Do I really need to wear a wetsuit?

[DelawhereSUP]

Ok, supthecreek inspired me last year and I plan on SUPping through the winter. Although I usually flat water SUP in lower Delaware in the summer, I will be SUPping primarily on a  small "V" shaped freshwater lake during the winter. The way the lake is shaped I am never more than about 200 feet from either shore.  Both sides have a trail that goes around the lake and the inner side of the "V" has a park with a roadway.

I checked the water temperature and it is currently at 47 degrees. I usually SUP in the morning and the temperatures will usually be in the about 30ish. 

I have a SUPreme 4/3/2 wetsuit that is very comfortable but I am wondering if I really need to wear a wetsuit.  Based on past experience, I doubt I will fall in as long as I am not working on my turns but I figure it is like wearing seat belt when in a car...prepare for the worst.

I spend most of my mornings outside year around. I know I would be comfortable in a base layer and fleece.

Do you think that I need to wear a wetsuit to be safe?

Thanks

 

[Kevin]

Absolutely.

[supsherpa]

I would highly recommend it.    The shock from falling in cold water can cause a massive shock to the system.  Should you survive the with the shock, the hypothermia that sets in before you get your butt into your car may take care of the rest of your fight.

We never plan on falling in when the weather gets cold but we've all either done it or come really close.   It's not worth the risk. 

[DelawhereSUP]

This is a wetsuit, not a dry suit so I think the shock of the cold water will still be somewhat of a shock.

For those of you that have fallen into very cold water while wearing a wet suit.  How much of a shock is it when the cold water enters the wetsuit?

Thanks again.

[Area 10]

If your wetsuit fits properly, water should not enter it with just a short fall into flat water. The only time water enters my suit in any amount that is noticeable is when I am in decent size surf.

[Blue crab]

You need to wear a wetsuit. I doubt that there will be much of a shock if you fall in with a hit on, particularly if you work up a sweat first. We do downwinders in Puget Sound in 45 degree water all winter long, and falls are part of the game.  Never been cold. 

[surfcowboy]

This points to the flushing of the jacket and john wetsuit type.

In a good fitting modern full suit, you'd have a few seconds before you even felt water seep in.

I agree, you'd never make it to the car if you soaked any sort of regular clothes.

[SUPflorida]

Might be a strange comment from one in FL but the rule for any water sport that might have you go in the drink is "Dress for the water, not the air"..::

[Muskoka SUP]

www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/pages/home.html

What you need to know..  

Here in Ontario (Canada) the water is about 45F and headed lower by the minute.  
Last year I paddled until I could ski, just before the lakes  froze in late December.
I always put in at a beach, that way I'm forced to wade in a bit.  It's a good indicator of how good your choice of cold water protective wear is.  And don't forget your leash....ever!

TD

[PaddleAnything]

No, layering fleece and other technical cloths is far more comfortable for paddling.  I wear the thinnest layers I can and carry backup layers in a drybag. 

[feet]

I guess it depends on how much you want to become a statistic...



See this:

 http://www.coldwatersafety.org/

[waterman60]

Prepare for the worst, think safety, today's top of the line wetsuits are very flexable warn with a rash guard they are quite comfortable.  Hypothermia due any length of time in cold water sets in real quick.  If you paddle alone safety is paramount.   Maybe a 3/2 wetsuit, only you know your comfort level.                   For most, cold is not fun !

[supthecreek]

First of all:
 

Great to hear that you will be paddling this winter! You are in for a treat.
Share your experiences with us.

My first rule of life is:
"If you even think it... it's true"

"Do I really need to wear a wetsuit?"
Yes.... true

Most here agree.

Paddleanything disagrees.... I think he needs to be MUCH more specific before recommending that people venture on the water in freezing temps, dressed in comfortable street cloths. Maybe he has a good setup... but I'd like details before taking that risk.

My thoughts on being warm in fleece are tempered by the mental image of hitting a rock with my fin and falling in... 3 or 4 miles from my car. That's an hour in freezing temperatures, in wet cloths... miles from any help.
You may be close to shore... but you will still have to walk back to the car , carrying your board and paddle... in wet, freezing clothes.


But... since you wont be falling in.... put the warm suit on at home... take it off at home... simple and warm, plus there will be no second guessing when you get to the lake.

You don't need a thick wetsuit... my 3/2 gives me the security I need, is plenty warm, easy to put on and easy to paddle in. Cold days I just throw on a hooded sweatshirt.

Gloves- Thinsulate waterproof ski gloves are the best solution I have found. Wetsuit gloves are cold when not surfing.
Make sure they have a grippy palm... check how they feel while holding your paddle.

Warm ski hat that pulls over your ears

Turtle fur.... if your neck is warm... you will be warm.

Fanny pack with Iphone in $20 waterproof plastic bag for added security

Boots: the weakest link. My feet never get cold surfing, but on a long paddle... they do.
I just ordered a pair of Neosport 5mm Explorer Boots... basically knee high wetsuit UGGs.
The theory sound good... tall enough to wade out and launch without getting water in your booties.... that way you could wear warm socks to insulate your feet from the boot.
Buy them a size bigger.... they are not super wide and a tight fit will be colder.
About $60

[Area 10]

You can get away with a well-fitting minimal thickness wetsuit if you put a semi-dry cag over the top, and use thermals underneath the suit. Breathable cags are wonderful things. They weigh next to nothing and don't impede paddling, give you somewhere to stash gear, keep the wind off, and allow for some regulation of body temperature. They will of course offer you no warmth once you are in the water, but if you know that your unscheduled dip will only be for a few seconds, then the best semi-dry cags will pretty much keep water out for that length of time, and the layer of warn air that they trap is much warmer than several mm of neoprene. Wetsuits are pretty cold when you aren't in the water, especially once you have built up a sweat in them.

If you have a really good cag then you could probably get away with a long john/farmer john with thermals under that and the cag on top. That offers much better ventilation, freedom of movement, and temperature control then a full wetsuit. But if you were in very cold water for any length of time (e.g. you got caught by your leash in a fast moving river) that set-up would probably kill you in not much more then 30 minutes, assuming that the kit allowed you to survive the cold shock (which is actually the greatest threat, killing about half of all people who fall into cold waters unprepared). There is a very useful scientific article which outlines the problems of cold water immersion based on UK waters here:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/otopdf/1995/oto95038.pdf

For boots, if it is really icy, I buy the thickest boots I can get (8mm currently) and get them a size too big. I then wear thin neoprene sailing socks under them, and under those I wear Seal Skin wool socks. In extreme temps, I sometimes even wear another pair of thin thermal socks under those. I also use velcro ties around the bottom of my suit legs to keep water out of the legs/boots. It's a palaver, but it keeps the cold out in temps down to freezing or a little below. I went out in thick snow and 30 knot winds last winter in this and my feet were toasty warm. Colder than that or for offshore activities I think you'd probably need a drysuit and more specialist kit, but I guess paddling opportunities are getting hard to come by when you get down to those temperatures.

[Wetstuff]

Area,  Define 'cag' for us who do not speaks King's english.

Jim