What do u wear to stay warm?

[Fishaholic]

Hi Guys,

What do you guys wear out on the water to stay warm in your yak? especially if you get wet, i.e. it's raining or you roll it? In summer I suppose it's not an issue, but how about in winter?

Cheers,
Gab

[torvic]

I'm not a huge fan of wearing bulky jackets and coats, so I usually always wear thermal underwear inside and maybe 2 or 3 shirts. Get some thermal top and bottoms, they dry quick and if u roll u can always strip down to that for 15 min be dry inside again, almost.

Just wear multiple shirts ontop, and bring a fresh pair of woolen socks, beany and gloves (gloves if u just need to warm up abit before u get back into fishing after u fall in teh drink) - keep em inside a dry compartment. When yer wet, if the wind isnt howling u can strip down to thermals and cover ur bodily extremities and still be relatively warm I should think anyway, and just bring an extra shirt as well

Hey one question for u kayak breamers...capsizing isnt THAT uncommon, and I can imagine hooking onto a horse and being pulled around and tipping over! How then do u keep all ur stuff in good condition? Surely dropping ur gear in the water isnt good...?

[MATTY]

g'day gab,
firstly and most importantly you have to look good.
make sure everything is colour coordinated.clothes with holes,that are dirty & smelly just dont cut it

i wear a long sleeved thermal shirt under a paddling jacket.both light weight and if you go over wont weigh you down.the thermal even though wet will keep you very warm.never had to wear two thermals.got a pair of paddling shorts,wet suit material about thigh long,very good,dry quickly.pair of wetsuit slippers to finish off.everything is in blue & purple and looks schmick
wear light weight stuff,trackies and jumpers will keep you warm but not to good if you get wet.a spray deck is a good option if its raining,bit of a pain if you rig up constantly though.
cheers

[Jake]

Definately go the thermals. Not the most fasionable kit but when the temp drops to scrotum numbing figures you will be greatful for every stich.

If you can afford the quick dry gear, thats the rolls royce, but the old cotton stuff will do a good job as well. Not a bad idea to check out your local Yak club or store, they sometimes carry this gear.

Ive rolled out with thermals on a few times and they are Ok to swim in without getting too heavy. Nothing worse than big bulky jackets to help you sink to the bottom. Wettie boots are a must!!

Last roll out was 2 weeks ago in the Blackwood. (bloody submerged logs) It was so cold and the shrink factor so great ...I had to stick my finger up me bum and poke out my d$*k just to have a pee.....

Cheers

[torvic]

ROFL

[MATTY]

jake,thats a ripper

do you paddle the blackwood often ?
was going to do the marathon a couple of years ago after the avon but as usual mind willing body not.

[Bierdo]

Fishaholic,

Buy yourself a "cag".
I wear one when whitewater kayaking and has even kept me warm in snowmelt in NZ.

What is a "cag" you ask. Well it's like a wind-cheater but you slip it over your head (no zips) it's long sleeved with velcro + wetsuit material around your wrists and neck. It's water resistant not water proof (Like tent fly material) Keeps the wind and water off you. If it's really cold (NZ) you can wear a thermal top (i.e HalleyHansen) underneath, or if it's just a bit chilly a t-shirt would probably be enough.

Do you use a spraydeck on your kayak? That would alleviate the need for thermal pants as well, but might be impractical if you are fishing.

Cheers

Bierdo

[Jake]

Matty,

After Yakking the Avon Im not suprised your body bawlked at the Blackwood.. Are you one of thoes idiots who paddle the Avon Decent?? If you are... you need help...

Both awesome waterways, pitty we're doing our best to stuff them up

I don't yak the Blackwood as often as I'd like. When I do I tend to fish around A' bridge and a few miles inland in the warmer months, as there tends to be very few stink boats and other traffic.

Ive found December - June is better in the blackwood. I didn't do
any good a few weeks back- very wintery - wet and blowy around the island and hard to find shelter. Flicking hb's into the teeth of that south wester aint much fun.

And yes the water was cooooold...

Cold as the wind on a wet winters night
cold as your skin when you wake with a fright.
Cold as a hair on a polar bears bum,
Cold as your heart for a wh&#e once you've cum...


Cheers
J

[Fishaholic]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Ahhhh Jake, you certainly do have a way with words, matey! LOL but after the picture you just painted for us please don't take offence if I don't shake your hand if we ever meet

Is there any places here in Sydney you guys recommend for this sort of gear?

Cheers,
Gab.

P.S. Any of you guys fish the Parra or George's rivers midweek? I've found some absolute thumper bream lately when the boat traffick is dead quiet.

[Fishaholic]

Originally posted by torvic

Hey one question for u kayak breamers...capsizing isnt THAT uncommon, and I can imagine hooking onto a horse and being pulled around and tipping over! How then do u keep all ur stuff in good condition? Surely dropping ur gear in the water isnt good...?

Good point Torvic. I have pared down my yak breaming kit to a bumbag with a few packets of sp's, a bottle of scent, a small hard plastic box with waterproof lid for jigheads, a spool of flurocarbon leader, a small headband torch, and a leatherman tool. That lot can handle a dunking in salt water so long as you rinse in fresh afterwards and squirt the leatherman with wd40. The torch is one of those LED jobs that seals watertight. A bit pricey but worth the $$. he sp's that don't come in a snap lock bag I transfer over to a Glad snaplock and I make sure I re-seal after I pull one out.

The reels are a different proposition. I'f fishing the Okuma Epix in size 20. I stripped it down to clean and re-pack the bearings and found that even with a good fresh water rinse after every trip it is still susseptible to rust, especially in the anti-reverse assembly as it is has a couple of components made of carbon steel. As a safeguard I packed it with high temp bearing grease, which makes the action of the reel a little stiffer but tends to be better at excluding water. I'm still expecting to have to strip the reel at least 4 or 5 times a year tho, and replace the bearings probably every 18 months. You may be able to get away with less maintenance as I tend to be a bit more anal than most people about my reels.

Cheers,
Gab.

[the_hide]

Gents I'm in a Sit On Top so what I wears probably irrelevant to yourselves but the one thing I have found absolutley essential is the sealskins socks . I used to wear wetsuit boots but now Its just the seal skins and runners. The sealskins are completely waterproof but breath well enough so that you don't sweat in them (pore hole size to small for water big enough for sweat).

[Fishaholic]

The_hide,

Where do you get those sealskin socks? sounds like something worth checking out. And ummm, wha are they made of? I'm assuming that they're not actually seal skin? they sound like gore tex or similar.

Cheers,
gab.

[the_hide]

I'm not sure what they are made off, I got them mail order from one of my magazines (think it was one of my dive ones). When I get home tonight I'll find the contact details for you, I have seen the add that I ordered off more than a handful of times, I think they are made by dupont. I'll get more details tommorrow.

[the_hide]

Heres a NSW Kayak site that sells them, apparently you can get gloves aswell now.

http://www.oceanplanet.com.au/

[Fishaholic]

The_hide,

Thanks for that info.

Cheers,
Gab.