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.