Things I learned or think I learned while 1200 miles away from GS6

1) I learned that some people don't dress for immersion while wearing a drysuit. Wearing shorts and a tee shirt under a dry suit is marginally better than just wearing shorts and a tee shirt. You NEED real insulation. Mooch will attest to the fact that I dress warm enough that I have to take a swim after paddling out to the 75' depth range at Linda Mar for crab. I often spend a minute pouring water over myself every 10-15 minutes of hard paddling. I've spent a rainy DAY mostly in, sometimes out of 36 degree water for a whitewater rescue class in early March, with just mild chilliness to show for it. This is how you dress under your drysuit. I have utter confidence I could hang out in 40-45 degree water for an hour, with only a loss of a manual dexterity to show for it. Maybe not even that if I was wearing 3mm NRS gloves.

2) Sailfish mentioned not being able to back out into the oncoming wave. Either his paddle was not in hand (bad idea near the shore), or he didn't think of using it to back up. Backwards can be a very important direction. Hell, "full speed astern!!!" can save your life.  Now, if Sailfish had paddle in hand, and could not back up due to obstructions, then I'm off base with this item.

3) I need to bring my throw bag with me 100% of the time. Sitting in the box at home isn't going to help. It's not just for whitewater...

Please accept this as preliminary post-event analysis and not condemnations. I heartily salute Sailfish responding to a fellow kayaker in need.

Scott

Scott, thanks for the post. Can you be specific about what you wear under your drysuit. I ordered a throw bag yesterday after reading the GS6 reports as well.

3) I need to bring my throw bag with me 100% of the time. Sitting in the box at home isn't going to help. It's not just for whitewater...

x100.
I will start bringing mine too.
I always bring it when I am with a noob OTW, but from now on it's all the time.

From bottom up:

• Thick wool socks.
• A mid weight fleece one-piece pants/vest suit I got from Feathered Friends about a gazillion years ago. Designed for wearing under a serious amount of mountaineering gear, it's got a zipper arrangement that goes from neck to crotch, but allows for keeping the torso zipped while you pee. I've used separate fleece pants/tights in the past, but have just gone to this garment over the years, as it's convenient and comfortable. This is just something I had and am putting to use. Mid-weight fleece pants and a vest/shirt were fine for me from a functional standpoint.
• Anything from a light synthetic long sleeve top (CA Summer), to one of mid-weight fleece (AK, CA Spring/Fall). The light top goes under the vest. I'll wear a synthetic T under the vest, and a fleece sweater over the vest when the combined water/air temp is in the 90's or lower or AK, period.
• NRS River Boots
• NRS 3 mm gloves for AK and CA Spring/Fall
• One piece breathable dry suit, with booties.

I feel like Bib the Michelin man, and get really HOT fast when moving fast. But it's nice to know that if I have to swim for an hour, I only have to worry about the landlord. I'm dead serious about swimming at Linda Mar back in the day in order to cool off. I no longer do that , but do splash a lot of water on my arms and legs when paddling hard.

I go with a vest as a compromise. It keeps the torso warm in the water, while your arms are allowed to cool off a bit.

I have worn lighter layers in the past, but now I  err on the side of becoming hyperthermic while underway yet comfy in the water, vs comfortable while underway, hypothermic in the water.

Scott

I think it would also be good to have a dry bag in the hatch with really good insulating cloths for a quick change at shore if needed. And perhaps a space blanket or tarp strapped inside a dry bag strapped on the kayak that is easily accessible.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=space+blanket+insulation&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16840367264766032947&sa=X&ei=C4jNT-6aA4WZ2QX9ponrAg&ved=0CMIBEPICMAQ#ps-sellers

I always keep one in my plano dry box....along with duct tape

Good reminder about the 3ml gloves. You can't swim worth crap if your hands are too cold to keep your fingers tight together.