winter

[carlalvey]

I know that the summer isnt over yet but im planning on paddling all through the winter now instead of having the odd day when it was fine.
As iv no experience in this,which do people prefer / recommend gloves or pogies??

cheers

[tc1300]

I have gloves there a pain I only use them on flat water as its really hard to feel the paddle properly

[Garry]

Gloves vs pogies vs neither in winter is a bit of "Marmite" type issue I think you will find.

Some people swear by pogies, some swear by gloves, others will insist that you dont need either just keep the core and arms warm....

Borrow/try both and see what works for you.

[carlalvey]

iv tried a pair of gloves before and it did feel abit weird not feeling the paddle.

[scottdog007]

I hated wearing gloves and generally I can last the coldness of 15 minutes it takes for my fingers to warm up, even in icy water. My main issue is that the gloves would slip on the paddle shaft and upset my paddling. But for the first time last year I tried some Palm gloves and put some wax on the paddle shaft and the problem was solved. So I used them all winter, nice.

Initially when winter arrives and you put the gloves on the shaft feels so 'fat' but you soon get acustom to this, also the opporsite, when spring comes and you take the gloves off at first the shaft feels so spindly.

[wrewbank]

I use a pair of these http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/talon.html there good as they are open palmed so you can still feel the paddle and they keep the wind off. Also when you get to a harder section where you want more control you can just fold them over on to your wrist and they are out the way.

Hope this helps

[clarky999]

Neither. Gloves suck 'cos you can't feel the paddle properly, pogies suck because if you take your hand out to push of a rock/etc you can't get it back in easily, both suck 'cos they make you look like a little girl. Only acceptable when it's below -10 and/or REALLY windy.

Warm up properly before paddling, with the blood properly pumping round (rather than trying to escape from your hands when the cold water gets on them), and you will be fine.

[Kayak-Bloke]

I use a pair of these http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/talon.html there good as they are open palmed so you can still feel the paddle and they keep the wind off. Also when you get to a harder section where you want more control you can just fold them over on to your wrist and they are out the way.

Hope this helps

Seconded. I have a pair of these. To be honest when I first saw them I was doubtful but they really work. They really do keep your hands warm and you can still feel the paddle. Job done.
Nige

[justin-g]

Plus 1 with clarky - never need them in the south. Wore poggies on one day when it was hailing. Apart from that your hands are fine after about ten mins.

[Natalie]

Gloves vs pogies vs neither in winter is a bit of "Marmite" type issue I think you will find.

Some people swear by pogies, some swear by gloves, others will insist that you dont need either just keep the core and arms warm....

Borrow/try both and see what works for you.

Agree. Personally I love pogies and marmite.

I think it depends largely on your make up. I almost never feel cold on the water and 99.9% of the time I just wear the one thermal layer, however I find my feet and hands really feel the cold if the temperature drops. With pogies my hands are always toasty and warm no matter what the weather.

[Sickboy]

Since buying a drysuit I've not needed either, even when smashing ice. I'd use pogies for sea kayaking on windy days, my dad loves the ones I bought him, but then he feels the cold far more.

[Scumbag_Scout]

I saw guys paddling the Grand Canyon in pogies on the hottest day we had there, couldn't work out why, after 18 days seeing the state of everyone's hands we understood! Hand-tanned with skin so dry they had cracked all over, the pogies suddenly made sense!

[SimonMW]

Other than on the absolute coldest of days I have not had much of an issue with bare hands, and I usually feel the cold pretty easily.

I tried pogies but couldn't stand them. Felt trapped, and they were an absolute pain in the arse to put hands back into after they had been taken out for whatever reason.

[Ollie5]

I wear my pogies loosely over the top of my hands, this definately helps keep off the wind and you dont lose any feel, drysuit and plenty of layers= warm all round

[carlalvey]

think ill just concentrate on keeping my core warm and it may not be an issue? unless I swim.lol
thanks for the feedback

[Jones Chris]

Hate pogies but love my neoprene gloves. But then I only wear them when squirt boating - with hand paddles.

Chris

[Garry]

You see - Marmite - as predicted :-)

[dpround]

Be aware that it can be difficult to feel for the spraydeck release wearing thick neoprene gloves. I have been shown some palm-less gloves by Reed. They look utterly improbable, ridiculously thin, but the recommendation cam from a source I would trust. I have also heard very good things about pogies.

David

[Low Mill]

A top tip from my old racing days, when fingers were feeling cold and starting to get that cold death grip.
On a forward stroke relax the grip on top hand, allowing fingers to stretch and maintain circulation, stopped that cold and clamped up feeling.
Doesn’t work so well in canoe however.
On very cold days I’ve gone back to using these: http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/descent12.html
I like that it’s easy to put hands back in, and I hate the feel of gloves on the paddle.
However on balance I tend not to wear anything on my hands if it can be avoided.
Terry

[Kizzie_St-As]

On very cold days I’ve gone back to using these: http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/descent12.html
I like that it’s easy to put hands back in, and I hate the feel of gloves on the paddle.

I love these! I tried the "normal" pogies but hated them because once you take your hand out it doesn't go back in. Having paddled a few times during snow or when the water was freezing on to me I couldn't cope without them! I'm not sure how true it is, but someone once said that if you paddle in really cold conditions a lot without gloves/pogies then you kill off some of the nerve endings in your fingers. Any medical people know anything about this?

[Big Henry]

Since buying a drysuit I've not needed either, even when smashing ice. I'd use pogies for sea kayaking on windy days, my dad loves the ones I bought him, but then he feels the cold far more.

I experienced the exact opposite to this. When I wore my wetsuit I hardly ever needed anything on my hands to keep warm, but when I got my drysuit my hands got painfully cold, obviously the cuffs are cutting off the circulation to my hands enough for me to feel it.

If anyone does go for pogies, make sure you get the SHORTER ones, I have the longer ones and they are such a pain to put on, having to pull the second one on with your teeth, that I generally don't use them. I think I'll attack them with some scissors!

[Sickboy]

Any restriction of circulation causes coldness, I was getting cold feet in my wetsuit boots wearing my drysuit, but a larger size cure the problem, means two sets of paddling boots, but I suppose they will last longer getting half the wear so in the long run no more expensive,maybe.

[harry_paddle]

I tend to recommend the approach that if its really effing cold - don't paddle!

[Big Henry]

I tend to recommend the approach that if its really effing cold - don't paddle!

I recommend that if it's too dangerous to drive there and back safely don't paddle. Obviously some people are made of sterner stuff than others! ;-)

[clarky999]

On very cold days I’ve gone back to using these: http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/descent12.html
I like that it’s easy to put hands back in, and I hate the feel of gloves on the paddle.

I'm not sure how true it is, but someone once said that if you paddle in really cold conditions a lot without gloves/pogies then you kill off some of the nerve endings in your fingers. Any medical people know anything about this?

Not exactly scientific, but after three winters of boating at least once a week around Aberdeen (-13ºC was about the coldest, top foot of water in the Dee was genuine slush) my fingers still 'feel' fine...

[LiamMtb]

Peak do some open palm mitts which seem to work and when you get to the hard stuff you can flip them back and carry on.
In the lead up to the winter I often benefit from ice training, which requires you to melt ice with your hands.

you should try it :P

[Junior]

I wear a pair of O'Neill 1.5mm Psycho gloves for the best of both worlds....



https://www.kingofwatersports.com/item. ... 21842.html

They are really thin gloves so your fingers can really flex in them and you can still feel everything like the paddle etc, but they are just thick enough to take the edge of the cold and stop my fingers going numb.

I have tried someone else's palm gloves which were 3mm thick and agree it makes it difficult to feel stuff at that thickness.

[ggodfrey]

I find gloves make it harder to paddle and impossible to do tasks such as putting on a deck or getting gear out of BA pockets. However I love my Palm mitts http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/gear/talon.html.

Open Palm Mitts are the perfect compromise.
- Warm but not too thick
- Some contact between skin and paddle for grip
- Easy to get fingers out for putting on deck and other fiddly tasks. (Most important in my mind)