Surfski Wipeouts & Cold Weather Gear 

It's just that even cold paddling is still better than a treadmill... Also, that "sunny Australia" part was a little cruel... :) You're a Gold Coast paddler?

Central coast of nsw - not that it matters climate wise, our only seasons are Summer and Cold Summer :) Keep up the content, you guys are doing a great job.

@@roddhamilton8473 thanks for kind words. We pretty much end every workout now with "I miss summer" but hopefully we'll get to our cold Summer soon.

Can't believe it stays that warm. Amazing.

Hey, Mac! Being albe to snap the pic is key! :) Nathan C told us you turned him onto those mittens, and he loves them. We''ll have to check them out.

Thanks for this Mac!

Thanks for sharing that info, Rob! Do you find using the 5-4 restricts motion at all?

@@ThePaddleChannel Nope the surfing suits these days are very flexible. I raced i the suit on Saturday and surfed today, no issues ever. I prefer over baggy drysuits. Today in 37F, 47F water. Took a swim, no worries.

@@RobCasey-SalmonBayPaddle good to know, thanks!

That is commitment right there! Thanks for sharing what you wear.

Where did you find the short pogies?

@@barryblackburn5910 IR microwave handwarmers. Crazy expensive these days. I might just buy a longer neoprene pair for half of that and cut them down. The short ones are easy in and out but seem just as warm for me.

Great ideas Frank. Thanks for the feedback.

Where do you live!?? What do you wear to make it possible?

@@barryblackburn5910 I used to live in Cambridge, racing on the Cam. Winter weather - ice on the decks and paddles, skim on ice on the water. The Cam is shallow, so cools down rapidly. For race training, we'd wear something like tracksuit or running leggings on bottom, a couple of thin layers on top with a cag. Pogies on hands. A spraydeck helps a lot to keep legs warm. Most people have bare feet (because it is difficult to fit booties in a race boat). I now live in Scotland, on the Outer Hebrides. Sea water isn't any colder than Cambridge, due to the Gulf Stream. Winter water temp about 4C (but can be much colder, we have a skim of sea ice in the lochs right now). Air temp is hovering around freezing, and winds average force 4 (average - so peaks of force 6-8 are very common). People commonly wear drysuits with wool or fleece underneath. The financially challenged will wear wetsuits layered up with a cag.

@@Alastair510 wow that sounds much much colder than our area.

My buddy Rod paddled in his dry suit sometimes. I’m hoping he will chime in.

Hey Carole, Rod here. The feet are the toughest puzzle, for sure, when paddling in a drysuit, I think. My drysuit does not have integral dry socks, so my experience may be different from yours, but I usually ensure my booties are a bit loose (like a half size or full size too big) -- I found that tight booties would restrict blood flow, and my feet got even colder. I've used thin smart wool socks inside the booties, and that has worked pretty well. My favorite combination is a thin neoprene sock inside the booties -- I rarely feel the cold at all with that combination. I also have a pair of 7mm booties that are very warm, but I start to lose a lot of "feel" in those, so I only break those out on the coldest days. Circle back to us when you work out the foot puzzle --- it would be great to hear what works for you!

Thanks I will! I agree I think I need one size larger on the booties.

Awesome commitment. I would love to paddle The Gorge one day.

It is pretty old. I have had it for several years so it may not be on the market anymore. Where do you paddle? How cold does it get there?

@@barryblackburn5910 San Diego. OC1 and OC6 in the Ocean. All good until a Huli...we have been paddling in some cold air in the evenings.

You might like the Mocke neoprene shirt -- Rod likes his quite a bit. mockepaddling.com/product/neoprene-paddling-shirt/

@@kenjgood I know the water can get surprisingly chilly in San Diego. I agree about the Mocke paddling top... or a 0.5mm surf top would work well.

@@barryblackburn5910 Thanx Guys!