Spring has finally arrived! The days are getting longer and warmer and we don’t know about you, but we’re excited to see the sunshine again. But knowing what to wear when paddling in spring can be a challenge. The weather can change from warm and sunny to cold and rainy all in the space of a day. To help get you started, we’ve put together a head to toe layering guide, highlighting some of the most useful pieces of clothing and kit to keep you warm whilst out paddling.
Headwear
Keeping your head warm is essential to maintaining your concentration and motivation whilst out paddling. By letting your head get cold you can quickly feel tired, disorientated and weary. Luckily, in this layering guide we have a few options available to you.
Paddler’s love a good winter bobble hat or beanie. And having a paddling specific one will help you avoid making your favourite one smelling of canal, lake, or river water!
Gloves
Keeping your body’s extremities from getting too chilly is incredibly important to ensure your body doesn’t feel a chill. If the water doesn’t get your hands cold then the wintry breeze will soon make you wish that you had a good pair of paddling gloves on.
There is fantastic range of gloves suitable for kayaking, canoeing and stand up paddle boarding. In the collection you can find short finger, long finger and neoprene gloves available that all offer great grip, flexibility and protection from the elements.
Base layers
We recommend that you have plenty of thermal and base layers to keep you nice and toasty along your paddling trip. Our top tip when looking for any type of base layer is to make sure that they are made from moisture-wicking fabric and can dry quickly.
If you think you are going to spend a bit more time wet, then a wetsuit is the perfect bit of kit to put on. The neoprene holds a small layer of water close to your body, using it’s heat to warm it up and keep you nice and toastie.
Outer layers
Next up in our layering guide, Cags, also known as spray tops, are a must in colder weather conditions. They help to create a protective outer shell keeping you dry and shielded from wind chill. When looking for a cag you want to pick something that repels water and offers good wind protection.
Shoes
Even as we head into spring, the water temperature is still cold and there’s a chill in the air. It’s important to have a good pair of paddling shoes that offer good warmth and grip. We would recommend thinking about a pair of neoprene boots, as they work like a wetsuit, warming the water when it enters the boots and creating an insulation layer. We would recommend getting the size up so you have room to wear a pair of thermal paddling socks as well.