Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish Taco
Look... I grew up in SoCal... but spent 12 years on Long Island, NY recently (moved back to SoCal 2 yrs ago)... but took on kayak fishing for the first time while in NY. I belonged to the KFA-NY club (Kayak Fishing Association of New York). They stress safety in our sport, and rightly so. PFDs and Cold Weather Gear are serious considerations for your safety back there... we're talking c-c-c-cold water temps in the fall, winter, and spring. Enough so that to turtle in those conditions unprepared could lead easily to death... hypothermia is no joking matter. Read up on it, seriously.
I know that the water temps here are currently very warm. But yes, even in the winter here in SoCal... hypothermia is a concern... especially if things go badly quickly.
My Immersion Research drysuit may be an expensive investment.... but as they say... how expensive is your funeral? I have two teenage kids, and a wife... I take my safety seriously when on the water in my kayak. Staying warm and dry should something go awry is my first concern. $600 bucks. Ask yourself. Is it worth your life? I know this is SoCal... and temps aren't quite the same as New York... but hey... if you're in the water for an extended time... hypothermia is a real threat to your safety. Kokatat, IR, and many others out there offer protection from the elements. Ask yourself... do I want to come home in a body bag, or prepared for the worst case in a drysuit? You never know. I had a hard time pulling the trigger spending so much on a safety device as a drysuit, but I also have peace of mind that if sh*t happens, I'm prepared to stay in the water if need be until rescued.
I may rarely use it out here in SoCal, compared to what I would've used it in New York, but I'm glad I own it... and when water temps drop... you can count I'll have it on. Food for thought.
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I grew up fishing Redondo Bch, Lived on Long Island for 5 yrs, and now in Florida. I can appreciate what you say regarding cold. Lost a friend off SoCal when his sea urchin boat sank -- 6 of his crew were rescued 17 hours later -- surviving because they had their wetsuits on. That was before Personal Location Beacons(PLB's) existed. For $250 a PLB is the best piece of safety equipment in areas where hyperthermia is not an immediate concern. For staying warm, I am surprised a light wetsuit is not more popular. I would think an oversized stock model with lots of zippers that could be left open most of the time to stay cool would be a consideration. Seems like chest wader boots would greatly compromise mobility if you ever flip. In South Florida, I do wear a neopreme jacket during winter.