Kayaking on the beautiful Central Coast is a year round activity, but has the air and water temperature drops, many folks see winter as the end of their season. Safety is key when out paddling and staying warm is part of being safe . How can you dress for every occasion as the temperatures fluxuate.
Last week, Tiffany and I went out paddling at Avila just after the rain stopped. The air temperature was in the low 50’s and the water temperature was
53 F. We paddled all day and even did some rescue practice. So how did we do it without freezing our sterns off. We each dressed differently but stayed warm while in the water. The key is to dress in layers.
Tiffany had a wetsuit and paddle jacket on and I wore my dry suit. It is not what you wear so much but how you wear it. Dressing for a successful day on the water starts with a base layer of water wicking material such as fleece or wool blend. Something that can keep you warm even if it gets wet. Cotton stays cold and can actually make you colder if it is wet. Then comes the next layer that can be the main environmental layers (I call it this). This needs to protect you against cold water. You can wear a wetsuit which when wet, will keep a thin layer of water next to your skin and your body will warm up the water. If you can keep the warm water from being flushed out you will stay warm. The The next thing to do is to add the wind layer. This layer will minimize convective cooling. This layer should be made of breathable fabric so you don’t wear a sauna top. You can also choose to wear a dry suit that has a front entry zipper and late x wrist , ankle, and neck gaskets that will not let any water get next to you skin . Most of the ones you will look for are made of breathable fabrics such as Goretex or sympatex (these are trade names), etc.
Don’t forget your feet and head. You can lose over half of your body heat from your head. A fleece hat or thin hood can keep you nice and toasty. A pair of booties on your feet with neoprene gloves or poggies for your hands will keep your digits warm.
The nice thing about this layering system is that you can buy each item throughout the year and then by winter/spring you have everything you need. Also when the weather warms up in the summer, you can choose what to wear and just wear the wetsuit or just the paddle jacket depending on what water temp you will be paddling on.

How to Dress for Success

Base layer Environmental layer Wind layer
Fleece wetsuit paddle jacket or dry top

Fleece top Dry suit Dry suit
Fleece bottom

Head Feet Hands
Hat or fleece hat booties Neoprene gloves or poggies

This is tends to be the most effective way to layer while paddling. There are many different products that you can choose from that limit the bulk, weight etc. You may also have some of this already and have fleece tops/bottoms from winter sports or cycling. You have spent good money on your boat, now to use it for what its worth, spend a little extra on gear that will allow you to paddle when ever you can not matter what the weather.