Quote:
Originally Posted by djstone
If you have a wet suit on and get flipped into the water, do you change out of that wet suit or would you still be warm and able to finish the rest of the trip? Also, is neoprene supposed to fit you like a tight glove?
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The wet suit is intended to warm the water between it and your skin. (Some wear a thin layer of polypro beneath the wet suit.) In theory, you should not need to change out of the wet suit once immersed. However, just how warm one stays will depend on air temperature, wind, and how active the paddler is. It's a good idea to wear a paddling jacket as an outer layer and either a wool or fleece sweater beneath the paddling jacket, depending on the air temperature. You might want to change into a dry sweater if you spill and are carrying an extra one with you. And, yes, the wet suit should fit snugly. A Farmer Jane/John style wet suit allows greater freedom of arm movement. I believe 3 mm neoprene is the standard thickness for paddling wet suits, but check further into that.
Hopefully some others will chime in on this topic.