So you bought a dry-suit, congratulations! I know that feeling well. Excited, you put on that that bad boy for the first time, think, wow this neck gasket must not fit. So, you furiously Google neck gaskets and realize, wow, it is supposed to be like that! Well, I am in it now, and I feel indestructible! Look out water, here I come!

How You Feel Now I appreciate the enthusiasm, I really do. You hit the water, paddle for five minutes and realize, this suit is not warm at all. I am as dry as a bone. A frozen bone. Good thing you didn’t fall in the water!

So how should you dress under the suit? After you froze the first time, the first thought you might have is to go and buy the warmest coat you can find to wear under the dry suit.

So, what should you do? You need to layer.

You might think you need to dress for the air temperature, or the weather. Isn’t That is what runners, hikers, and climbers do? In kayaking, that is not true. You need to dress for the swim. That may mean, you will be too warm while you are kayaking. Here’s the thing, better too warm, than dead.

Water is approximately 25 times more efficient at pulling body heat away. The combination of proper layering and a means to stay dry, will not save your life indefinitely. However, it will buy you more time to be rescued. Whether self, or assisted.

Base Layers:

For the base layer, you need to wear something that is moisture wicking. That means, something relatively form fitting and made from a fabric that will absorb water and draw it to the outside so it can evaporate. An example of a good wicking fabric is merino wool, or synthetic fabrics such as spandex or polyester.

Like you will hear in any sport, cotton is the worst possible thing to wear. Even though you will not get wet from the water, if your dry-suit is functioning properly. If you are working hard, you will get wet from perspiration and it will make you cold. A good example of a wicking base layer is the Hot Fuzz Unisuit by Level 6.

Insulating Layers:

This is the layer that keeps you warm. It sits between the wicking layer and the outer shell. My strategy here is to wear the warmest and thinnest possible thing. It is important to note that this layer can not be cotton. It needs to be warm and be able to perform if it gets wet. I use the Super Fuzz Fleece Top.

Outer Layer: 

This is your waterproof shell or your dry-suit.  It is a means to keep you dry inside of the suit. If you are layered properly, you will be safer on the water and more comfortable. Remember a dry-suit is not a superman suit, it will only serve to buy you more time to rescue yourself in the case of immersion.

But, you will still be cold…..what???

You have these things called extremities. They tend to get cold very quickly. Upon immersion, the first thing you will lose feeling in will be your fingers and feet. It is important for you to layer appropriately here, as well. Booties and gloves like the the ones shown below.

So, how do I know it will all work?

You need to do a leak test. This is the quickest way to test. you will quickly learn if anything isn’t done up, or is leaking.

What would happen if it doesn’t?

There is no magic formula that answers the question, “When the water is xx-degrees, what should I wear to be safe?” Your tolerance to cold, physical condition, distance from land where you’re paddling, your self-rescue skills, skills of your boating companions, and other factors are variables that affect your choices.

Where can I find real data to support this? You are just a blogger.

You’re right. I am just a blogger, it would be silly to read this and take it as the gospel.  The two sources I use the most as a reference are :