How to Choose Apparel for Safe Fall Kayak Touring

Perhaps you’re new to the sport. You’ve really been enjoying boating through the warmer months, probably having to wear little more than shorts and a T-shirt for protection. Now the weather and water are getting colder. You want to keep boating, but you want to be safe.

There are some simple steps for staying safe while boating as temperatures drop. Here we’re using the term “touring kayaking” to cover activities using recreational, sea, sit-on-top and fishing kayaks.

• Always wear your life jacket; it’s your No. 1 piece of safety gear, especially in cold water.
  
  
• Choose your boating apparel to prepare yourself for a possible swim. Water is much denser than air; it’s some 25 times more efficient at conducting heat away from your body. Fall air temperatures can often be quite warm, but if the water is cold, dress accordingly to prevent hypothermia.
  
  
• Plan your apparel choices around different layers you can add or remove, depending on the day’s conditions.

Jacob Boling is a member of the NRS Marketing Team and a veteran touring kayaker. In this video he offers suggestions on apparel choices that will help keep you safe.