A kayaky break from the routine

Last week during my camping trip, M&B dropped a lightly used Drysuit in my lap (literally). This’uns a used CG drysuit and has more bells and whistles to it than a kayaker needs, but is nice. Used and has a reputation for some small leaks, but when I am told ‘Four swims and you are done,,,’ I hear ‘just gotta get to shore quick-like’.

And a drysuit is 10 times better in cold water than a wetsuit as I found out during pool sessions for rolling class. (70 degree water and started going hypothermic after three hours exposure even in a full wetsuit. Brrrrr)

SO’ssss Today I took Lizzy and BJ to the lake. Glad as hell I brought both too. Loaded Lizzy into the water, went back to the truck and donned my gear including the ‘not so dry’ drysuit, and went to put in.

not

happening

That dry suit added just enough girth that I could NOT get my ass into Lizzies seat. Legs into cockpit, no problem and my ass wedged tight in the cockpit hole 4 inches off the seat pan. (note, I may have been able to force my way in, but that would mean I could NOT wetexit and that is NOT good. Must be loose enough to ‘eject’, or don’t go.)

And at this point I am sweating in that suit. So I open the top ‘hatch’ (waterproof zipper for getting into it) go back to the truck and bring BJ out. I WILL go kayaking dammit, after all this trouble,,,,

Water was way high. I paddled across the lake to the area I intend on using as a campsite sometime in the future. Its much smaller today than the last time I was out since half of its under water now. Kind of expected that, but it wouldn’t stop me, just have to relocate where I had intended to set up the tent or hammock.

Wind was kicking at 13mph, and getting back across the lake was a little tougher than getting out there. A little more of a loopy sort of path as the wind was pushing further up lake as I was paddling across.

BUT, all that time on the erg is paying dividends. I didn’t have my GPS with me, but BJ felt faster, and that has nothing to do with anything other than the ‘motor’ in the cockpit. and I was paddling longer stretches without feelind winded or strained, even with the wind pushing me back like a cork.

as for the ‘not so dry’ drysuit,,,, Never got it wet, other than some splashy splash from the wind blowing drops off the paddle. Dunno how its going to do if I have to swim, but I trust M&B wouldn’t put me in a suit that was horrible and I would imagine they are upselling the leak department to urge caution on my part. Maybe when the water warms a bit more, I will try some rolling and what not with it, and see just how bad the leaks are or aren’t. AND I have my eye on one that is reasonable in price for your near destitute blogger and intend on ordering it before September of this year. (assuming the world holds together just a leetle longer,,,,)

But, when I got home, I pulled Lizz off the Buffalo and onto the porch, got back into that suit and started playing around to see where the problem was. My Hip Pads on the seat sides were jamming me tight. easy enough, pull em off, clean up the old glue and try again. Swoop! right down on that seat pan like butter. Being a CG suit it has lots of pockets, and the ones on the front of the thighs are in a weird spot for kayakers, but they also act as added padding where my thighs hit the coaming . Not bad, but they hang a little on entry,,, I may cut them near the base (close enough to clean that point, not so close as to muck up the water proof nature of the skin.)

Or I may just leave them ‘as is’ and let the next person enjoy them. This suit is going to be a hand-me-down for awhile yet; leaks or no leaks, its a damned good suit to ward off weather. I was sweating on put in, but while out on the water, never felt chilled in anyway, even with cold ass wind whipping on me at 13mph.

It’s back to the J.O.B. tomorrow. river levels are still in the trees in places, but well back in its banks, Mud is every-flipping-where, and Buffalo looks like I have been fourwheeling a mudpit. (and in a way, I have, just to get to the highway,,,,) and smells of Fish,,, Kittehs keep checking her out with that open mouth sniff thing going. (if you’ve ever seen it, you know what I speak of. It means “Ewww!” in Kat.)

And Lizzy will live on the porch the rest of the week. No point in loading her back up until the weekend, giving her a mudbath everytime I drive out of here,, BJ is fine on the truck; she doesn’t scratch up the same way, though I did take her seat pad off and stuff it inside one of her hatches. No reason she should stink to high heaven and that seat pad would absorb that smell.

And I feel much more grounded and centered for getting some seat time in today. And justified for making the ergometer/wobble board. No transition of tippiness to stable, just straight to it and paddled like a demon and never felt the least bit anxious.