Gearing up for Winter Kayaking

It's a new year!  Are you excited to get out on the water but concerned about chilly air and cold water temperatures. Here are some tips that I have found helpful for staying warm when kayaking in the winter months.

 

Sea kayaking on a chilly day on the North Coast of California. Photo by Pelle Hammarstrom

First  - what is cold water?  

The National Institute for Cold Water Safety says we should treat any water temperature below 70F with caution.  

What are the dangers of cold water? 

Cold shock, drowning, heart failure, stroke, and hypothermia are the dangers.  For more information, check out Why Cold Water is Dangerous.

Tips for Winter Kayaking Warmth

Thermal Protection -

 My number one choice for paddling in the winter months is a drysuit - specifically one that includes feet.  I make sure that my drysuit is roomy so that if it is really chilly or I am going to be in the water a lot I will still be warm.  Read my blog post on drysuits.

Drysuits are a super comfy option for cold water and cold weather paddling. LFK instructors Jeff Laxier and Cate Hawthorne showing off their colorful and functional Immersion Research Drysuits.

My layers under the drysuit vary depending on air and water temperatures, how hard I am going to be paddling, and how much time I plan to be in the water.  My go-to base layer is my Immersion Research Women's Union Suit.  I have found the Immersion Research (IR) women’s onesie to be the best fitting and functional of the union suits available.  The 2 features that I really appreciate are the relief flap in the crotch and no zippers.  Depending upon water and activity level, I may layer over my union suit (both top and bottom).  I also carry an extra fleece top in a dry bag in case I get chilled and want another base layer under my dry top.

 

Immersion Research makes a super comfy zipperless onesie with a convenient relief flap.

If a drysuit is not an option, then a wetsuit and drytop combination is my second choice.  Here are 2 combinations that I have found to work

1.      5/4 surf suit and a dry top

2.      3mm Farmer Jane with a union suit and additional fleece top.

Keep Your Feet Warm

I often wear a pair of wool socks (sometimes 2) and a pair of neoprene boots in my paddling shoes.  When its cold, I find neoprene paddling shoes/booties to be warmer than my regular paddling shoes.

Keep Your Hands Warm

Pogies are my first choice for keeping my hands warm.  On very cold days, I will wear gloves and pogies.  My favorite paddling gloves are Patagonia’s neoprene fly fishing gloves.  Their XS fits my small hands perfectly. 

Pogie are mittens for kayaking.  They velcro over the shaft of the paddle and work quite well.

Keep Your Ears Warm

Keep your ears warm.  I prefer ear plugs because they keep out cold water and wind, work with my helmet, and protect my ears.  Some people prefer to wear neoprene hoods or skull caps.  If I am doing a lot of rolling or swimming in cold water, I wear both ear plugs and a hood.

Ear plugs are an essential item for kayakers to protect their ears from the wind and cold water.

Protect Your Eyes from the Wind

Try wearing sunglasses or glasses with clear lenses. You might be surprised how much they cut down on the wind and help keep you warm.

Another excuse to wear my Maui Jim's.

Keep Well Fueled

Make sure you stay well hydrated and fueled.  I usually bring a small thermos with hot tea and honey or hot chocolate.  On a cold day, I find the warmth and sweetness are more appealing than plain water.  At lunch time, I find that fatty foods like cheese and/or a nut or seed butters work well.

Other Comforts

Poncho – I often carry an inexpensive easily packable poncho to pull on at lunchtime and when we are off the water but not getting out of our paddling kit right away.  This provides a wind break and keeps heat in.

Dry Gloves and Hat – for off water breaks, I keep a dedicated pair of warm gloves, and a warm, dry, knit or neoprene hat to pull on during lunchtime and off water breaks.

 

Sunglasses and knit wool hats are part of my cold weather kit.  Thanks mom for the cool hats.

After paddling, I change out of all of my paddling clothes (including base layers) and into dry, warm clothes.  For changing out of my paddling base layers, I use my fleece changing station for warmth and modesty.  Usually I have another warm knit hat stowed with my extra dry clothes to be extra toasty (thanks mom for all the warm wool knit hats).

Please share in the comments below if you have other tips for staying warm when kayaking in the winter or if you have found any of these tips to be helpful.

Gratitude

It was too sappy to call this post Gushing with Gratitude.  But that isn't a bad thing.

As we roll into Liquid Fusion Kayaking's slower season, Jeff and I have been reviewing Liquid Fusion Kayaking's business plan and our own personal goals.  Health and happiness are at the top of my short and long term goal list.  This week, I reaffirmed how simple this can be, and I am literally gushing with gratefulness.

Strolling among redwood trees - breathing the fresh air - marveling at life.

I am grateful that I have found the magic potion for happiness - time spent in nature.  It can be as simple as walking on my errands around town - admiring plants and birds or as exhilarating as surfing my kayak, running whitewater, or mountain biking in the forest.  I have let go of the perception that every adventure has to be epic - perfect waves, big whitewater, fast rides.  I have shifted my mindset and discovered that every adventure is a victory of the soul.

My surfing pals and I call surfing a wave that doesn't break sledding.  Rather than being frustrated that the surf is small, I sled and rejoice that I am able to get outside and play in the sea.  There will be days with better waves.

I feel very fortunate to live in Fort Bragg, California with access to the sea and the redwood forest.   I also greatly appreciate my friends, neighbors, and community.  Solo missions are special but sharing adventures with friends is feeds the happiness quotient.

Camping on the Eel River

As we roll into the holidays, take time reflect on all the blessings of this world.  Rejoice in them and share them with others.

Our coastal mountain biking crew sharing adventures in the desert.

Fort Bragg, California

Fort Bragg, California is a bit rough around the edges.  We like it this way.  To live here, one has to be creative, adaptive, and willing to get wet.  When Jeff and I established Liquid Fusion Kayaking in Fort Bragg in 2008, we had to do some out of the box thinking to make it work.  

Earlier this month, Fort Bragg celebrated it's 130th birthday.  Fort Bragg has been a lumber and fishing town for the majority of those 130 years.  These are 2 extremely rugged and dangerous industries.  And industries that often swing on a variable economic pendulum.  Today, Fort Bragg is attempting to break away from its economic dependence on lumber and fishing.  As tourism becomes an important part of Fort Bragg's economy, we are seeking how to stay true to our rugged roots.

Whitewater Kayaking, Cliffside Wine Tasting, and the Strange Wildnerness - The 4 Day Weekend in Fort Bragg is the title of a recent article in Men's Journal.  The author Andrew Leonard shares his experience visiting Fort Bragg including Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Whitewater of the Sea Adventure. 

Working with the water to ride a wave over a rock.  Fort Bragg, California is an ideal location for whitewater ocean kayaking - aka rock gardening.

In the article, Andrew alludes to the challenge of Fort Bragg reinventing itself without sanding away its rough edges.  He closes his article with the lesson that he learned when ocean kayaking with Jeff - "Work with the water and not against it."  Good advice for all of us in changing times - the trick is understanding how water works 😉

Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Cate Hawthorne coaching students on how to work with the water and kayak as a team in ocean rock gardens.

Lumpy Waters 2019

Once again, Jeff and I returned to Pacific City, Oregon for the Lumpy Waters Symposium.  This was our 8th year coaching at Lumpy.  If you haven't been to Lumpy Waters, mark your calendar for October 9-11, 2020 and get there.  Pacific City is a beautiful location.  Many of the event's classes are within a 10 minute walk or 5 minute drive (and a couple are 30 minutes away). The team at Alder Creek run an excellent event.  The event is very student centered - meaning - it is all about students learning and having a great time.

As a coach, I enjoy the attitude and energy of the Lumpy students.  Students come to Lumpy to learn and have fun.  One can be goofy as a coach (it is encouraged).  This gets everyone laughing and makes for a relaxed, fun, and supportive learning environment in an environment that can be challenging.  Many of the classes at Lumpy are lumpy.  Students come to Lumpy to be challenged by dynamic waters and learn how to kayak in them.  My job is to keep them safe and teach them the skills that they need to paddle and play safely in the surf and rock gardens.

As a coach, I am constantly challenged to create a safe learning environment for students in the surfzones and rock gardens of the Oregon Coast.  Like the students Lumpy challenges and stretches me.  On the last day of Lumpy, Jeff and I were co teaching an Intro to Rock Gardening Class.  During the morning, conditions built. At lunch time, we landed our students through 5 foot surf.  We modified our afternoon plans to do a bit of coasteering. It was super fun.  We had students traversing on foot and swimming through the rock gardens just off the beach.  As we traversed through the rocks, the students got to practice CLAP (communication, line of sight, awareness, and positioning) and feel and work with the pulse of the sea.

We pegged the fun meter with jumping off a rock onto an incoming wave.

Another highlight from Lumpy this year was getting to teach a full day surfzone class.  The full day format took all the hustle and bustle out of trying to cram in the essentials into a couple of hours.  My students had the luxury of a full day to develop confidence and control in the surf zone.  At the end of the day, they were all landing with finesse and control in the surf.

Another highlight from Lumpy is getting to reconvene with friends and fellow coaches and adventurers.  We swap stories of adventures and share the triumphs and tribulations of life in the kayak industry.

Lumpy students - if you are reading my blog - THANK YOU for your positive energy.  Your smiles and success on the water inspires me as an instructor.  It is why I teach.  And if you get a chance, please come take a class or tour through Liquid Fusion Kayaking with Jeff and I in our home waters on the Mendocino Coast or Eel River.  You will love it!!!