Looking for the best gear and layering tips for winter kayaking? Winter kayaking is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have kayaking, but it can be dangerous without the right gear and knowledge. Here is what to wear for winter paddling and kayaking:

Why me? Hi there! I’m Maddy. I’ve been a kayaking guide on Lake Superior for three years now, and now have several seasons on the West Coast as well! In addition, 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!

Best Gear for Winter Kayaking:

The biggest rule of kayaking and paddling in the winter and in cold is to dress for immersion. This means you are dressing for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Even 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 Gasp Reflex (also known as Torso Reflex) , you may use dexterity of your hands, and you may experience full hypothermia in as few as 30 minutes.

I’ve actually dealt with a person on one of my guided day trips on Lake Superior capsizing and experiencing gasp reflex due to the temperature of the water. She was fine, but a little shaken up. These things do happen, and more often than you think.

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.

Pictured are some of my favorite base layers. On the left, the Icebreaker Oasis. On the right, Smartwool Thermals.

Best Baselayers for Winter 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 baselayers 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.

check out a guide to the best winter baselayers for women here 🙂

2) Add Midlayers

When choosing your midlayer for winter kayaking, it’s important to keep in mind a few things. First, consider the air temperature and how warm or cold you anticipate being. While a drysuit will keep you dry, there is no built-in insulation. Over-layering under your drysuit can be very uncomfortable.

For example, when I winter kayak in Northern Minnesota on Lake Superior, it’s often below 20 degrees. For this weather, I dress very warm, especially if the water is calm and I am on a pleasure paddle. However if I expect the weather to be rough I may drop a mid-layer, anticipating that I will be working harder.

When winter paddling on the Ocean in Washington, weather tends to be a little warmer and above freezing. For winter kayaking in Washington, I’ll wear just baselayers, a fleece midlayer, and a drysuit.

Fleece Midlayers for Winter Kayaking

Thin, technical fleece makes the perfect midlayer for winter paddling. I have a few different version of this that I’ll use, but my favorite is the nexus pullover from RAB. It’s thin, breathable, flattering, and adds a lot of warmth with no bulk. For colder weather, Outdoor Research makes a similar but slightly thicker pullover.

Synthetic Puffy Midlayers for Winter Kayaking

When it comes to water sports, synthetic coats are better than down. Synthetic dries quickly and is more likely to keep you warm while wet. A great midlayer for winter kayaking when the temperatures dip below freezing is a synthetic puffy like the Helly Hansen Lifaloft hoodie (I have it in white and I love it but do not recommend white for the obvious reasons). Another similar but more technical winter kayaking layer is the First Light Hoodie from Black Diamond.

3) Top with Immersion wear

If you’re going to be kayaking or canoeing in the winter, a wetsuit is not enough. For winter kayaking and canoeing, you should wear a drysuit. While drysuits are expensive, there isn’t really a dollar amount you can put on your life.

Wearing drysuits

When it comes to winter paddling, it is considered unsafe to paddle without a drysuit or thick, diving grade wetsuit (often difficult to paddle in and perform a rescue).

Despite, this plenty of people will likely still kayak in the winter without a drysuit. Keep in mind as you make this decision what would happen to the clothes you choose if you are to capsize: heavy boots will fill with water decreasing maneuverability and your down jacket will not provide warmth. While a rain jacket over the top of your clothing can make a great splash jacket in a pinch, it will not be waterproof once you have capsized.

When kayaking in the winter, the time you have to rescue yourself either back into your kayak or swim to shore is greatly reduced; you likely have just minutes before you loose function in your fingers, and there is a decent chance you will experience cold shock triggering the gasp reflex upon entry to the water, which may cause sudden drowning.

One of your best lines of defense against hypothermia is not capsizing. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee you won’t capsize, no matter your experience level.

Recommended Reads: Sea Kayaker’s Deep Trouble , recounting stories of experienced and beginner paddler’s alike finding tragedy and challenges on the water.

Choosing a drysuit

When choosing the right drysuit for you, you’ve got a few options. Drysuits are expensive, but a good investment (mandatory investment!) if you plan on winter kayaking safely. As someone who has actually been hypothermic in the wilderness due to wearing a wetsuit paddling in Late October in Northern Michigan, I promise you, your life is worth the extra money on gear.

Check out the Kokatat Hydrus semi-drysuit for casual winter paddling, or for colder and rougher water check out the NRS Axiom or Kokatat legacy GORE-TEX.

When can I wear a wetsuit instead of a drysuit winter paddling?

In general, whether you need a drysuit or wetsuit for winter kayaking depends on the conditions. If the air temperature is cooler than fifty degrees, and the water temperature below that, you probably want a drysuit. Any place you’re paddling with ice, or there is snow on the ground, you definitely want a drysuit. That is not a hard and fast rule of course; plenty of serious paddlers have worn wetsuits paddling the Inside Passage in the summer, where water temperatures are below 40 at times and air temperatures may be cooler on a bad day, but in general these conditions are drysuit weather.

Keep in mind that a function of a wetsuit is to delay hypothermia, not prevent it. If you do not think you can get yourself to safety in a wetsuit in the time that wetsuit allows if you were to capsize, opt for a drysuit or stay on land.

Left: NRS Ninja. Right: Astral Bluejacket (now Bowen)

4) A PFD (lifejacket): The most important piece of winter kayaking gear

Never venture on the water, winter or summer, without your PFD or lifejacket. According to the United States Coast Guard, 84.5% of accidental drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were reported as not wearing a life jacket.

Consider: While many people find lifejackets to be cumbersome, it is almost impossible to put on a lifejacket once you are in the water, and even more difficult if the reason you are in the water is unpredicted rough water.

Finding the best PFD for you: NRS Ninja versus Astral Bowen

My PFD of choice is the Astral Bowen. It’s comfortable over long distances, and has plenty of pockets to store snacks and emergency supplies. A good budget alternative is the NRS Ninja. The Ninja is extremely similar to the Bowen, but nearly a full hundred dollars cheaper. I’ve owned an NRS Ninja as my loaner PFD, and it performs similarly to the Bowen. The Ninja does have less pocket space, and is slightly less of a perfect fit on women’s bodies.

If you’re planning on serious overnight paddling or long days of paddling, the Astral Bowen may be worth the investment for the extra pocket space, comfort fit, and compatibility with a Camelback. I’ve owned the older version of this PFD for six years– when my red one finally bit the dust, I replaced it with the coral blue.

However, if you’re planning on mostly shorter paddling trips, on a budget, or simply have no need for the extra pockets, the NRS Ninja is also an excellent choice.

Additional Safety Gear for Winter Kayaking:

As always, kayakers should carry a whistle, paddle float, bilge pump, emergency dry layers, at least three signaling devices not including a cell phone, and a plan to get themselves out of trouble. Remember to leave a float plan with some one you trust.

Love learning about the best gear for winter kayaking? Check out these related articles:

• Learn 15 Helpful Hacks for Kayak Camping!
• Read about the best camping tents for beginners
• Read my full gear list for all the gear I use as a sea kayaking guide!

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