How late?

Open to everyone

Moderator: Chip

Post Reply
User avatar
pat
Site Admin
Posts: 2266
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 11:04 am

How late?

Post by pat »

I know that this is probably jumping the gun here, dead in the center of summer with temps set to break 90 again today, but...

How late in the season do some of you kayak? Once it starts to get chilly, how does that change your kayaking plans?

This past "off season" really sucked. We had a decent (i.e. not stormy) weekend around mid-October, and that was pretty much the last one we saw until the temperatures dropped through the floor in early December. Early spring was the same crummy deal. It was unseasonably cold right into April, and then we had six straight lousy weekends that ended on Memorial Day weekend. I'm hoping that this year we get better luck.
Image Impex Currituck
Pat Traynor - site admin
pat@ssih.com
chpaton
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:43 pm
Location: Quincy

Fall is a ball!

Post by chpaton »

Speaking only about salt water (Boston Harbor), I'll go at least thru Thanksgiving and with little cooperation from mother nature maybe do an occasional paddle in December. Water temps are still fairly warm to T-day starting to drop off rapidly after that when the air temps become consistently cold.

I use a farmer john wetsuit, a splash top, neoprene gloves and a polar fleece cap. I have a variety of different weight polar fleece tops to wear under the splash top and synthetic underware for under the wetsuit. I also have fleece shorts and fleece tights to wear under the wetsuit if additional warmth is needed.

Boston Harbor water temps drop dramatically in late Dec. & early January and stay pretty cold thru April into May. Late March and April are the toughest because the air temps are comfortable and you wanna be out paddling but the water temps are deadly. I cautiously venture out occasionally with my previously described garb, but stay close inshore. A drysuit is really needed for Winter and early Spring paddling on the ocean.
Craig
Hurricane A/S Tracer Yellow/White
Heritage Shearwater - Red/White
Heritage Tandem - Mango
Post Reply