a paddle suit may be an option to consider. kokotak makes a model that is relatively inexpensive compared to their top-of-the-line dry suits. it has most of the key properties of a dry suit other than in the case of total imersion where it does not have a water-tight neck gasket.
it really depends on air temps and water temps and where you are paddling and the kinds of risks you expose yourself to that impact this equation.
for example, in winter, i tend to restrict myself to paddling along a walk-outable shore line (e.g. no more than 30 feet from a shore) and calm surface and wind conditions.....no open bay passages for me for the winter. i also, during the winter, will not paddle alone and make sure both me and my colleague have water-proof working marine radios and cell-phones.
there is a lot of good literature on sorting out the approach and winter can offer up pretty varied water and wind conditions. it is possible, in my view, to get in a reasonable amount of winter season work (with mother nature's cooperation) with alternatives short of a dry suit. but without some assumptions about what winter means to you.....and what you want to paddle in.....its hard to make a real proposal.
all that said....i have a dry suit. i shopped around and found a good quality suit on clearance at the end of the season. if you buy a good piece of equipment and treat it right...they can last a very long time.
Messages In This Thread
- Off Topic: Winter wear
Gero Verheyen -- 11/14/2014, 6:01 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
george jung -- 11/14/2014, 8:16 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/15/2014, 8:33 am
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howard -- 11/14/2014, 8:16 pm- Winter wear Now for something completely different *PIC*
John Messinger -- 11/15/2014, 3:01 am
- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Robert W -- 11/15/2014, 8:24 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Jay Babina -- 11/15/2014, 11:32 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Mike Bielski -- 11/15/2014, 3:41 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/16/2014, 12:15 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Mike Bielski -- 11/16/2014, 8:56 pm
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Bill Hamm -- 11/16/2014, 12:12 am - Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
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Bill Hamm -- 11/15/2014, 8:26 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 11/15/2014, 11:11 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Mike Bielski -- 11/15/2014, 11:34 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Yoshi -- 11/15/2014, 5:22 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 11/15/2014, 10:48 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Yoshi -- 11/16/2014, 1:36 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
george jung -- 11/16/2014, 1:56 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
John Roberts -- 11/16/2014, 4:34 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
george jung -- 11/16/2014, 7:33 pm
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Gero Verheyen -- 11/15/2014, 10:33 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear *PIC*
Etienne Muller -- 11/16/2014, 4:23 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear *PIC*
Etienne Muller -- 11/16/2014, 4:28 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Ken Blanton -- 11/16/2014, 1:00 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Etienne Muller -- 11/16/2014, 2:10 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Ken Blanton -- 11/16/2014, 10:54 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
scottbaxter -- 11/16/2014, 11:33 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Etienne Muller -- 11/17/2014, 4:55 am - Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/16/2014, 11:50 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/17/2014, 12:30 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Gero Verheyen -- 11/17/2014, 7:38 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/17/2014, 9:43 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/17/2014, 10:35 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/18/2014, 12:28 am - Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
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- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear *PIC*
- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear *PIC*
Sean Dawe -- 11/17/2014, 10:56 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Gero Verheyen -- 11/17/2014, 10:23 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Mike Bielski -- 11/17/2014, 10:49 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Gero Verheyen -- 11/17/2014, 10:53 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Mike Bielski -- 11/17/2014, 11:02 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/18/2014, 12:37 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/18/2014, 2:02 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Sean Dawe -- 11/18/2014, 9:10 am - Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
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Nick R. -- 11/18/2014, 6:07 am- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Robert N Pruden -- 11/20/2014, 5:48 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/20/2014, 7:00 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/23/2014, 1:54 am
- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
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Gero Verheyen -- 11/20/2014, 10:24 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
scottbaxter -- 11/20/2014, 10:51 pm- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
JohnAbercrombie -- 11/21/2014, 12:03 am
- Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
Bill Hamm -- 11/21/2014, 8:50 am - Re: Off Topic: Winter wear
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