Guys

As we are starting to approach brass monkey time , and the fishing can't stop - any suggestions on the best approach for winter fishing off the yak , clothing wise ?

Am thinking about a wetsuit - any thoughts on type , thickness etc.

pland

Hiya pland,

My approach is to dress for the water conditions as a first priority and then add apropriate over clothing to provide wind chill and/or sun protection.

Rather than wear a single steamer type full wetsuit. I use a combination of wetsuit types that allow me to be comfortable for most of the year.

For summer I generally wear short leg 3mm wetsuit pants, collared rash vest & rubber soled reef shoes. A wide brimmed hat takes care of the head and neck for protection from the sun. I also take a Mac-in-a Sac nylon rain jacket and nylon over-trousers with me in the kayak for additional sun or wind protection if required.

Autumn and spring I wear long leg 3mm wetsuit pants and dive booties, with a sleeveless 3mm wetsuit vest and long sleeved polypropolene top under a Rasdex paddling jacket. As the water gets colder I put the waterproof nylon over-trousers on as well to keep me bum dry and stop water wicking up my back. I find this combination the least restrictive for cold water paddling and just add or remove layers of polyprop to suit the temperature conditions. So far I've found a beanie cap sufficient for keeping the head warm.

Pull down wetsuit pants allow you to answer the call of nature without having to piss in you own pocket (so to speak), although it can require some delicate balancing in the kayak. I believe that Bodyline Wetsuits in Auckland can supply to special order their "Farmer John" style full length sleeveless wetsuits with a comfort flap fitted in the crotch.

Be wary of any wetsuit tops with sleeves, as I found them OK when wet, but they gave me bad chaffing of the armpits when used dry, as in paddling.

Hope this info helps you out.

DogFish

Gidday Gents,

Dogfish has it figured out. I wear a farmer john style wetsuit with 2 T-shirts and a paddlejacket. This is my first winter paddling in NZ so far I have been okay on the brisk mornings.

The places you lose most of your body heat are through your head and around your waist. Keep them covered and insulated.

Next thing, choose your days and stay in your boat. if you're in a SOT Kayak like most of us, it might be worth your while to put down an extra pad of closed cell insulation on your seat.

A full diver style wetsuit will kill you in more ways that one. They are like paddling against a rubber band. Will chaffe you to the nub, and exhuast you when you need your energy the most.

I have worn a sweat**** under the paddle jacket but you can run into a safty problem if you need to remove your vest, etc to remove clothing layers.

Cheers

HF

Picked up Long johns from Dive Centre on the shore cheap as $80 - from memory and they work a treat , like the guys say I think the Long johns are the way to go as they leave the shoulders and arms free to paddle.

The ones I got also have padded knees etc. Good if your getting out on the rocks or the like.

A forum members beanie is a must....cant wait till mine arrives

Thanks guys - will do some shopping at the boatshow. Beanie is already in possession.

pland

Would leave a lot more space for the fishing tackle !

pland

I Dunno about you guys...

CJ,

I'm a heafy fella so yeah I sit in a puddle of water. The only Kayak that I have ever paddled that was a dry ride was the Cobra FishnDive. Sadly the boat is too slow and clumsy for our paddling conditions

I had a friend who solved that problem by putting a plastic rubbish bag in the sitting area before placing his ass in, which allowed the water in and out but not to contact the nether regions. Haven't tried it myself because a kayak is a summer toy, IMHO.

I bought special drain hole plugs (from Ocean Kayak or Johnsons as they now are) for the rear drain holes which keeps the sitting area pretty dry so long as the yak doesn't ship a wave aboard - the front  holes remain clear and will drain any water deeper than about 5 inches, which is OK in an emergency.

The drain plugs are closed cell foam and you can push them out the bottom to clear the drain holes if things get gnarly, so they don't compromise safety to any great degree.

Always a puddle somewhere and not always water. But hey , all goes with the territory.

Dont ya just hate it when ya get in all careful like paddle out all careful like and start to fish, maybe get distarcted by bites or the like and WHAMO over the side comes a nice arse wetting slop of a wave

nutthin quite like ya fruit and nuts sitting in a puddle for hours on end

Hey fella's

That's why I wear nylon over-trousers in the colder conditions - my bum and upper legs stay cosy dry and no fish slime & blood on the wetsuit!

I've also made some scupper hole plugs using those yellow foam "limited flight" practice golf balls yah get at the Red Shed. Poked a loop of cord through them to make them easy to pull out as they force-fit into the scupper holes quite firmly. I found that even if you get a bit of water under you bum, when the scupper holes are blocked, the water warms up from body heat and you stay fairly comfortable.

The biggest problem I now have, is keeping my feet warm even with dive booties on. Anyone got a good solution?

DogFish

(A founding member of the Taranaki WHITE-Baiters Club)

For the feet,

Havent tried this one yet, but Cabela's USA makes some electric socks for the poor old ******* thats hunting a deer in the Canadian Forest.

A Thought.

I like the practice goof ball thing!

yeah good plan with the "balls" Dog...have been mulling over what to use for a while....your idea sounds a goody

you should patent it.

peace out.

sorry to here you leavin our fair shores hell....whos gonna get me to the barrier now ???????

Thanks for the suggestions Dog. I'll try your method and also see whether plastic bags taped over my feet works.

DogFish

Thanks for the input guys - had a look at a few options but Walrus seemed to be reasonably priced & convenient (must have driven past that place a million times).

Popped into the shop on Friday and tried on the Sailing Longjohn with reinforced bum and knees. Fitted well but shoulder straps were too tight. No probs for them , came and measured what was required and extended the straps to ensure perfect fit within a couple of hours(at no extra charge). Sent the missus into collect mine, and picked up one of the windsurfing longjohns for herself.

After 5 hours on the water today and a squall or two, extremely happy with the purchase.

How did you get on on the water Pland ? what time were you out ?

We went out yesterday avo and got pelted with rain....fishing wasnt that flash either

still im about to have snapper for lunch so it aint all bad

Fatso - check my post in the Reports section 'I got a feed today'.

Didn't bother today but still had fish for tea. Lets hope tomorrow is better.

You guys are lucky you can get out. Down here in the Naki the winds blowing about 60k and the swell is 8-10 metres

Still there's always next weekend... hopefully.

Dogfish

TD

They were bloody accomodating with me so I don't think they will have a problem. Give them a call , they wheeled in a matronly figure from the back to measure up the changes for mine.