Weems Creek Paddle Surfing Club: Pics and Cold Weather Paddling

Greetings to all. Weather is getting cooler - perhaps a white Christmas? - ok perhaps not. Either way as long as there isn't any ice there is no reason not go out. In fact for flatwater this time of year is pretty good - no crazy boats and their wakes - the wind is either all up or fairly calm. Great paddling. The trick is finding the right attire. Mark Bandy from East of Maui has tried all the options - wetsuits of all types and thicknesses - and has settled on a drysuit from Gill. His focus is on freedom of movement and of course safety. The suit - wet or dry - is primarily for safety in case of an unplanned water entry. Here's his post on the topic - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - East of Maui Blog. Obviously the suits will keep you warm and that's the trick because you can get over heated pretty quickly so the proper combination I think varies from person to person. Personally I have settled on a Gill short sleeve wetsuit typically with an O'Neill Heater top underneath. Sometimes I'll have a windbreaker or even fleece over that if its very cold. Too much though and feel a bit restricted so I am still working my combinations. Booties are a must and when the water temp dips below the mid 40s (F) I have goretex sock that I wear with the booties. I often wear gloves - cross country ski gloves seem to work very well for me. Finally I always, always, use a leash. IN fact I always use a leash even in the summer because the board can quickly get away from you in any kind of wind and find that wearing the coil type leash longboard style (just below my knee) does not restrict me in any way. PFD goes without saying. Please let me know your thoughts and what works for you - I'm always looking for the better mousetrap!

Now some pics from recent paddles...