Wearing the correct SUP clothing, whatever the time of year.

Humorous image above aside…

All through summer we’ve seen unprecedented amounts of new recruits to stand up paddle boarding taking to the water – which is awesome! What we’ve also seen is newbie paddlers wearing the bare minimum of clothing to paddle, which isn’t so awesome…

This summer, as everyone’s aware, has been cracking for weather, by and large. There’s been plenty of sunshine, warm air temps and warm water. Even during those hotter periods, however, wind chill is still prevalent. In pursuit comes the risk of cardiac shock and hypothermia. The cold waters of the UK – even at the hottest times of year – can cause all manner of problems. Add to the mix our ever changeable weather and the cocktail can be deadly if you’re not careful.

Whilst your paddling mission may start off all rosey it can quickly go awry in the blink of an eye. There’s no accounting for kit failure and other ‘incidents’. Without the proper paddling protection the issue(s) you face could be exacerbated. Cardiac shock occurs when people fall into water that’s cooler than the air. That’s not to say cold water per se. The water may be warm. It just mightn’t be as warm as the air. The body goes into shock and the individual in question can suffer cardiac arrest. Needless to say a decent covering of paddling attire, be that applicable wetsuit or SUP wear, may help cardiac shock be avoided.

Evaporative cooling, meanwhile, can happen after a paddler has gotten wet. With the slimmest of clothing keeping body parts warm the water starts to evaporate, body heat flowing to extremities to fend off chill but leaving his/her core cold. This is when hypothermia can set in. And it can creep up and grip like stink. As with cardiac shock a decent wetsuit or well manufactured paddling garments can prevent this.

In contrast you can wear too much – too much heat can be as much of a problem as the cold. An overly thick wetsuit, for instance, may cause more harm than do good. Taking hot days into account that thick rubber will only serve to overheat teh wearer and cause (potentially) heat exhaustion and dehydration.

The UK’s climate is ever changing with little consistency. Traditional colder months can sometimes be warmer than expected whilst summer may see extended periods of cooler conditions. Choosing the correct clothing for stand up paddling is therefore key. It also means you need a selection of kit if you want to paddle as often as possible.

Winter wetsuits, summer wetsuits, layers such a thermal rashvests that can be worn as stand alone garments and everything else in between. Possibly adding a drysuit – for the coldest periods – and well designed SUP threads for all types of scenario you’ll encounter is good practise. A brimming toy box is always a good idea to make sure you’re a safe as possible when stand up paddle boarding through the seasons, however frivolous this may seem…