2014: Post 7 – Some more winter paddling

On Sunday of last weekend we paddled from Brigus South to LaManche (see Tony's entry here).  It was the end of March and in my mind I was thinking spring.... and so I decided to wear my lighter layers of clothing under my drysuit...  

I guess the owner of this boat did not learn to roll...

Tony doing some clean-up work while we waited for the guys

Neville getting on the water

The air temperature wasn't very cold (somewhere around 0 C) and the wind was from the North at about 20 km as we paddled up to LaManche some ten kilometers away.  We paddled mostly into a North wind, hiding from it in little coves along the way.  

Neville

Hazen

I wasn't paddling hard and was starting to feel chilled in the North wind at about half way into the paddle.  I began to think that I should have worn my heavier winter paddling clothing.  I also thought about pulling on my cag for the extra warmth but decided against it... 

About two-thirds of the way up I needed to pee and the bouncy water wasn't helping. So I decided to pick up the pace to get to Lamanche quicker.  As I paddled faster I began to work up a sweat and tried to find a balance between sweating less and paddling quicker...  but I was becoming more chilled as I got closer to the take-out.

After my bladder thanked me I pulled on my cag; I did not want to get any more chilled as I cooled down sitting on the shore.  The sun came out, which was a welcome sensation, while we had our lunch.

Neville and Tony

 I decided to keep on my cag on the way back and could pull it off if I became too warm, but the chill never fully left me and I kept it on.  

Back at the cars Clyde looked at me and mentioned that I did not have on my neoprene skull cap, which could have likely made the difference between being chilled or not. Funny thing is that I had it in my PFD pocket the whole time but it just did not occur to me to put it on... like I said, my mind was in spring paddling mode...

Forward a week later....

Yesterday some of us paddled in similar conditions to the previous weekend... the air temperature was about the same as last week and there was a North wind, although not quite as strong, and we paddled in a lesser exposed coastline from St. Philips up to Brocks Pond Falls (the same distance as last weekends paddle).  Remembering last weekend, I decided to wear my regular winter paddling clothing under my drysuit, and I wore my skull cap as well....  

Tony

Clyde

... at the falls.

Take-out in Portugal Cove

Obviously, your clothing makes all the difference when it come to outdoor pursuits.  I stayed nice and warm the whole time.  

The calender is saying " it's spring time" but Mother Nature is saying "hold on guys, not just yet..."  so it seems I'll have to stay in winter paddling mode for a little while yet before switching over to my lighter spring attire...