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If you think about it, the answer is obvious. Kayaking is originally an Arctic activity, practised in ice-cold water. Hunting with a harpoon from the kayak was vital for the Inuit, even though icebergs drifted past the shore all summer.
Paddling in winter is a special experience. You are usually alone on the water, the sounds are different and more muffled, and there is no noise from motorboats and jet skis. Rain and snow are no big problem: the kayak and spray skirt cover about 75% of your body, and the parts that are exposed – shoulders and arms – are working while you paddle.
The stillness and solitude also bring challenges. An emergency requires different preparation than in summer: help is usually further away, and the water temperature demands respect. If you are inexperienced, do not paddle alone. In winter you generally need larger safety margins.
Put simply, a wetsuit extends your paddling season, and a dry suit lets you paddle all year round. But remember that the suit only protects you for a limited time – get out of the water as quickly as possible. A dry suit does not insulate on its own, so you need warm layers underneath. Avoid cotton! Next to the skin, merino wool is a great choice: it insulates even when wet, does not itch and can be worn for several days before it starts to smell, unlike many synthetic materials.
Feet usually cope surprisingly well. They are protected deep inside the kayak, and wool socks with neoprene shoes are often enough. If you get cold easily, choose neoprene boots – ordinary rubber boots rarely fit well and are easy to lose if you end up in the water.
Hands are more sensitive. If you feel the cold, choose thick neoprene gloves or mittens, which insulate reasonably well even when wet. Many paddlers use large rubber washing-up gloves with thin wool gloves underneath. On top, you can add pogies – large mitts attached to the paddle shaft that you slide your hands into.
Head: if your dry suit has no hood, a balaclava is warm and comfortable, alternating with an ordinary wool hat. A neoprene hood is another good option.
Remember that you are active in the kayak and get quite warm from paddling – you usually get cold once you are on land. Bring a proper down jacket and, of course, a dry change of clothes in a dry bag.
You can pull yourself short distances across ice with ice picks. But watch how ice floes gather in narrow places with currents or strong wind: open water when you set off can be impenetrable slush and floes when you return a couple of hours later.
Prepare mentally: what will I do if I capsize? Can I release the spray skirt wearing mittens? Test it before you set off – and practise rescue techniques in safe conditions.
With some paddling experience, the right clothing and common sense, you can enjoy paddling even on a winter's day – and it is something quite out of the ordinary. I remember gliding across the ice edge with my ice picks on a clear February day. The kayak fell silent as it slid into the black water, and as I rounded the point I saw another paddler lying completely still by the shore with his head bowed. I wondered if he needed help, but before I could ask, he looked up and smiled, as if he had read my mind:
– I'm listening to the music, he said. It was the ice crystals tinkling against the rocks.
If you are inexperienced, bring a paddling companion and stay close to the shore. Find more cold-water gear in our clothing and kayak accessories collections. Happy paddling!
