Tinkerntom wrote:
Brian and Wilko, you both represent alot of diverse paddling
experience. I found this article which was originally released as a
white page news brief by Bare, significant for the kayaking community.

http://tinyurl.com/6wozp

Bare position is that the Drysuit does not belong in a kayak. Even
though it gives more cold water protection, it also requires more
maintenance and training, which the recreational kayaker is probably
not prepared to provide. Granted, there are high performance expert
kayakers who can benefit from the higher performance, but the high
performance is trumped by the higher risk inherant in drysuits.


Tink,

The drysuit has been used for a lot of years by kayakers. If you go back
to Dowd's first edition of his book, he actually recommends them for
exactly the conditions we've been discussing. The diving drysuit,
however, is a bit different from the immersion suit a kayaker would use,
in both materials and requirements. Diving, remember, involves
connecting the suit to your air supply and adjusting bouyancy by adding
or leaking air from the suit. These valves, as you point out, would not
exist on the equipment you'd use as a kayker and training in their use
is pointless.

What does remain the same, however, is the basics of how the suit works.
The insulation is provided by the clothes you wear. The integrity of the
suit and its seals are critical and less likely to be compromised by a
sea kayaker than a river kayaker. Use of a dry suit by a river runner
would, most likely, create additional risks (since its bulky nature
would lead to severe disadvantages in running water and once torn, it
would be a huge danger). For this reason, I can see the manufacturer
suggesting that they not be used to run rivers. These risks are
negligible for a sea kayaker.

Especially consider that many rec paddlers would use the drysuit in
conditions that don't require the greater cold water protection, just
to stay dry and comfortable, and the risk is even more unjustifiable.
Wilko I am with you on this one!


As far as cost is concerned, I agree. Were I to go paddling on one of
the great lakes in winter, however, I would definitely wear same.

....stuff deleted


It seems to me for someone like me, a newbie, and I don't know Sparks
experience, that you experts should answer his question, not with a
discussion of the merits of the two systems. But by recognizing the
limits and aknowledging the risks involved in extreme cold water
paddling, and kill the Mystic. Just my two cents worth. TnT


Valid point. I am concerned, first and foremost, with giving advice that
falls on the safer side of the situation. Some disagree with me on that,
which is fine. This is probably more a difference between the nature of
sea kayakers and their WW bretheren.

Having done some of both, I realize that sea kayakers have different
expectations of their equipment. Sea kayerks expect to be in the water
in an emergency situation for an extended period of time (weather that
defeats your skills will last for many hours, but the conditions of a
river tend to change much more quickly. In a drysuit, I could float in
the 45F-55F water here for 24 hours. That degree of protecation from
cold can be critical. In a wet suit (3mm farmer john - a denser suit is
too restrictive for long term paddling), 2 hours is about the limit for
thermal protection for most in those conditions. This may be woefully
inadequate for some.

I've used my wetsuit(s) for many years now. Perhaps some folks have
suits that perform better than either of mine. Great from them. My
suits, however, offer virtually no protection from wind. When wet, they
are great. When dry in cold wind, they are virtually useless. I base my
recommendations on these criteria. The criteria on which we base our
decisions do, at times, need to be explained. I made no effort to do
this in my previous post(s). For this, I apologize.

I still stand by my recommendation that a dry suit is required for the
conditions described. I am, by no means, critical of those who
recommended otherwise. As I point out, from their perspective, I
probably come off as a bit of a wimp. So it goes.

Rick