Well, kayaking season is upon us, but not quite what we imagined. Until we move into Phase 3, you can only kayak in groups of 2.

I don’t generally get my boat down to the beach until the water warms up.

Water temps today are 56 at the shore, up from 54 yesterday, so they are going up, but still COLD. This means you should kayak with a wetsuit.

You can go back to read my old posts, but a few reminders about paddling in cold water:

1. A good rule of thumb– if the air temperature plus the water temperature is less than 120 degrees F, you should definitely wear a wet suit.
2. The 50-50 rules: One of the 50-50 rules states that without protective clothing and a PFD, you only have a 50-50 chance of being able to swim 50 yards in 50-degree water. It depends a lot on the swimmer’s body composition, physical condition and age, but it certainly helps explain why people often drown very close to shore in cold water.
3. Water temperature: 60°F and up hypothermia risk: low; Appropriate clothing: clothing for the weather
   Water temperature: 55-59°F hypothermia risk: moderate; Appropriate clothing: wetsuit or drysuit
   Water temperature: 45-54°F hypothermia risk: high; Appropriate clothing: drysuit recommended
   Water temperature: below 45°F hypothermia risk: extreme; Appropriate clothing: drysuit strongly recommended

Looking forward to getting out on the lake, and hopefully, paddling in small socially distanced groups when we move to Phase 3!

I will check to see if they are strictly adhering to the July 1 date of getting your boats to the beach…

Stay safe!