Saturday, April 25, 2009

Drysuit Heat Doesn't Suit


We been struck with incredibly warm temperatures the past few days, which is always nice if you're not studying for exams, but today things have moved into the ridiculous stage. Air temps are over 30°C and that's just too hot for me to consider putting on my drysuit and heading out for a paddle. With water temperatures in the 2°C range, I'm reluctant to paddle without my drysuit, so I'm shore bound and heat struck!

Not all is lost however, I'll wait until this evening and take a dusk paddle when things cool off a bit. There's always a way to get out for a paddle!

5 comments:

Tony said...

Michael, the odd roll will cool things off nicely! Trick too is put your bare hands in the water, they act like radiators. But it is in that between zone now until the water warms up, for us in July or August.

Tony :-)

Helge Helligsøe said...

"Stuck Inside Of Drysuit With The Memphis Blues Again"

B.D. 1966 (well - not exactly)

Michael said...

I've found the 'odd roll' can bring out the fire dept boat around here, especially at this time of the year when I'm the only boat on the water! So, waiting works best.

Richard Hayes said...

That's how we paddle here 'most all the time ;>))
Well, not really, but our summer days, even in July and August heat, are spent in drysuits - water temp is just too low for my comfort, if not safety. A few tricks we use to stay fairly cool;
Have a swim before heading out - seems like getting the suit wet keeps things cooler...
Soak a ball hat every few minutes, then jam it back on wet - evaporation helps draw off heat thru the scalp...
Swim when you stop for lunch, etc...

Got out for the first spin of the year this evening...Tim, his father-in-law Fred, Chris and I - 3 VKs and a Guillmot, did about 2 hours on Paddy's Pond...real nice...about 10 C, light winds, stunning sunset, saw maybe 10 ducks and two chappies in a red canoe wearing nice heavy padded cloth jackets and no PFDs...makings of a headline there for sure....

Don said...

We had that heat yesterday too so I went biking. It was cold anyway where the wind was coming off the 4 degree water.
Today the air was back down to 10C and drysuit plus tuiliq wasn't too bad.