A dry top could be one of the more cost-effective additions to your safety gear
For our guided tours we provide all paddling related equipment and safety gear. You only need to bring non-cotton underlayers to wear along with our 3mm farmer-john style wetsuits, and overlayers such as fleece, sun hats, and rainwear.
For our paddling classes it depends upon the time of the season. Almost any paddling class is going to involve a lot of time being wet. Early season the water temps tend to hover around 40f. Later summer near shore water temps can be as high as 70f, however once you leave the shoreline temperatures can drop to 50f.
Following is a list of recommended paddle-wear, from least expensive (With less of a safety margin, and somewhat less comfy) to the most activity-specific where cost is no issue.
Water-Wear Clothing
This includes your non-cotton long underwear, fleece or wool, wind-breakers and rainwear. This is all important stuff to have with you for a paddling trip, but it won't do you any good if you're IN cold water.
Wetsuits
A wetsuit is essentially rubber with lots of air pockets that start to fill up with water when immersed/compressed. Your body heat warms this trapped water/air, and provides a much wider safety margin than clothing alone. The cons are that once wet, they stay wet. If you have lodging where you can dry it out overnight you'll be happier. Camping? If it's early season you may be wiggling in to a frozen wetsuit in the morning.
Wetsuits come in varied thicknesses, from .5mm to 7mm+ We carry 3mm which are a good balance between warmth and comfort. The better quality wetsuits come in thicknesses that vary depending upon body area. For example you may have 4mm around your midsection, and 3mm on your arms for sake of movement.
A high end wetsuit with comfy fleece lining can run $450. Lower end models are around $125
Dry & Semi-Dry Tops
In my early 20's I didn't have much money, but when I was able to afford it I purchased a semi-dry top. This is a waterproof upper layer with latex wrist gaskets and neoprene neck gasket. I wore it over my wetsuit and it at least doubled my ability to stay in cold water, practice rolling, etc. The wetsuit still got wet, but didn't 'flush out' with new cold water each time I rolled or practiced a rescue.
You can find semi-dry tops for $250. Combine that with your wetsuit and this is the best all around combo that I found for paddlers on a budget.
A DRY top is the same as a semi-dry top, except that it has a latex neck gasket in addition to the wrist gaskets. This will keep you drier if you are playing in the waves, have your roll, etc. It doesn't help much for general paddling and is less comfortable on your neck than the semi-dry option.
Headwear/Handwear Detour
Your head needs a constant supply of warm blood. For this reason, protecting your head from heat loss is important. Although your head shouldn't be IN the water for very long, most of us have hair that stays wet, and if the water is cold the air around you is cold too.
Neoprene hoods are the way to go if you're practicing flipping upside down, practicing rolls, etc. However they make it hard to hear, and they are stiff and uncomfortable for general paddling purposes. You can get an in between fleece hoodie that is comfy and fits under a helmet, if needed. Of course a wool cap works good too, yes, even in the summer.
How about the hands? I personally prefer pogies to anything else, unless it's REALLY cold.
Otherwise neoprene gloves mitts are next best, although I don't like how they feel on the paddle. Neoprene gloves need to be paddling specific or they won't grip the paddle, and they don't work to keep my hands warm very well when I'm just paddling.
When I was in my lean years just starting paddling I used a combo $3 pair of wool glove liners with yellow kitchen gloves over the top. This kept my hands warm and had good grip on the paddle.
Drysuits
As you can see in the photo, a drysuit has legs and most have attached socks. These suits keep you completely 'dry' except for hands and head. You can find them on closeout for $499 and they go up from there.
Must-haves:
Spend the extra on gore-tex or similar breathable fabric
Relief zipper
Nice to haves:
Fabric cover over neck gasket helps keep UV rays off the gasket
front zip. My preference over a back zip, especially when hands are cold or your shoulder isn't cooperating to reach back and zip.
Fabric socks seem to last longer than latex socks and are way easier to get inside booties
Thanks for your interest, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments section!
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