Winter Kayaking in WI

JGON

JGON

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
975
Hi all,

Well kayaking would probably be the last thing that most people would think of doing in Wisconsin when we get our first week of wintery weather... but I'm not most people. Today I bundled up and took my 17'6" Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 out for a spin on the Vernon Marsh area of the Fox River.

Today's Stats

  • Temp - 19 Degrees F
  • Wind - 12-17 MPH out of the West
  • Atmospheric Conditions - Light Snow
  • Water - Beginning to form ice. Iced over in some spots completely.

For this type of kayaking, preparation is a must. The air is frigid, and the water can kill in minutes if you find yourself submersed. Kayaks are notoriously tippy, more so than canoes, so the possibility of accidentally taking a plunge is definitely a reality.

An ok rule of thumb is that if the combined temperature of the air and water is below 100 degrees F, a drysuit is a must. There is a big difference between a wetsuit and a drysuit. A wetsuit allows moisture in, but traps it in the neoprene that is held snug against your body. The trapped water is warmed very quickly by your body, and although you are wet, you are warm. A drysuit keeps the water out completely, is a little baggier, and is recommended for extreme cold.

So today I had on my Kokatat drysuit, several warm merino wool layers underneath as well as a synthetic base layer, and then my outer shell on top of that. I also had Glacier Gloves, which are thick neoprene, and a Seirus full face cap. Even if I would have gone in, I would have been dry and safe.

I went about 6 miles today. 3 miles one way, and 3 miles back. In this weather, I always notify a loved one of my location and my itinerary, so that if I got into trouble they would know. A cell phone can be useless if it's wet, or worse, if your hands are numb and unusable. In these conditions I always paddle upriver first so that the second half of my trip is downriver and easier, when I'm more fatigued. Also, if I were to receive an injury or lose a paddle or something else, I could at least float back down river to my destination.

Anyways, I did order a new camera, but for today all I had was a frozen camera phone. It still gives you an idea of the conditions and what it was like out there though...

Thanks for looking,

JGON

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The paracord on my firesteel was frozen completely stiff. Awesome.
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i wish i still had a kayak. beautiful pics thanks for shareing. what was the temp?
 
Were I there, as well equipped, and invited I would have unloaded my boat in a NY minute. I have to stay on the less open water until I can get better equipped with a dry suit.

Once I have one I am going swimming all year round. :thumbup:

I have been on the water for the last two weekends doing similar trips. When I have the time I will be putting in more miles and an overnighter. I don't want to be rushed when I set out to do that.

Thanks.
 
One of my favorite parts about kayaking year round is watching the same area change with the seasons... Different wildlife, water levels, scenery, everything. Everything is different.

I've done a few overnighters and I love it. It's my favorite way to camp. You can boat, hike, and camp in the same trip. Nothing like it.

Thanks for looking all!

JGON
 
Those are some great pics. A little chilly for my tastes though...

Just curious if you've ever hit the water in your dry suit when the water was so cold. You sure that thing works? :D
 
I was raised in Chicago--and HATE cold weather

But you make it look fun...

Thanks for sharing
 
Very, very cool! I wouldn't do it, but please don't let that stop you from getting a better camera and posting more pics of your trips!

Great post!

Have you tested that dry suit out in those conditions to see if it really keeps you warm?

(Edit, I see Guyon asked the same thing. So I am not the only wierdo that would like to know :) )
 
Four of us (two paddlers+two stand-up boarders) got out for a surf session on the Bay of Fundy for a couple hours this morning. Had about a 10-12 sec period with 8-10ft waves. My fingers are still sore as I type, but it was a good time. No swims, but a few rolls when a couple breakers caught me on the beam. Truthfully, the water didn't seem too cold, but I wasn't under long before rolling up. Our best surf comes up around this time of year, so it's either get out and suffer a bit or put the boat away. I'm a big believer in rolling in whatever I'm gonna paddle to prepare myself for the cold and to discover if anything is leaking. Nice to see other boaters are still out in real winter condtions:thumbup:
 
tonym said:
Have you tested that dry suit out in those conditions to see if it really keeps you warm?
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A drysuit is only as good as the insulating layers you've got under it. For example, this morning I wore an UnderArmor shirt+an Outdoor Research lightwieght synthetic sweater on the upper body while I wore a pair of running tights under a pair of softshell pants on my legs. When it gets colder, I'll add thicker fleece, but no so much as to interfere with paddling motion.
 
Yikes you guys reminded me of the thrill of cold water running along the spine under a wet suit. I'm truly impressed that you folks are in the water at those temps. We're having wind chill in the low 20's and this morning I just patted my canoe and apologized for the neglect as I walked by :-)
 
I have an elderly Necky 18' ocean Touring kayak. For me, using it is a summer thing ONLY. :eek:
 
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VERY cool, JGON! And yes, that pun was intended.

May I ask where you put in, and which direction you headed? I live near Fox River County Park not too far from where H crosses over the river. We have a tandem rec boat that we take out on the river every now and then. Perhaps we could join you someday - when it warms up again :).

I am very inspired by your outing. I'd be gung-ho to join you for a winter outing, but I would be a little leary without a dry suit in the cold-cold cold. Maybe I'll look into soemthing like that.
 
Guyon said:
Those are some great pics. A little chilly for my tastes though...

Just curious if you've ever hit the water in your dry suit when the water was so cold. You sure that thing works? :D
Click to expand...

As another has mentioned already, the drysuit only keeps you dry... in itself it's not very warm. I wore a baselayer, two layers of wool, and a fleece jacket underneath, then my goretex shell on the outside. When cold weather kayaking, it's your legs and feet you have to worry about more than anything since they are not moving a whole lot and sitting in the bottom of the boat near the water.

And yes, every time I go out in these conditions, I submerse the suit to make sure I stay dry. Just a nervous habit, but it gives me piece of mind. So far, so good! You can feel the cold, but it's not bad at all when you're wearing the right stuff.

hikeeba said:
VERY cool, JGON! And yes, that pun was intended.

May I ask where you put in, and which direction you headed? I live near Fox River County Park not too far from where H crosses over the river. We have a tandem rec boat that we take out on the river every now and then. Perhaps we could join you someday - when it warms up again :).

I am very inspired by your outing. I'd be gung-ho to join you for a winter outing, but I would be a little leary without a dry suit in the cold-cold cold. Maybe I'll look into soemthing like that.
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You aren't going to believe this, but I put in right next to Fox River County Park where H crosses the river! I headed North (always upriver first, then downriver when you're more fatigued) for a few miles before heading back. Earlier this year in February I kayaked from that spot near H all the way to where the Fox River crosses ES near the Vernon Marsh, about 12 miles. That was a fun outing.

Cold weather kayaking is the best. Nobody else out there. I didn't used to enjoy winter so much, but now I can't wait for the cold and snow... kayak/camping/hiking from the boat is one of my fave activities.

Thanks all,

JGON
 
Thanks for the info JGON! As someone who enjoys being on the water(in warm weather) I was always curious on to what gear you Eskimos used and how you test them.

Cheers.

Tony
 
nate1714 said:
So your crazy. but then again we all are in some way or another. good trip
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Being called crazy by a bunch of bladeforums members that frequent the Wilderness and Survival Forum is definitely a compliment in my book... :D

It's really not that crazy if you do it right. It can be very dangerous if you don't prepare yourself though!

I've been to this area almost every weekend since the beginning of February... Here is a brief video I took with a Head Cam during a March trip just after the ice had cleared. Nothing too fancy, just more cold-ish weather kayaking for ya'll to feast your eyes on.

Thanks again for the comments...

JGON

[youtube]TNc7-TLiuZo?fs=1&amp[/youtube]
 
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