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Keeping warm on the kayak

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Saturday, 09 August 2008

SharkSkin and RoosterSailing Aqua Fleece

I hate winter.... I really detest it. Being that I'm a one-kidney, slim-hipped nancy-boy, I tend to feel the cold a lot more than most. Kayaking is all about having fun but there's not much that can ruin the endeavour of having fun more than being ridiculously cold. Wind and water can make for a horrible limb-numbing chill factor and for the past couple of years I've always been on the look out for ways to stop it from happening. I think I've finally figured out how to do it without having to wear uncomfortably thick neoprene wetsuits. The answer I've found is actually a combination of two brands and products. Both are somewhat similar in material concept, though the combination I'm using offers me the best of both worlds.

As a bottom thermal layer I'm using SharkSkin 'technical exposure protection' clothing, combining socks, paddling pants and what they call a chesty vest. It is tight fitting apparel and that's precisely how its meant to be worn. The fabric is a combination of 3 materials, the inner of which is a suitably warm fleece lining. The mid layer is a breathable wind-proof membrane and the outer is a soft, flexible and durable nylon fabric. It works better than any thermal underwear I've used (far superior to polypropylene and definitely warmer than Icebreaker merino wool). Not only do I find the SharkSkin layer ideal for kayaking, I reckon it'd also be perfectly suited to scuba diving or snorkelling. This is because it wouldn't create the buoyancy that Neoprene does and thus less or perhaps even no belt weights would be required for scuba diving. I think:-)

It works best if fitted firmly, however, and in certain circumstances I think some users might actually prefer a looser fitting garment for kayaking in cool (as opposed to freezing cold) conditions. And this is one scenario where I reckon the RoosterSailing Aqua fleece top that I sampled the other day comes in. Unlike the SharkSkin, the Aqua fleece top is more of a loose fit and offers better mobility that is highly suitable for paddling. Used in conjunction with the SharkSkin base layer, the Rooster Sailing Aqua fleece provides unsurpassed warmth. Like SharkSkin, it also has a very high quality fleece lining, though I find it a bit softer. Layering up with both just creates incredible body-heat retention and wind-chill resistance.

The Aqua fleece outer fabric feels somewhat rubberised, although I think that's actually a breathable polyurethane fabric. Its also windproof and seems to be pretty much waterproof. And it also has a high neck collar that really helps to trap in body heat.

aquafleece from rooster sailing It was rather cold when I went paddling the other night, with a fresh south easterly blowing up, yet I was toasty warm the entire time and this usually isn't the case. The experience has given me confidence in having the ability to head out in freezing conditions - the eskimos would love this stuff. Admittedly, if I was expecting rain, I'd still use a breathable waterproof dry top as well, but I'm not sure most people would need to go to those extremes. As I've already mentioned, I tend to feel the cold much more than most people. But equipped with all this new extreme weather watersports apparel I'm pretty much covered no matter what the weather does. I highly recommend serious kayak fishermen having a very close look at both SharkSkin base layer gear, as well as RoosterSailing Aqua fleece. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but I would definitely suggest that used in tandem, the combination is pretty much unbeatable. There will be times when I only want or need to use one of the other for sure - either way, it's great to have options.

Whilst I'm on the topic of watersports apparel, I should also mention the new waterproof breathable drytop that was on display at the Hobie stand at the Sydney boat show. It's lighter than the current model, would likely suit better for paddling, and also has those swish-looking waterproof zippers on the pockets. The sample on display is a prototype model I believe and production models are likely to be available pretty soon. I like the current Hobie drytop just fine, although it is thicker and heavier and anyone looking for something that is lighter and offers better mobility might want to check that out. All Hobie kayak and catamaran dealers will have these in stock fairly soon I expect. The SharkSkin apparel can be found at various watersports retailers (I picked up mine from Outdoors and Beyond in Huskisson) and the Rooster Sailing gear is retailed (and wholesaled) from NB Laser Hobie Sports in Gosford.