Kayaking and paddling in the fall can be a beautiful experience, but you want to make sure you’re dressed for the temperature. From wetsuits and drysuits to paddling gloves, here is what to wear fall kayaking, and how to layer for cold water paddle trips!

why me? Hi there! I’m Maddy. I’ve been a kayaking guide on Lake Superior for three years now, and am heading out to guide on the west coast this summer! I’ve tackled three expedition paddling trips, of varying success, and paddled on Lake Superior in the dead of winter. I’ve also actually been hypothermic before! It was awful. I’m not an expert on layering or kayaking, but I would be wary of anyone who calls themselves an expert in the outdoors, and this is certainly a more solid resource than a lot of the advice you’ll find from career bloggers and influencers!

A windsurfer in the Fall on Lake Superior wearing a full body wetsuit.

What to Wear Kayaking in the Fall:

The biggest rule of kayaking and paddling in cold water is to dress for immersion. This means you are dressing for the water temperature, not the air temperature. If the air is 82 and sunny, but the water is only 45 degrees, you need to dress so that you are comfortable and safe in the event you find yourself in the 42 degree water for an extended period of time.

It’s more than just hypothermia! In the event of a capsize into cold, fall water, you may experience cold shock including a gasp reflex, you may use dexterity of your hands, and you may experience full hypothermia in as few as 30 minutes.

Note: This article contains affiliate links! This means if you make a purchase based on my recommendation I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you.

1) Start with Baselayers

You might have heard the saying “cotton kills”. Basically, this refers to the idea that cotton will not keep you warm when wet. Instead of cotton, wear a wool or synthetic base layer when paddling.

A base layer is the layer you wear closest to your skin. Typically for me, this looks like a long sleeved wool top and wool leggings. A good baselayer is the beginning of dressing well for fall kayaking.

Patagonia

For a synthetic baselayer, I’ve worn the Patagonia Capilene for paddling trips and backpacking. Synthetic layers tend to be less expensive than their wool counterparts, and a good choice if you find that wool irritates your skin.

Smartwool

Personally, I perfer a wool base layer because I love to smell like a wet sheep. I’ve worn this base layer from Smartwool on Fall kayaking and canoe trips for about three years and it still does it’s job. I’ve bought two more from Smartwool, and feel that they have lasted much longer than any other wool top from other brands I’ve purchased and it is absolutely worth the pricetag.

The Smartwool 150 is thin enough that I don’t sweat through it, layers well under a wetsuit, dry top, or fleece, and has stood the test of time for me.

Kokatat

I’ve recently added a Kokatat Woolcore top to my kit for underneath my dry top. Its flattering, thin, drys quickly, and adds a little warmth. This top has lived under a drysuit or wetsuit for a total of 90 days now, and is still going strong. It also, uh, smells strong.

Your base layer is one of the most important parts of your fall kayaking layering system. Take time to figure out what works best for you.

A peaceful paddling morning in McCargoe Cove on Isle Royale. This was a very chilly Fall trip. Fall trips on Lake Superior are drysuit mandatory trips.

Want a really good reason to invest in a wetsuit? Read about how I got hypothermia on Isle Royale National Park and ended up stranded in the middle of Lake Superior between Isle Royale and Canada!

2) Immersion wear

If you’re going to be kayaking or canoeing in cold water, I strongly recommend immersion wear in the form of a wetsuit of drysuit. In flatwater canoeing scenarios, I’ll often just bring a dry bag of clothes knowing that if I got wet, I will always be within swimming distance of shore (less than 1/8 mile) and will be able to change and prevent hypothermia.

If it’s particularly cold, or I am paddling more seriously away from open water, I always wear a wetsuit or drysuit. Your baselayers usually go underneath your wetsuit or drysuit, though some people chose to wear a wetsuit directly on their skin. A wetsuit or drysuit is a must for fall kayaking, and in northern latitudes like the Great Lakes, a wetsuit may be recommended even for summer kayaking.

The Wetsuit

The wetsuit is made of Neoprene and will keep you warm, but it will not keep you dry. A wetsuit will give you additional time before hypothermia sets in, but will not prevent hypothermia.

A farmer Jane/John style wetsuit is designed for maximum comfort paddling. Personally, I use a combination of a full sleeve wetsuit top and wetsuit leggings, which I find to be warmer in shoulder season or cold water paddling. Generally for paddling, you do not want one of the thick surf wetsuits as they tend to limit mobility. If it’s so cold that you need that thick of a wetsuit, most paddlers should opt for a drysuit instead.

I wear a wetsuit when paddling Lake Superior even in summer months, and when paddling smaller lakes in the fall and winter. If I am paddling Lake Superior or any other Great Lake in the Fall or Spring, I will wear a drysuit. I strongly recommend you treat all winter paddling as drysuit mandatory.

Layers like a rain jacket, fleece, or splash jacket can be added overtop of a wetsuit for additional warmth.

Pictured above is a stormy fall day on Lake Superior; both paddlers here are wearing dry tops and helmets!

The Drysuit

A drysuit will keep you warm and dry both. Drysuits are absolutely required for safe winter paddling on the Great Lakes. A wetsuit will not cut it. A wetsuit basically works by flooding with water and letting your own body heat warm that water. Most paddling wetsuits will not keep you warm long enough to prevent hypothermia in winter water.

Drysuits are an investment, but cold water paddling, especially on the Great Lakes, is really not something you want to mess around with. Trust me— I’ve brought a wetsuit on a drysuit trip and suffered the consequences, including ending a trip early for hypothermia, and spending an evening in an ambulance. Just get the drysuit, or wait till the water warms up.

I have an Immersion Research Drysuit in Coral, a bright color so that search and rescue can find me if needed (my mom’s recommendation).

Looking for the best winter kayaking gear? Click here!

3) Midlayers

A midlayer is the layer you wear between your outer layer and your base layer. My favorite paddling midlayers are all some sort of microfiber fleece. This type of material stays warm when wet, is lightweight, and drys quickly.

I’ve found that you can usually find a perfect layering fleece already in your closet, or at your local thrift store.

Kayaking on Lake Superior on a Fall evening (left). Paddleboarding a small lake in early Fall (right).

Check out Superior Fleece for custom, Duluth-made fleece layers that are pretty much perfect for paddlers!

4) Outer Layers

For cold water kayaking in the fall, your outer layer should be your PFD (life vest). Underneath that, I recommend a rain coat or splash jacket.

I’m partial to Astral PFDs, and swear by the Astral BlueJacket for sea kayaking specifically. For a more affordable alternative, check out the NRS Ninja. My Astral PFD is the one I wear most of the time, but the NRS Ninja lives in my car as a spare PFD when I’m taking friends out, and I only have positive things to say about the Ninja.

The primary difference between the BlueJacket and the Ninja is additional features. The BlueJacket has more pocket space, a lower profile, and more places to strap things. Basically, the BlueJacket is designed with sea kayaking expeditions in mind, while the Ninja is a jack of all trades.

Note that your PFD will give you more warmth than you realize, but the PFD is not enough alone to keep you warm when kayaking in the fall.

Winter kayaking on a small lake near Traverse City, Michigan. Winter kayaking is pretty much a drysuit mandatory activity.

5) Gloves

When kayaking in the fall or cold weather, maintaining hand function is important. If your fingers are too cold to work, you won’t be able to help yourself or others. For a paddlesport like kayaking where your hands will likely be wet, I recommend neoprene or yulex gloves or mittens. Mittens or Pogies will change your paddle stroke slightly, but I find mittens to be warmer than gloves.

For canoeing or paddlesports where you generally stay dry, a thin pair of wool gloves might be the smartest cold-water paddling gear choice.

6) Footwear

If your feet are going to stay dry, awesome! Wear warm socks and shoes. If your feet are going to get wet, and let’s be realistic, they are, you want booties or wetshoes. Booties will keep your feet warm even when they get wet.

Sock choice is just as important as the shoe itself, and for socks the absolute gold standard is Darn Tough. I pretty much only wear Darn Tough and can’t recommend them enough.

Fall kayaking requires extra work to figure out what to wear and how to layer, but the scenes are extra beautiful!

7) Emergency Clothes Bag

One thing you should absolutely bring for any fall kayaking trip no matter how long or short is an emergency clothes bag. Here’s what I put in my emergency clothes bag:

• Sea to Summit Big River Drybag (to use for first aid kit, emergency clothes, food, ect).
• One large spare fleece
• One dry base layer top
• One pair of leggings/pants
• One emergency blanket
• Two pairs of dry socks
• always bring a packed, waterproofed sleeping bag to treat for hypothermia. This can literally save lives. I recommend the Nemo Tempo Synthetic bag. I’ve had it for five years and used it on three sea kayaking expeditions.
• Sea to Summit Evac Compression Dry Bag for sleeping bag (20L) or clothing (13L). I’ve used this same drybag for 6 years for sleeping bag/clothing and can confirm despite apparent flimsiness it is waterproof and will stay dry in your kayak while actually compressing gear

This is what I pack when I’m guiding/kayaking, and it might be a little overkill for you. That being said, it’s important to have a dry layer for close to your skin (base layer) and a dry layer for over the top of that. I always bring two pairs of socks, because I always end up needing both pairs, whether it’s just wanting dry socks in the car or my feet took a chilly dunk.

8) Other safety gear for fall kayaking:

Your safety on the water doesn’t end at your clothes, but knowing what to wear for fall kayaking is a great start! Remember to paddle with three potential ways to call for help/methods of emergency communication. Popular communication methods include a cellphone, marine radio, GPS, a signaling mirror, a whistle, flares, ect. You don’t have to have all of these methods, but it is important to have three!

Always tell a friend where you’re going and when you’ll be back. If driving to a put-in, write down your “float plan” on a piece of paper and put it under your windshield.

To learn more about sea kayaking safety, click here.

Where will your next kayaking adventure be?

• Read about 30 Things to do in the Apostle Islands
• Explore the 15 Most Beautiful Great Lakes Travel Destinations
• Sea Kayak the beautiful Desolation Sound, British Columbia
• Here are 30 Midwest hiking trails, ranked best to worst. Where does your favorite fall?

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Looking for hiking trails, backpacking routes, and paddling trips in the Upper Great Lakes Region?

Hidden Gems of the Northern Great Lakes is my self published hiking, paddling, and camping guide. I’ve been lucky enough to live in Northern Michigan near Traverse City, in Northern Wisconsin, and now on the North Shore of Minnesota, and I’m committed to helping you discover your next favorite trail, or hidden waterfall, or campground to beat the crowds.