Michael Daly wrote:
On 14-Jan-2005, "Tinkerntom" wrote:

Don your
prospective gear, and go run up and down the shore, and do some
good
aerobic excercises, work up a sweat. Then get in the water ...
snip

If this little test in any way represents the conditions that a sea
kayaker
could reasonably expect while paddling, the mistake they made was
paddling
in such conditions.

If you choose to paddle during the winter in conditions where you
_will_
get seriously wet and/or are at significant risk of capsize and a
swim,
then you clearly should not be allowed out of the house alone.

Most of us check the weather before going out. If the conditions are
acceptable, then we go. Under these conditions, I have _never_, ever
capsized in all my years of paddling. Not once. So, the cold
weather
gear is to protect against an unlikely condition. Furthermore, if
I go alone, I will only wear a drysuit, since only a drysuit gives
the
degree of protection that suits solo paddling. A wetsuit will not
provide enough protection unless it is so bulky that it can't be
paddled in. If I paddle with the usual gang, I might wear a farmer
john and drytop, since I know they can provide an assisted rescue
quickly assuming my roll fails.

The claims that drysuits are bulky are nonsense. They are no more
difficult to move in than any other winter clothing. Gore-tex over
fleece - what's the big deal?

In your other post, you point out that there is a risk that the
fabric
might tear. Not likely. I wear Gore-tex clothing almost year round
when hiking, skiing and other sports. I put that stuff through a lot
of abuse and can't remember ever tearing Gore-Tex. The seals are the
weak point, but inspecting them is a good preventative measure. If
your suit has Gore-tex or neoprene protection over the seals, as some
good paddling suits have, the risk of a tear from an external source
is low.

The seals on my drysuit are 6 years old and should be replaced soon.
My drytop is about 8 years old and in much better shape. They can
last a reasonable amount of time if taken care of.

The risks are from the weather and water conditions, not from your
gear. If you focus on that and make sure you are prepared, the
risks are easy to control. Winter paddling can be riskier than
summer paddling, but you don't hear about paddling incidents in
the winter. That's probably because the winter conditions
keep the fools off the water.

Mike

That is one big focus, "make sure you are prepared, the risks are easy
to control"??? The problem is that as a newbie am I trully capable of
assessing the risk, and being properly prepared? to go out in extreme
cold water conditions.

"The risks are from the weather and water conditions, not from your
gear." That again is the point, as a newbie it is easy to talk about a
particular piece of gear. If I have a drysuit, then the weather and
water conditions are no longer a concern. And to suggest that if I have
a drysuit, I now have clearance to paddle solo in critical conditions,
only adds to the dangerous lack of proper risk assesment.

However, if I get in the water, and have to face the facts as to how
cold it is and the limits of my gear to keep me warm, and the
likelyhood of my being unable to handle the specific paddling
environment, then I may be more inclined to stay home as you recommend,
or at least not be allowed out alone.
Bravado gets cold real fast!

I appreciate MikeD that you are also an accomplished paddler, so the
content of the white page is probably not aimed at you. But the newbie
that dons a drysuit and paddles off on a new adventure, is likely the
same one who does not check the weather, or that the seals are all
good, or there is not a tear in the drysuit that they got on eBay for a
bargain, or that the zipper is closed all the way. Besides having a
reasonably bombproof roll or all the other skills and gear that make
for safe paddling.

I disagree with you, that "the cold weather gear is to protect against
an unlikely condition." If you mean that, as it is unlikely to snow in
the summer, but we have all probably heard of this happening. In fact,
the very situation where a newbie wears a drysuit, is where the
undesirable scenario is likely to happen. This as you point out, could
just as likely be during a season when the water is warm enough that
wearing a drysuit is not required, and by so doing, the newbie exposes
himself to an unnecessary elevated risk! And if a likely or unlikely
incident does occur, you had better know that your life support system
is adequate!

So yeah, I think this little test with all its limitations is at least
a start. If a kayaker or their gear, cannot pass this test, it is very
doubtful that they would pass a real test at sea or down the river.
IMHO, I need to stay home till it warms a bit this Spring. My bravado
has cold feet. TnT