About winter rowing in the sea kayak

Winter rowing and hypothermia

Author: Frederik Laursen, November 2020

For 6-7 months of the year, the water temperature is high enough that you only need to take the usual precautions when going out in a sea kayak.
By general precautions, I’m thinking specifically about what kind of clothing you should wear, what equipment you should bring and what skills you should be able to master, such as being able to swim at least 600 meters and knowing how to rescue your partner and handle the kayak yourself.

However, when the water temperature drops below 10 degrees, typically around the fall holidays and until mid-May, it is critical that sea kayakers are aware of the danger of hypothermia.
Hypothermia is dangerous and absolutely life-threatening and something you must respect and take precautions against!
If you capsize in your kayak, without the right clothes, in cold water, you don’t have much time to get back into the kayak before you get cold and lose your strength.
This is because water conducts heat away from the body much faster than air.
Therefore, it’s important to get out of the water as soon as possible, preferably in the kayak!
The first signs of hypothermia are that your fingers, hands and arms stop responding, then you lose your judgment and finally you lose consciousness.
If you’re alone, there’s not much you can do unless you’ve mastered self-rescue, even better Greenlandic roll and if there are several of you together, you can be rescued from the water using a buddy rescue.
a buddy rescue.
It goes without saying that these rescues should be in the closet in all conditions.
More about this in another article.

Of course, that’s not to take the joy away – you can still enjoy the winter months in a kayak.
The experiences and adventures at sea during the winter months are alluring, the scenery unbelievably beautiful and often you have it all to yourself.
However, you should take precautions such as rowing in a dry suit/neoprene boots, gloves and hood, rowing with one or more people, rowing close to the coast as far as possible, reading the weather forecast and power table before the trip, bringing a compass, extra clothes, storm coat/warm blanket, something to eat and warm to drink, communication equipment (mobile phone in waterproof cover, VHF, emergency rocket, etc.), etc.

Winter rowing equipment is expensive and drysuits in particular are a big expense.
There are many good brands on the market, but there’s no getting around the fact that the best quality costs in the region of DKK 8-12,000.
On the other hand, you’ll have the equipment for many years and lots of enjoyment, if it’s not just hanging in the closet 🙂

What’s the best way to get started?
One way is to join a kayak club and follow the various courses and at least acquire skills equivalent to IPP2.
Next, seek knowledge and learning on how to upgrade to winter rowing, seek knowledge on hypothermia and precautions and talk to experienced rowers about how and what equipment is needed for winter rowing.

What equipment do you need for cold water rowing?
Below is an overview of the different equipment you should get for winter rowing.
The list is by no means exhaustive but it provides a good overview to get you started.

Cold water kills more rowers than any other cause.
If you’re rowing when the water temperature is below 20 degrees, caution and cold water equipment are essential for safety, and if the water temperature is below 10 degrees, it’s critical that you take extra precautions!

The purpose of this equipment is to stay warm while rowing, but more importantly, to protect against incapacitation due to hypothermia in the event of capsizing.

Manufacturers go to great lengths to praise the stability of kayaks, but the reality is that any kayak can capsize – even incredibly stable fishing kayaks can capsize in the right difficult conditions.
When it happens in cold water, the only thing that really matters is whether you are properly dressed to stay in the cold water until you get back into the kayak or alternatively are rescued ashore.

There are many different products on the market that protect against cold and cold water.
Here are some examples of equipment that you can invest in to help keep you safe in winter rowing.

Dry suits

By itself, a drysuit doesn’t offer much. To protect you from cold water, you need to wear layers of clothing under the drysuit. A drysuit only retains heat 1) if it is tight and 2) if you have additional layers of insulating clothing under the suit, which has heat-insulating layers of air against the skin of the body. The thicker the air layer, the more insulation it provides. The important thing here is that thickness equals warmth. In other words, the colder the water, the thicker the insulation needs to be – and you need much more insulation at 5 degrees water than you do at say 15 degrees.

One of the benefits of a dry suit is that you can add or remove layers depending on the water temperature.
It’s much easier to do this before you start rowing because, unlike hikers for example, kayakers have to go ashore to change layers.
That’s why swim testing the gear before a row is a good test of a suit’s tightness and insulating ability.
Also be aware that a dry suit can trap too much air, making you look like a Michelin man.
Having too much air in a drysuit can make it feel awkward to move properly.
The solution to excess air is to squat while sticking a few fingers into the neck cuff to squeeze out excess air.
But, don’t let all the air out either.
Too much air takes away some of the insulating air layer.
It takes a bit of experience and trial and error to find what works best for you and your drysuit.

Rojakker and Drytops

Waterproof pants and drysuits are fine for hiking in the rain, but they offer no protection once you’re in the water.
Although manufacturers and retailers often blur the distinction between drytops, semi-drytops, rowing jackets and drysuits, they are certainly not the same when it comes to cold water safety!

The difference between a dry top and a semi-dry top is that the latter has a neoprene cuff at the neck instead of a latex one.
Neoprene cuffs are not as waterproof as latex and can leak some – or a lot – around the neck.
A rowing jacket or “splash top” is made of waterproof material, but it is definitely not waterproof.
It works fine for rainwear or occasional splashes of water, but it’s completely inadequate as protection against the cold when submerged in water – because if you capsize, the water immediately rushes in and water is known to cool much faster than air.

Wetsuits

The amount of insulation a wetsuit provides depends entirely on the thickness of the neoprene.
For example, if the water temperature is 10 degrees, a 2mm wetsuit will provide little protection against cooling.
If you choose to use a wetsuit, make sure it provides enough protection for the conditions you are rowing in.
A wetsuit is usually disproportionately warm to row in while you’re above water.

Many will say that wetsuits don’t work in very cold water.
This is nonsense.
Long before drysuits, safety-conscious kayakers wore wetsuits – even when rowing in freezing cold water.
The bottom line is thickness.
Neoprene needs to be thick enough to withstand the water temperature.
However, the thicker the neoprene, the less freedom of movement you get for rowing.

To function properly, the wetsuit must be tight.
A tight wetsuit only allows a very thin layer of water to enter.
Once the space is filled, the water layer prevents additional cold water from entering the wetsuit.

The water in the wetsuit is then heated to skin temperature, approximately 33 degrees.
Contrary to popular belief, that layer of water does not heat up.
But because the water is the same temperature as your skin, it doesn’t feel cold or conduct heat away from your body.

A loose-fitting wetsuit allows cold water to wash in and out of the suit, destroying insulation and depriving precious body heat.
Wearing clothes under the wetsuit should be avoided.
It’s not designed for that, and adding underwear can compromise the fit and allow cold water to enter the suit more easily.

If your wetsuit doesn’t keep you warm enough when you’re out of the water, you’ll need extra clothing on the outside.
If it doesn’t retain enough heat when in the water, you probably need thicker neoprene.
Cool on the beach

Some neoprene sheds water and some absorbs water like a sponge.
If neoprene absorbs water, evaporation of the water from the surface of the wetsuit can cool you down on a cool or cold day.
Evaporation is the reason why so many people get cold in a wetsuit while standing on a beach or rowing a kayak.

The solution is to stop both wind chill and evaporation.
Any garment that is waterproof and windproof will do this and help keep you warm.
Wearing rain pants over the bottom half of your wetsuit is also effective in eliminating air cooling by evaporation.
One of the best solutions is a so-called “storm cag”.
It’s a kind of anorak, hooded and equipped with a spray skirt at the bottom so you can also row with it and stay dry and warm in any weather,

In an emergency, a plastic garbage bag will also do the job.
You can quickly cut a hole head and arms.
Plastic bags are durable and don’t take up much space in a drybag.

Also note that LongJohn and Jane wetsuits do not provide any protection for arms and shoulders.
This can be improved with a neoprene bolero (upper body jacket).

Head protection

Neoprene is the gold standard for protecting your head from the cold.
Hats/caps that work fine for hiking are a poor choice for cold water or kayaking in cold weather.
They don’t work well in cold rain, they come off easily if you capsize, and they provide very little insulation if you’re in the water.

Another benefit of neoprene caps for head protection is that it prevents cold water from flowing into the ears, which can cause dizziness (instant loss of balance).
This loss of balance is a well-known cause of failed rolls and can be dangerous if you suddenly find yourself upside down and underwater.

Protection of hands

Protecting hands is crucial when air and water temperatures drop.
Again, neoprene offers the best protection against cold water.
Even if you’re wearing a dry suit, with all the appropriate layers underneath, you will be completely helpless in the water if your hands become numb and useless.
This can happen in a matter of minutes.
If your hands are numb, you won’t be able to hold a paddle, attach the spray skirt, nor operate a VHF radio or a cell phone.

Neoprene mittens are warmer than gloves, but they should be paired with a lightweight neoprene glove if you need to remove them temporarily – for example to use your cell phone.

It’s wise to avoid neoprene gloves that fit too tightly.
They can reduce blood flow to your hands and fingers and make it harder to keep them warm.