Anyone using a wet suit for OTW rowing?

FrankJ · Post by **FrankJ** » August 26th, 2006, 1:04 pm

Here it is August 26 and when I checked the temperature of the water in the lake where I practice sculling it was 68F degrees down from 70F a week ago. We've had night temperatures in the lower 50s and a few cloudy days.

Actually the current temperature is OK for me. Since I wade in to launch I get to sample how the lake feels before I start. My plans are to keep rowing through September and I was thinking that a wet suit would make it a little more comfortable should I end up swimming with the water temp down around 60F.

The question I have is what type of wet suit. Full length arms and legs, a farmer John with no arms and full length legs or a little John with no arms and short legs. Seems to me the little John would be the easiest to row in but I would like to hear an opinion from someone who has rowed in a wet suit before spending the dollars.

Thanks,
Frank

Francois · Post by **Francois** » August 26th, 2006, 2:27 pm

Hi Frank,

I have a full body wet suit that I use for triathlons and open water swimming when the water is cold. In order to find out if it would be practical to use one when rowing OTW, I tried it on the erg. Conclusion: you are going to suffocate and would find somewhat restricted in your movements!

I suggest to rent a short John or a sleeveless for a day and see for yourself. Bike shops that cater to triathletes have them for rental.

Francois

FrankJ · Post by **FrankJ** » August 26th, 2006, 5:50 pm

Hi Francois,

I suspected as much. Sounds like a good idea to try and rent a wet suit.

Frank

Byron Drachman · Post by **Byron Drachman** » August 26th, 2006, 6:48 pm

Hi Frank,

I've tried a wet suit during winter sculling. It's way too hot. I prefer a dry suit, made of breatheable material, the thinner the better. As you probably know, the danger is cold shock. A water temperature below 68 degrees F is considered cold according to FISA. When the water temperature is near freezing, I dress like an Alaskan kayaker when sculling.

Byron

laupi · Post by **laupi** » August 27th, 2006, 6:11 pm

how does the cajaker in Alaska row - in wet suits?

Byron Drachman · Post by **Byron Drachman** » August 27th, 2006, 7:10 pm

how does the cajaker in Alaska row - in wet suits

hi Laupi,

I've never kayaked in Alaska. I got interested in the subject because I prefer outdoor exercise to indoor exercise. I cycle during winter months as long as the roads are fairly clear and I don't mind a patch of ice now and then because I ride a trike, and I scull when the river is not frozen. I assume kayakers would know more about cold water rowing. If you do a Google search on kayak cold weather you'll find lots of discussions on kayaking in cold weather. As I said, I find a dry suit that breathes is more comfortable than a wet suit. In water that is close to freezing, from what I've read, a dry suit is safer than a wet suit.

If you also do a Google search on cold water survival, you'll find more interesting reading.

Byron

SlugButt · Post by **SlugButt** » August 27th, 2006, 7:45 pm

Hi Frank!

A solution that I've found works well is to wear one of the goretex kayaker's jackets. The wrists are sealed and the waist is fairly snug. The neck would prevent too much water coming in, also. I didn't overhead and it was nice and windproof.

I got on the water in April in Brunswick, ME but was very careful to stay near one of the Bowdoin launches and shadow their 4+'s. Depending on how comfortable you are in a 1x these days I'm guessing that by the end of September you'll want to be followed by or be close to a launch.

I hope I'll see you at Megunticook!

Take care,
David

FrankJ · Post by **FrankJ** » August 28th, 2006, 7:25 am

SlugButt wrote:Hi Frank!

A solution that I've found works well is to wear one of the goretex kayaker's jackets. The wrists are sealed and the waist is fairly snug. The neck would prevent too much water coming in, also. I didn't overhead and it was nice and windproof.

I got on the water in April in Brunswick, ME but was very careful to stay near one of the Bowdoin launches and shadow their 4+'s. Depending on how comfortable you are in a 1x these days I'm guessing that by the end of September you'll want to be followed by or be close to a launch.

I hope I'll see you at Megunticook!

Take care,
David

Hi David,

My intent is to stay OTW until the Head of the 'Scog race on Sept. 24 but I know that Crystal lake is spring fed and cools down pretty fast in the fall. From what's been posted it sounds like a wet suit is out and a dry suit is way overkill for my needs. I may give the goretex jacket a try. I used to swim in Crystal lake to mid-September but that was 15 - 20 years ago when I was doing triathlons. I used to wear a trisuit and would stay in the water 30 - 45 minutes without a problem.

I do plan on going to Megunticook but sure as heck don't want another windy day.

Frank

michaelb · Post by **michaelb** » August 28th, 2006, 9:56 pm

I don't row on the water and canoe more than I kayak, but you might want to consider hydroskin by NRS. I only have the socks, but keep meaning to buy the shirt for cool weather paddling. It is stretchy and would be much more comfortable than neoprene. It is widely sold including LLbean and EMS.

http://nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=942

Fall paddling though would be warm water and cool air, so much less dangerous and you would need less cold water immersion protection, so actually any good outdoor fabric may work, like fleece. Even better a soft shell for a little warmth, wind and water protection without overheating might be very comfortable.

Byron Drachman · Post by **Byron Drachman** » August 29th, 2006, 7:30 pm

A solution that I've found works well is to wear one of the goretex kayaker's jackets.

It appears we're talking about the same thing. A dry suit can be a dry top and dry pants. A dry top is gortex or something similar with rubber gaskets. The hydroskin suggested by Michael sounds like a nice solution for fall when the temperatures are cool but the water is still warm. Once the water is cold, you want something designed for cold water immersion, such as:

http://nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=1172

and

http://nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=1173

The point is that no matter how good of a sculler you are, you can flip a single. For example, if you're at the catch or finish and hit an object that is just under the surface, you have a good chance of flipping.

Byron

FrankJ · Post by **FrankJ** » September 2nd, 2006, 9:32 am

Well I took David's advice and went to LL Bean to see what they had. Ended up buying a NRS Payette Paddling Jacket. which is made from Wavetex which makes it waterproof but breathable. This morning the water temperature was 65F degrees and air temp was about 52F when I started and 56F by the end of my rowing session.

I wore the jacket which has short sleeves over a coolmax T-shirt. I started out by rowing for about 45 minutes and felt pretty comfortable. Not completely dry but definitely breathable enough to let most of the moisture escape.

Next I stopped at the beach and went for a swim. I stayed submerged up to my neck for 10 minutes. There was the initial shock of the cold water leaking past the seems but once trapped in the jacked the water warmed and I stayed relatively warm. When I walked out after 10 minutes the water running out of the jacket was noticeably warm.

Then I got back in the boat and rowed for another 15 minutes. In about 5 minutes my whole body was back up to normal operating temperature. They also make pants of this material but right now that seems like overkill. My conclusion is that this should keep me rowing through the month of September.

Frank

SlugButt · Post by **SlugButt** » September 3rd, 2006, 8:25 pm

Glad to hear it worked for you! I hadn't tried swimming in one so it was interesting to learn about your experience with this experiment. Thanks for the good info!

Take care,
David