Must have clothing for winter kayak fishing

For those of you who brave the cold, what is on your list of must have gear? I imagine that fishing on the water when its cold out, you are bound to get wet, especially your feet. So curious what everyone does to stay warm and somewhat dry?

Layer up to stay warm, a wind breaker/splash jacket. To stay dry fleece pants with dry pants over them works well here in north Florida. These keep my feet and legs dry. http://www.nrs.com/product/25051/kokata ... with-socks.

Wear a dry suit which is big enough so you can layer up plenty of clothing under it, and which has dry socks, not ankle gaskets. Wear a couple of pairs of fluffy socks under the dry socks for insulation, and wear neoprene booties or other footwear over the dry socks which is nice and loose, so the footwear doesn’t restrict the circulation in your feet. Layer up enough clothing under the dry suit so you will be warm even if the wind comes up and the temperature dives while you're out on the water. I sometimes wear a layer of clothing on top of the dry suit so if the temperature increases during the day I can take it off while I’m out on the water. I have a warm hat which covers my ears, and I have a less warm hat which I can switch to if the weather warms up. With this kind of gear, you can be dry, cozy, and comfortable while fishing even in really lousy weather. More importantly, if you end up in the water, you'll stay warm and comfortable.

I find that it's easier to keep warm and dry in a sit-on-top pedal kayak than it is in a sit-on-top paddle kayak, because when paddling you get your hands wet, and water drips off your paddle onto your lap. It's also easier to keep warm in a sit-inside kayak than it is in a sit-on-top kayak, because a sit-inside kayak protects your lower body from cold weather and water. However, sit-on-top kayaks are much better for fishing than sit-inside kayaks.

Here’s a couple of pictures from a day of kayak fishing on Lindbergh Lake in Montana in May of 2014.







Here’s a couple of pictures from an early-May 5-day 116-mile unsupported kayak trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, starting on Marsh Creek. We floated through snow for the first day and a half of the trip. Here we are kayaking through a snow squall on Marsh Creek.



Here is a block of snow at the bottom of an avalanche gully on Marsh Creek.



Here is a lunch stop on Marsh Creek.



Here is a large pile of avalanche debris and snow on the second day of the trip.

^^^ Now that`s cold !

Do not go out on the water without proper dry gear. Should be minimum of a dry top and pant combo, a one piece dry suit is best. I wear loose fitting lined winter boots in cold weather to keep my feet warm. I keep them loose, should I ever go in, I can kick them off so they don't weigh me down. I found the dry-boots fit too tight and didn't give any insulation value.

A good set of gloves as well. If I have to take my gloves off to do something, I put them between my PFD, so they stay a bit warm. I find my hands and feet are the things that bother me the most in cold weather.


Water Temperature - Expected Time Before Exhaustion or Unconsciousness - Expected Time of Survival
(°F) (°C)
32.5° 0.3° < 15 minutes 45 minutes
32.5–40° 0.3–4.4° 15 – 30 minutes 30 – 90 minutes
40–50° 3.3–10° 30 – 60 minutes 1 – 3 hours
50–60° 10–15.6° 1 – 2 hours 1 – 6 hours
60–70° 15.6–21.1° 2 – 7 hours 2 – 40 hours
70–80° 21.1–26.7° 3 – 12 hours 3 hours – indefinite
> 80° > 26.7° Indefinite Indefinite

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