try-out some
diving-oriented gear that I ordered from a company in Maryland that specializes
in all things wetsuit-related, called Wetsuit Wearhouse.
These XCEL Thermoflex Dive Boots are made with 6.5 mm
neoprene with a poly fleece lining that really keeps the heat in. The zipped
sides help when it comes to getting drysuit booties over heavy wool socks into
the boot (although I’m guessing these boots would keep your feet toasty even
without the extra layers). I usually wear a 10 to a 10.5 shoe, and even with
the drysuit and socks, the 10 worked just fine, but if you sometimes opt for a
larger size and you’re wearing those extra layers, you might want to ensure
that your feet are not cramped (which decreases circulation) and order-up a
size. Since I started wearing the XCELs, my feet haven’t been even vaguely
cold, and they’re even comfortable for walking and cling well to wet rocks. They go for about $64 at
Wetsuit Wearhouse.
Hands are another matter. I’ve gone back and forth between
gloves or mitts of varying thickness and pogies or a combination of the two.
Hands tend to get wetter and are more prone to wind; even a mild breeze will
cool your hands if they are encased in damp neoprene. Obviously, the thicker
the neoprene, the warmer it will be, but you need to balance that warmth
potential with your need to actually use your hands. Mitts make a lot of sense,
since the fingers stay warmer when they’re all together. But it’s tough to go
through life with claws instead of fingers. Taking pictures is out of the
question. You might be able to get a sprayskirt on. I’ve usually gone with a
combination of mid-weight gloves and pogies. With the gloves alone, especially
once they’re wet, my hands would be cold. But encase them in that extra layer
and they tend to be toasty.
But I thought, along with the thick boots, I’d give thick
diving gloves a try. The 5/4 mm XCEL Thermoflex Dive Gloves are by far the
warmest neoprene gloves I’ve worn. Not only that, but they work pretty well at
keeping your hands dry. The neoprene is lined on the inside with XCEL's exclusive Thermo Dry
Celliant inner lining, which according to the website “recycles your body heat
and converts it to usable infrared energy for greater warmth, increased
endurance and drying time, faster recovery, and overall enhanced performance.”
So far, the sealed seams have kept all the water out, aided by a hefty Velcro
strap around the wrist. They’re thick enough that a little break-in time makes
them a bit more pliant. The longer I’ve worn these gloves, the more I
like them, especially on those sub-freezing days. These go for about $45 at
Wetsuit Wearhouse.
There’s an old adage that says if your feet are cold, put on
a hat. It’s easy logic- much of your heat goes out through the top. In past
years in New England, as my bones get a little creakier and my circulation
poorer, I’ve taken to wearing some sort of hat for warmth for more than half
the year, and it does go a long way toward keeping my hands and feet warm. I
usually have two or three warm hats in my day hatch, just in case (and they are
often enough leant to guests, even in mid-summer). On the water though, the
knit hat has always felt like a bit of a weakness, since I’d really rather not
get it wet, even if it is wool or synthetic. Yes, there are the neoprene
skullcaps, complete with chinstraps, but I don’t wear these casually,
especially since I can’t hear once my ears are completely covered. Besides,
when I started wearing one of those years ago, my overly fashion-conscious
buddy Todd nicknamed me “Cannonball.” Oh, to have been called “Cannonball.”
The Stormr Typhoon Watch fishing beanie fits just like an
ordinary wool beanie, but it’s made of 3mm neoprene with a thin, fleecy lining
to wick-away moisture. When I wear it on the water, I can feel the heat
building-up in my torso like a stoked woodstove. If I need to hear better, it’s
easy to fold the edges up. It works well when wet, and stays on in the stiffest
breeze. And unlike the hoods and scullcaps that might make you feel like a
superhero or earn you a cool nickname, you can wear the beanie into the
convenience store on the drive home and not get stared at, except by other
covetous paddlers. I may need to get a thinner version for warmer weather
paddling. These go for about $25 at Wetsuit Wearhouse.
Of course all of these items work best if you rinse out the
salt water after each use and let them dry. You’re much more likely to stay
warm if you start your excursion with dry gear. I like to have extras,
especially if I’m guiding or paddling with friends, so there’s always an option
or two. Wetsuit Wearhouse has far more options than I knew existed, and if
these options allow me more time on the water and more confidence that I’ll be
able to return home without numb appendages, they’re worthwhile investments.
1 comment:
I've winter paddled since 2002 and still learning. I've always had excellent results with 2 mm Glacier Gloves. Thick enough for warmth, but flexible enough to still use my camera, VHF and other equipment. However, this year I did experience minor frostbite on my left thumb on a trip that featured 20 degree F temperature and 30+ mph wind. I'm thinking as I get older, it's a circulation issue more than gear. Oh perhaps a judgement issue. Maybe I should not go out in temperatures where the wind chill is below zero...LOL.
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