Cold Water Apparel #2

Kathleen's re-sized neoprene showed up awhile back. However, when she (finally) tried it on (yesterday), she didn't like it at all. Too confining overall and way too binding in the arm/shoulder joints to be desirable. And the extra long zipper on the Ultra Jane turned out to be surprisingly encumbering. No hiking about in it!

She really liked the splash jacket though. So, it looks like she'll go with splash pants for her lower half. In other words, dressing to stay dry. Perhaps, for the level of water we're looking at, I've overestimated what we'll need.

No picture of her clothing worth posting yet. I forgot to take a picture at the start of our paddle. We finished after 5pm. The sun was down in our cove already. The camera needed the flash then and none came out well. However, they did demonstrate the reflective piping on the edges of her PFD - very handy to know about.

[photo from Dec 30 paddle added]

During this end of year vacation, I was thinking about going to one of our lakefront neighbors and practice getting wet in my wetsuit. Not trying to do a wet exit or self-rescue with the boat, but just seeing how the cold water feels in my outfit. Stay tuned to see if I pull it off.

Roof Rack - RESOLVED!

For earlier episodes of this competency drama, see this.

• Episode 3 - Searching each kayak makers' web site for recommended separations for roof rack support comes up empty. Kayak storage solutions recommend one support lining up with the rear bulkhead. Call to Necky customer support goes unanswered - same for an email. Wilderness Systems customer support guy is much more helpful. He says anywhere between 3 and 6 feet should be fine. I settle on 4 feet.
• Episode 4 - After really bad infection and a week laid up in the house, I get back to chiseling. This time, measure first - actually, measure many times. Keeping the bar attached to the braces makes relocating the braces a piece of cake. New location much closer to one of the bedliner attachment points making the liner much harder to move in and out. Getting the underbrace hooked in, not easy either. Fingers mangled; but, ultimately, completed. Et voila! ....

It took a call to the guys in Hickory to figure out how to put the darn straps on properly. The mako saddles have their own special set of doo-dads. Of course, I guessed wrong and used the conventional strap & buckle set on them instead of on the hully rollers. Oh, well. It takes longer than planned today, but it is finally finished. Now, if only I figure out how to use their bow/stern tie-downs so I can do highway speeds. Until then, it's 25 mph only through the neighborhood to the lake.

Temperatures in the 60's today, it's paddlin' time!

Creeping Crud Prevents Paddling

The past couple of weekends have been wash outs for any kayaking. I've been feeling cruddy and we've had rain too. However, I have been reading about paddle trails in the Carolinas and I'm making a list!

NC Wildlife Federation

One reason for my strong attraction to flatwater kayaking is the ability to see wildlife from a different perspective. I hope to build on what we've already seen just from puttering on our home lake: Great Blue Herons are easily seen from the shore, but Kingfishers are not. I've found a paddler's group in the NC Wildlife Federation. We've not participated in anything, nor joined; but I have high hopes for this as an avenue to increase our naturalist rating.

First Cold Day Experience

Today, Kathleen wasn't feeling up to going, so I was on my own. Temperatures were in the upper-40F's with a brisk breeze W-NW. I took my new neoprene top, splash jacket, wool beanie, and neoprene gloves. The farmer john is being held back for 30's; at least, attempting to be held back.

After donkeying the kayak to the water, and walking back to the house for the paddle, I was warm enough to remove the splash jacket and wool beanie - but carried with me in the boat just in case. I wore an earband and baseball cap for the head. The 0.5 mm Hydroskin neoprene did just fine for me. The new Astral Willis PFD also contributed to heat retention. I was generally cool and, during my long stretches of exertion, sweating underneath - but my viking blood likes that. All in all, it was a good start to getting the feel of the neoprene. The farmer john's will come on as the water temperature continues to drop even if air temp does not.

Interestingly enough, I saw ice on a sheltered section of one of the side coves! It was actually fragile crystal-like strands in a calm spot in the middle of what's more like an extension of the creek rather than a typical deep cove. The patch was good sized, nearly 20 ft by 20 ft. Another smaller one was nearby. It was very strange to see.

I also noticed something else quite nifty in the same general area. Water drops are always flying off the paddles. If the water was calm, rather than ripply from the wind, the drops would break up into much smaller droplets, when hitting the water, and skitter across the surface further before merging without a trace. The droplets appeared whiter when skittering, reminding me of hail. I'm guessing that cold water has a higher surface tension.

I haven't bought a portable thermometer yet, but the temperature in Shelby really was in the upper-40's. The lake water is warmer than the air temperatures at this point. Looking forward to finding an explanation for both observations.

P.S. We're still working on getting all the proper gear - making a list, prioritizing it, checking it twice.

Books about Rivers & Streams

I've done a bit of searching for books about lakes, rivers, and streams written for science-oriented laypeople. In other words, writing like John McPhee's. I picked up a copy of A View of the River by Luna Leopold - lots of interesting information but better skimmed than read in a long sitting. I also found a curriculum for water sciences at Water on the Web, the result of an NSF funded project from several years ago. I haven't poured over this material, but I'm assuming it will be in the same neighborhood as Leopold's book. I'll keep looking. With the perennial interest in environmental sciences and greater exposure to ecology due to global warming debates, there's gotta be a number of good books or websites.

My goal in reading will be, not just becoming a better person, but be more of a "naturalist" and observer of the rivers and lakes we paddle. Whoop-de-do!