Sunday Feb 28

[WOOD YAK]

neoprene with a cinch belt?

Neoprene booties attached to uninsulated waterproof shell chest waders with one cinch belt. Dry top has additional waist cinch system. Wore wool long underwear underneath and was fine with temps in high 30's.


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[J.A. Veil]

Here is my take on this subject. Winter protective gear serves two roles: a) keeps you warm while on your kayak; and b) provides temporary protection in case you fall in the water. Most systems work well for item a. Different systems offer different lengths of time before hypothermia kicks in when you fall in. A dry suit offers the longest time before hypothermia, but will not protect you indefinitely. Waders with a a snugged-up dry top offer somewhat less protection, but do provide several minutes of time before hypothermia. Other systems provide very little time before you are fully soaked and approaching hypothermia.

Those who want maximum protection or who fish far from shore are advised to consider a dry suit. Those of us (like me) who do not paddle/pedal far from shore in the cold weather may choose to go with waders and a dry top. This system offers advantages in cost, comfort, and fit (I have an unusually tall torso that generally does not fit inside full body suits without uncomfortable squeezing around the neck and in the crotch). I have confidence that I can get back onto my kayak or make my way to standing water depth within a few minutes given where I choose to fish in the winter.

I found the video that Sega posted to be informative about the relative protection of drysuits vs. waders and dry tops.