Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Regional => NorthWest => Topic started by: spirit4earth on May 04, 2015, 06:19:51 AM
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Hi everyone. I'm thinking about moving back to Seattle, but I need some info on SUP and kayaking up there. Back in the day, we'd swim in Lake Washington, but the warm window was very small.
I don't think I'd want to go out on Lake Union (still nasty, right), but the Sound and LW for sure. Are wetsuits needed year-round? How much warm paddling weather has there been over the past few years?
I have a flatwater kayak and a Red Paddle board, and I of course have NO cold weather/water paddling gear!
Any thoughts or advice or data will be appreciated!
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I paddle in the summer in the Sound with no wetsuit--falling in is brisk but no problem. People swim in Lake Washington all summer in swimsuits. Lake Union is very popular for paddling. People used to swim at Gasworks Park for years. What I heard was the water wasn't bad, it was disturbing the sludge on the bottom that wasn't good. I'd guess the water itself in Lake Union isn't bad at all for falling in, unless maybe you're in the most industrial parts. Weather is similar to Portland, which to me means no wetsuit or even tights, etc. in lakes from May through October. April and November can be pretty mild sometimes also. You can get by almost year round without a wetsuit if you wear clothes similar to what you'd wear running (less true for the Sound, though).
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Are wetsuits needed year-round?
Wetsuits for sup in Seattle are like parachutes for skydiving, you only need one if you want to do it twice.
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I like pdxMike's answer because I don't want to go the wetsuit route! I'm a beginner, but for now I live in a warm climate where I can get better before coming back up there. We swam in Lake Washington in the 80's, but never in Lake Union. Reckon I'll stick with that plan!
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I'm glad to hear that May through October is doable. I know the weather is changing there, just like everywhere-----from my friends' posts, it seems like you have more sun, rather than less.
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Folks year round paddle in Vancouver which has similar weather to Seattle. Not many go year round but there is no reason not to. Our cities' rare snow days are especially fun to paddle in.
Running or cycling clothing equivalents are the way to go. In spring and autumn I wear merino wool as a base layer as it is warm when wet. A cycling jacket over top or in my dry bag if it gets windy.
I have taken a wet suit with me just in case, but I haven't worked out the practicalities of changing into it if the conditions change so much that I need it on.
I also wear a kayak/dinghy style PFD just because I do.
I have seen others in dry suits and wet suits, but I know I would get too hot. I suppose my blubber layer is thicker than theirs.
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I used to windsurf in Puget Sound and I would not go out at any time of year without a wet suit. But perhaps the risk is greater with windsurfing - if the wind dies you pretty much are forced to swim.
Here are some factoids to help your decision:
Average surface temperature for Puget Sound in summer is 53-55 degrees.
Survival time due to hypothermia at those temps is 1-6 hours. Time to being incapacitated is much less.
Probably be OK if you stay close to shore.
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Brrrr..... It will be a trade-off if I return. Friends and the great NW, but no more southern heat....
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All depends on what you're used to. I paddle year round. I stopped wearing a wetsuit this year in March but this was also the sunniest, driest winter I've seen in the 12 years I've lived here. In the dead of winter I only wear a long john suit with a Smartwool top under it and sometimes my REI eVent jacket if it's raining/drizzly. I've tried wearing a full body 3mm wetsuit and even in the winter found it to be too warm (and I grew up in AZ so it's not like I'm a native to this climate!) I wear 4mm booties in the winter and 3mm in the fall/spring. I live in Ballard/Crown Hill so most of my paddling is on the Sound heading out of either Golden Gardens or the Elks beach across from the Surf Ballard shop. During the summer I'll try (usually very badly) to catch and surf freighter waves. In the winter I try to avoid them and also carry a dry bag with warm clothes just in case I do go in the water. I prefer to avoid Lake Union/Washington in the summer - too much boat traffic. The river running from Kenmore to Redmond is also a great place to paddle. My inflatable SUP arrived this weekend and this summer I plan to take Amtrak up to Edmonds and then paddle from there 12 miles back down to Ballard.
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I used to swim in Puget Sound all the time growing up. Favorite thing in high school was to go for a long run then cool off in the Sound. Now I can't do it without quite a bit of transition time. But an occasional fall in in the summer is refreshing. But I'm not far from shore, and in protected water (east side of Whidbey Island). If I were in rougher water, further from shore, etc. I'd be dressing more like I do in winter on the Willamette--farmer john and/or running clothes.
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Cyclocross, what iSup did you get? I recently bought a Red Paddle Co 10' Surfer---my first board. SUP is harder than I thought! I can see how progress will be made with each session, though.
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Cyclocross, what iSup did you get? I recently bought a Red Paddle Co 10' Surfer---my first board. SUP is harder than I thought! I can see how progress will be made with each session, though.
I picked up a 12'6" Imagine Surf Compressor Mission. Seems to be at least as fast as my home made Chesapeake Light Craft Kaholo wood board. I did a fun trip last week where I took Amtrak from Seattle up to Edmonds and then paddled home to Golden Gardens. At the end I rolled up the board and walked home.
Also be sure to check out Rob Casey's blog, he has tons of good advice and lives in Seattle so it's very relevant to our neck of the woods. http://stokemagazine.blogspot.com/
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I'm reviving an old thread, but I finally am both in the Seattle area and I have a board. It has already gotten cold and rainy. I'm wondering if neoprene pants and a neoprene vest with either wool or fleece over it would be good gear for paddling around here. I always prefer to go barefoot, but I guess I'll have to wear neoprene booties.
Any new thoughts from cold-weather paddlers?
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Yes to the booties (good general rule there : ) Winter water sloshing around your bare feet gets cold. Other than that I wear running or biking clothes that are by their nature water resistant so as to not soak up. I do have some 1 mil neoprene pants and shirt thingies that are for dingy sailing. I tend to wear those the more churned the water is. I reckon the greater the chance is that I will have to paddle back soaking wet, the greater the wisdom of neoprene. Wool would work too I guess but I've never explored that. I probably should try. I recall other threads on this topic.
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I paddle year round here on Hood Canal and I've tried a number of combinations to stay comfortable. My waterski drysuit turned out to be WAY too warm once I really get going. I would be soaking wet from sweat after a paddle. (great if you are trying to lose weight). What has worked best for me is a thin neoprene farmer john bottom and then layer upper body garments like a lightweight nylon jacket and then a long-sleeve UA compression shirt underneath. When it's extremely cold out I will wear wetsuit boots, but I prefer to go barefoot for as long as I can. A neoprene cap also helps to keep the heat in on cold days. But often at the end of a hard paddle I will have removed the hat as well as the jacket and sometimes even the shirt. Water temp can get pretty cold, so that is a strong incentive NOT to fall in! ;D
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I'm reviving an old thread, but I finally am both in the Seattle area and I have a board. It has already gotten cold and rainy. I'm wondering if neoprene pants and a neoprene vest with either wool or fleece over it would be good gear for paddling around here. I always prefer to go barefoot, but I guess I'll have to wear neoprene booties.
Any new thoughts from cold-weather paddlers?
Welcome to the area! I also try to go barefoot as long as I can, but this is the time of year I start back with the neoprene booties, especially for morning paddling and longer paddles. Also rocky and slippery (or barnacle laced) shores make booties more of a necessity for protection rather than just warmth.
I paddle rivers mostly, so the water is colder than the sound, so I generally lean toward more neoprene than less. You may suffer more initially by sweating and overheating, but its worth it when the unexpected swim happens. If I'm hitting class 2+ whitewater or somewhere its likely I'll be falling in a lot, then I wear a 3/4 mil full wetsuit like 10 months out of the year. Class 1 rivers where its much less likely I will be falling in I'll go with a 1 mil 2 piece wetsuit in the cold months.
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I'm reviving an old thread, but I finally am both in the Seattle area and I have a board. It has already gotten cold and rainy. I'm wondering if neoprene pants and a neoprene vest with either wool or fleece over it would be good gear for paddling around here. I always prefer to go barefoot, but I guess I'll have to wear neoprene booties.
Any new thoughts from cold-weather paddlers?
Welcome to the area! I also try to go barefoot as long as I can, but this is the time of year I start back with the neoprene booties, especially for morning paddling and longer paddles. Also rocky and slippery (or barnacle laced) shores make booties more of a necessity for protection rather than just warmth.
I paddle rivers mostly, so the water is colder than the sound, so I generally lean toward more neoprene than less. You may suffer more initially by sweating and overheating, but its worth it when the unexpected swim happens. If I'm hitting class 2+ whitewater or somewhere its likely I'll be falling in a lot, then I wear a 3/4 mil full wetsuit like 10 months out of the year. Class 1 rivers where its much less likely I will be falling in I'll go with a 1 mil 2 piece wetsuit in the cold months.
Thanks for this information! I took a little spill today, but it wasn't bad because I was in a smaller lake. I've been looking around, but it seems really hard to find just a neoprene top for women. I like the idea of a two-piece, and I have some bottoms that'll work for now. I'll be in calm water, but that doesn't rule out falling off the board----I'm a novice, I guess. Also, the wind can pick up fast around here, so some kind of wetsuit is needed for sure. So far I have only looked at REI. Do you know of a place that has both decent prices and a good selection of suits? Thanks
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Try Urban Surf near Gas Works Park. Good selection and the staff is awesome. Also Discount Divers Supply on Westlake. They have both new and used suits.
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Try Urban Surf near Gas Works Park. Good selection and the staff is awesome. Also Discount Divers Supply on Westlake. They have both new and used suits.
Will do----thanks!
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Yes, Urban Surf is your best bet, they know what they are talking about.
There is a great paddle scene in Ballard and Salmon Bay Paddle holds weekly Monday night races during the summer starting from the Ballard Elks near the entrance to the locks. The race series is over the season but there will be a Halloween race, not sure the exact date yet. Check out 206+ Waterman group on Facebook, lots of info!
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Word around the campfire is that Lake Union had a serious issue with medical waste back flushing right into the lake for quite some time. Primarily around Gasworks Park area. Some valve was switched opposite the direction it should've been going which dumped a crap load of nastiness into the lake. From what I'm told, years. So yeah, my dog isn't even allowed near that water.
Lake Washington is a different story, kinda, since after all they are connected. I usually hang out and circumnavigate Mercer Island area.
The sleuth from Sammamish to Lake Washington is a very fun float. Waters are pretty clear and warm.
Anything out in the Sound kinda depends on the time of year and how far from shore ya go. Farther out, colder temps due to open waters. Be very very careful of currents and know how to read them. Especially around the islands.
Enjoy surfing? Check out West of Port Angeles facing the Strait. Also, check out Whiskey Creek. Cabins are 100 a night and right on the water. At night you can see Canada all lit up. Many good times there!!!
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Word around the campfire is that Lake Union had a serious issue with medical waste back flushing right into the lake for quite some time. Primarily around Gasworks Park area. Some valve was switched opposite the direction it should've been going which dumped a crap load of nastiness into the lake. From what I'm told, years. So yeah, my dog isn't even allowed near that water.
Lake Washington is a different story, kinda, since after all they are connected. I usually hang out and circumnavigate Mercer Island area.
The sleuth from Sammamish to Lake Washington is a very fun float. Waters are pretty clear and warm.
Anything out in the Sound kinda depends on the time of year and how far from shore ya go. Farther out, colder temps due to open waters. Be very very careful of currents and know how to read them. Especially around the islands.
Enjoy surfing? Check out West of Port Angeles facing the Strait. Also, check out Whiskey Creek. Cabins are 100 a night and right on the water. At night you can see Canada all lit up. Many good times there!!!
Cool. Whiskey Creek is in Port Angeles? I'll check that out, even though I don't surf. Back in the 80's, I didn't let my dog in Lake Union, and I wouldn't do it now. This summer, though, there were paddlers, swimmers, and dogs in the lake right by Gas Works, in spite of the huge sign that says stay out of the water. I won't paddle there. I'll try the waterway between Sammamish and Lake Washington, though---that sounds great. I'm still trying to get together the right clothes. Not a wetsuit. I will likely fall in, so I have a balance to strike.
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W.C. isn't in P.A. It's WEST of it off hwy 112 past Joyce and just outside of Disque. Then turn right real sudden like on Whiskey Creek Beach Road.😆
If you keep going on 112 past WCBR, turn right again on the first cove and voila! Surfing cove.
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The Lake Union Water is fine, these days, including around Gas Works. It’s the lake bottom sediment at the park that has the toxic elements, to not be disturbed. Not the best situation, but not dangerous for paddling....allegedly...