OK, what I would like you to do, before you read any further, is think about the theme music from that classic television show, Twilight Zone. Now, if you’ve been there, think about hiking the trails of Forest Hill Park, especially the lower areas around the lake.

Aha, it fits, doesn’t it?

Reedy Creek in FHP

While the history of the park goes back more than two hundred years, it’s the time from around the 1920s to the 1940s that adds the bit of eeriness to the place. During the 1920s and 1930s the local trolley company operated a popular amusement park complete with carousel, roller coaster, dance hall, and other attractions.  The economic hardships of the Great Depression forced the company to close the attractions in 1932, but one of Franklin Roosevelt’s federal programs, the Works Progress Administration, put men to work turning trails into cobblestone pathways and constructing buildings from local materials to provide a place for ice skaters to warm up in the winter and a gazebo as a gathering place during special occasions.

Yet, the park once again fell into disrepair during World War II and, even though people still visited, it wasn’t until just a few years ago that the city dredged the lake to restore it to its former depths and local mountain bikers volunteered many hours to rehabilitate and create a trail system.

It’s the main 2.3-mile route that encircles the lake (sometimes in view, sometimes not) to take you through the best parts of the park, going by old stairways that lead to nowhere and wide, cobblestone roads that don’t connect with anything else.

Of course, the park has its fair share of natural features, too. Dozens of songbirds, including house wrens, cardinals, and chickadees, can be heard and seen flitting about in the forest populated by paw paw and beech trees (all, sadly, with the inevitable initials and lovers proclamations). Growing among the understory are Asian day flower, trumpet flower, English ivy, and (beware) luxuriant growths of poison ivy.

One of the highlights for me is Reedy Creek, the stream from which the lake was created. I’m always amazed and delighted to come to the place where the creek, just a few scant yards from the traffic on Forest Hill Avenue, widens as it flows around huge boulders, almost making me believe I’m in a mountain canyon rather that within a heavily populated Richmond neighborhood.

As a bonus, Forest Hill Park is adjacent to James River Park, providing easy access to its many miles of pathways.

Getting there: Take the Nickel Bridge (VA 161) over the James River, turn left at the first stop light onto Forest Hill Avenue, go about .5 mile, turn left onto W. 42^nd St., continue two blocks, and turn right into the park.

Lorene Davidson and Mona Tagliaferro just wrapped up a morning training session in preparation for their next adventure race. Davidson wants to crank it on the mountain biking terrain and roll around in the mud, while Tagliaferro is ready to jump in for some paddling and lead the navigational strategy. Good thing they are on the same team, because they might be duking it out (or laughing really hard) in the last few meters if they weren’t.

 The two women are leading a new group, Women’s Multisports of Richmond, which proposes an entirely different approach to team competition. Team members are expert competitors in a range of offbeat and interesting sports – one woman cruises the river in a standup paddle board, another is fond of tower racing, while several other members are regional standouts in mountain bike racing. Tagliaferro spends her weekends wave surfing on Lake Anna. The women enter team adventure or obstacle races that mesh their niche athletic skills and satisfy their competitive passions by working together. Despite how fun this sounds, the team’s mission is not all about sport.

“Our mission is really equally divided to create a team for women to be supportive of each other, to encourage others to try our sports, and also to help the community,” says Davidson, team president.

'Team Keith' after the Monument Avenue 10K

The team has partnered with other local and national athletically-minded service groups, such as the Richmond Cycling Corps and The Athena Project, to raise funding for people in need. While the team considers contributing to many worthy causes, the group’s current focus is to boost support to the Virginia Cancer Patient Fund.

 “The neat thing about our team is that we value time and money equally – we are not just looking for financial contributions. We are all out there competing in these awesome sports, and then we come together to give our time to events that benefit underprivileged kids or cancer patients,” says Tagliaferro. “We just took turns pushing a man in a wheelchair as part of ‘Team Keith’ for the Monument Avenue 10k. I have never enjoyed that race so much before this year.”

 Team members exercise the mental and physical fortitude required of the individuals they help each time they compete in a team adventure event. These women are competing with other skilled, often all-male teams, enduring Spartan-like conditions for hours or days on end. 

 Says Tagliaferro, “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and use it to our advantage to try to win.” 

 Adds Davidson, “We don’t wallow in our weak points and we don’t have as much muscle (as all-male teams), so we win because we problem-solve. We are each very competitive, but each woman has a breaking point.  It happens and we get over it and move on.”

 The team continues to grow in size, range of sports, and philanthropic scope. Several local businesses currently provide funding to help the members compete in races and conduct mountain bike clinics for beginners. The group’s main playground are the trails of downtown Richmond —  places like the Buttermilk Trail in the James River Park System or Forest Hill Park.

 “Our members live all over the place, so we can be spotted at Pocahontas, at Seal Team (Physical Training), in the river, or on the road,” says Davidson.

 There is no doubt the members of Women’s Multisports of Richmond will continue to be a force to be reckoned with, whether the goal is to win the race or help those in need. 

 Just look for them with their snazzy rub-on tattoos or check out their website for more information: www.womensmultisportsofrichmond.com/index.html

Skid steer at work on the Belle Isle Bike Skills Park

“Do you feel lucky, punk?”

Although this line was immortalized in a classic Dirty Harry movie, I often wonder if Richmond’s outdoor community asks themselves this question. I think most local outdoor enthusiasts would agree they feel pretty lucky to live in a city where opportunities abound right in the heart of our urban core. In most cities mountain bikers, trail runners, and hikers have to commute to get to any suitable terrain for their activity of choice.  Fortunately, Richmond trail enthusiasts have the ability to drive into the city for arguably the best trail opportunities in central Virginia.  These opportunities wouldn’t be possible without organizations like Richmond Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (a.k.a. RaMORE).

MORE, the parent organization to RaMORE, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Northern Virginia/District of Columbia that was formed in 1992. Together, the two organizations represent thousands of mountain bikers and maintain over 115 miles of urban trail in the Richmond and D.C. areaa.  Richmond-MORE started in 2004 and is committed to environmentally sound and socially responsible mountain biking, facilitating recreational trail cycling, educating the public about the sport of mountain biking, maintaining local trails, and advocating for increased multi-use trail access.        

I recently sat down with Greg Rollins, president of RaMORE, who shared some of his insight into the history and accomplishments of MORE over the years. 

“In 2004, JROC (James River Outdoor Coalition) spearheaded the effort to bring multi-use trails to the area,” Rollins remembers.  “This idea was fully embraced by Ralph White (JRPS Park Manager) and J.R. Pope (former Director of Parks and Recreation). These two men really helped to establish the vision of these initial trail efforts.”

Nathan Burrell (pictured) has been instrumental in the development of Richmond's trail system.

In recent years, city trails manager Nathan Burrell has galvanized the efforts to expand and enhance trail opportunities in our city. With the help of weekend volunteers, Burrell and MORE have made the trails in the James River Park a destination for riding. The Northbank Trail was originally put in to give the annual XTERRA off-road triathlon series a platform for a complete race loop. A fairly newer trail re-route in Forest Hill Park has created some additional fun within the park. Most recently, the Dogwood Dell section of trail (including the first hiking-specific trail) was completed, which revitalized an untapped area of green space in the city.  These additional trails have also served to expand the rider experience near the James River Park.

Most notable is the excitement around the upcoming Belle Isle Skills Park.  This project was endorsed and recommended by Mayor Dwight Jones’ Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission. This amazing opportunity comes about with a collaboration of area volunteer groups, including JROC, City of Richmond Trails Division, James River Park System, IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) and RaMORE. The skills park will offer a great facility for beginning and intermediate riders to learn the skills needed to be safe and successful on a mountain bike.  It will also serve as a training ground for riders wanting to experience the almost 18 miles of technical trails in and around the James River Park. 

“The progress is beyond my expectations” noted Rollins.  “Everyone has really teamed together to make it happen and it showcases the true spirit of the area riding community”.  The skills park will hopefully be completed by Memorial Day for all to enjoy.

The positivity behind these projects is evident in the spirit of the RaMORE trail-building volunteers and organizers as well as all supporters of these trail endeavors. All of the progress has a secondary impact on our city that many might not realize. The positive nature of these projects establishes positive users of the trails and pushes out the bad users. The supporters and volunteers of RaMORE are the ones leading the charge into making Richmond a Mecca for trail riding.

“We currently have between 15-40 volunteers show up each time we have a trail work day” Rollins said, further validating the commitment to our great city and it’s trail opportunities. 

So do I feel lucky to have these trails to ride?…ABSOLUTELY! Now go out and RIDE!!!

 To become a supporter of RaMORE please go to the website and click on the ‘Membership’ link.  Also, if you would like to come out and volunteer at the skills park, this Saturday and Sunday (May 12-13) would be a great time to start.  More details are available on the RaMORE website. 

I don’t know about you, but what comes to mind when I think of a city or county park is a few acres, several picnic tables, a kids’ playground, and maybe couple of odious pit toilets. At least that’s what I thought until a couple of weeks ago.

Laurie and I had just finished running an errand in southeastern Henrico County, an area we rarely go to, when we saw a directional sign for Dorey Park. Not knowing what to expect, but having yet to do our daily walk, we decided to check it out. It was a nice Sunday afternoon and, as we drove in, the crowds of people covering the large expanse of soccer fields conformed to my preconceived notions. Yet, as we drove further in, we passed by baseball and softball fields, a rehabilitated barn/recreation center, horse ring, and tennis courts to park beside scenic Dorey Lake.

The five-acre lake is part of the state’s Urban Fishing Program and more than a dozen anglers were trying their luck from the shoreline and the handicapped-accessible fishing pier. Several love-struck couples were strolling hand-in-hand, stopping every so often to gaze into each other’s eyes or watch the resident ducks go about their daily lives.

Unsure of where to go, we walked to the far side of the lake and that’s when we found the two-mile system of interconnecting pathways. Covered in gravel and resembling more of a service road than a hiking trail, the pathway, nonetheless, enabled us to leave the crowds behind and to enter the woods and pass turnoffs to a disc golf course and a mountain biking route.

Have you ever wondered what red maple, pignut hickory, sweet gum, or white oak look like? These trees, and others, are labeled, permitting you to make close-up observations of the texture of their barks, shapes of leaves, kind of seeds or flowers, and other identifiable characteristics. One of the labeled trees, holly, is very shade tolerant and is often found flourishing, as it is here, under the canopy of an older and taller forest. Unlike many other trees, hollies are either male or female—thus, they must be in proximity to each other for the female to bear fruit. The berries, which turn bright red in the fall, are a favorite winter food for birds and deer. Wild turkeys are sometimes seen feeding high up in the trees as well as on berries that have fallen to the ground.

Just before coming to the ball fields, the trail system circles back to the lake. As we walked along the shoreline, Laurie and I commented that, like Cheswick Park on the other end of Henrico County that I wrote about a few weeks ago, it’s a good thing that governments were willing to put forth expenditures several decades ago so that today’s urban residents can still make a quick escape into the woods. 

Getting there: Take I-64 Exit 195, drive 3.5 miles on South Laburnum Ave, turn left onto Darbytown Road and continue 1.3 miles to the park.

Ask the old-timers, and they’ll give you a variety of indicators that the shad are in the river. My neighbor across the street even has a “shad” bush whose buds and blooms send him digging through his garage for gold spoons and shad darts. When the dogwoods bloom is another classic sign and as reliable as any. Well…if you haven’t noticed, spring has come early to the commonwealth, the dogwoods are blooming, and my retired neighbor is scarcely to be found. The shad are here!

This time of year marks an amazing transformation to the James River, as hickory and American shad, as well as herring, stack up below the fall line in Richmond on their annual spawning runs. And one shouldn’t overlook the striped bass that come along with them. Every year there are some real bruisers caught right off the banks of the river within the city limits.

Fishing for shad from the banks of the James might be accurately described as urban combat fishing, but I love it. People from all walks of life find their way to the river, from the guys fishing off 14^th Street Bridge to the downtown businessman fresh from work still wearing dress pants and loafers. You laugh, but I’ve seen it all!

Every boat owner within miles flocks to the river. Jon boats, canoes, ski boats, kayaks, bass boats, and small yachts take up just about every inch of fishable water from the 14^th street bridge downstream to I-95 and all the way back to Ancarrow’s landing. If you are looking for peace and solace in your fishing experience, this ain’t it. This time of year is about the birth of a new fishing season, about something pulling on the other end of the line, about getting outside.

They come for the same reason Native Americans and then the first white settlers set up fish camps at the fall line in Richmond each spring, the river is literally teaming with fish this time of year. And it should only get better in the coming month.

The beauty of fishing the river this time of year is that everyone can do it. You don’t need fancy gear or high-end fly rods, just a basic spinning outfit will do, or an old beater fly rod with a sinking line.

If you are new to the game, I would suggest heading out to Greentop Sporting Goods and having them get you set up with what you need. Shad darts and spoons should do the trick. Many prefer to catch them on the fly rod, which requires a boat. A sinking line and small, simple shad flies in green, orange, or white are all one needs to get the job done.

For those wishing to fish from the bank, the 14^th street bridge parking lot is a good start. Walk downstream. Where you see the anglers, you will likely find the fish. Those with boats are best to launch at Ancarrow’s Landing just below I-95 and head upstream.

A few things to remember while you are out there: You may not keep American shad. Usually the American shad is bigger than a hickory shad, but that is not always a true marker. The easiest way to tell them apart is their jaws. The American’s upper and lower jaws are equal in length when the mouth is closed while the Hickory has an under bite. Also instituted this year is a moratorium on herring. You have to throw them back. A good rule of thumb, if you are unsure, just throw them back. Most people do any way.

Even if you are not an angler, I encourage you to head downtown and check out the scene over the course of the next month. It is something to behold.

This winter season Richmond has offered up a broad spectrum of weather patterns. Overall, the season has been relatively mild and has enabled riders to put rubber to dirt more frequently than usual. As winter releases its grip, there are opportunities all around us to ride. Mountain biking is one of those activities that literally (and figuratively) springs to life as each riding season draws near.  Any trailhead in the area will have more and more cars filling parking lots and giddy riders piling out eager to stretch those atrophied muscles.  For those riders brand new to trails (or parents wanting to help their child learn the basics), here are five skills that will help develop a sense of rider awareness.

The first order of business is to get a helmet and wear it. It’s that simple! This basic concept has saved thousands of lives and modern helmets are comfortable and stylish. There are numerous places to purchase a helmet but check out the staff at any local bike shop for a proper fit. 

There are a few concepts to keep in mind while learning the skills that will benefit all riders, regardless of ability.  Relax…always remember to relax while riding.  This seems like common sense but is critical to finding a comfort level on two wheels.  Precision now, speed later…when working on a new skill, approach it slowly on easy terrain.  Smoothness first, speed later.  Commit…the ups and downs of purposeful riding requires commitment. Lastly, relax even more…yes it continues to be important.  Practice does not necessarily make perfect.  Practice makes permanent!   

Balance– Sure this seems like a no-brainer but there is surprisingly a great deal of thought that goes into achieving good balance on the trail. Good balance comes from an awareness of how your contact points (hands, feet, and bum) are connected to body position on a bike. A good rule of thumb is to keep your body between your feet, meaning try not to lean outside of the width of your feet on the pedals. A good way to practice this is to try riding a painted street line or even trying to balance while riding on a curb. 

Body Position – Your position on the bike is contingent on your contact points (hands, feet, and ‘seat’). Your body position changes as the terrain and pitch of the trail change. When seated, grip the bars firmly and remember that the seat is used as a tool not a place to rest all your weight. Try to distribute your weight evenly on all contact points. To get started, spend some time coasting while standing on your pedals without sitting on your seat. Keep your arms bent, and don’t lock your knees. Next, set your pedals so they are horizontal at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Then experiment with shifting your body position slightly to the rear of the bike. You will want to be in this position when you coast over terrain featuring roots, rocks, and other technical features. Your seat should be between your legs with your knees bent. This is your primary standing position.

 Pedaling – Pedaling your bike is actually a lot more dynamic than one would think.  There are lots of ratios and math involved when you get down to the science of it. However, for our purposes you will just need to know a couple of things. First, always think about making a smooth circular transition during pedaling. From pushing down to sweeping across the bottom of the stroke to pulling back up to the top…always be smooth.  When seated, use your seat and handlebars to maximize your power. Gently push back against your saddle and lightly pull back on your bars to transmit power from your legs.  When standing, pull on the bars and rock the bike slightly from side to side.  This also helps generate more power.  Remember to stand up with your hips forward and your shoulders directly above your hips.  Practice these on slight/short hills to get the hang of the technique. 

Steering (or turning) – The first thing to remember when riding on trials is to always look down the trail (your eyes should never be on the front tire). Second, how a bike turns is all based on your speed. At low speeds, you steer the bike by turning the handlebars in the direction you want to go. However, at low speeds, turning your wheel can make you get off line by running into irregularities (roots, rocks).  At high speeds, learning the bike is much more effective, allowing your tire to roll around a corner. Just remember to judge your speed by braking before you enter the turn, lower your center of gravity, and lay off the brakes as you exit the turn.  Be patient learning the complexities of turning.  There is plenty of time to rail corners as you get comfortable. 

Braking – When it comes to braking, repeat the mantra that slow and in control equals good.  Fast and random equals bad. There are three things to keep in mind when braking. First, brake in a straight line. For maximum brake efficiency you need to set up turns by braking before you enter them. Tires don’t grip well when braking while leaning over the bike. Second, get down and back. Any time you brake, get off your saddle and lean back to counter the forward momentum. Third, never lock your front wheel. It is important to remember that your front wheel is for steering so it needs to always be rolling. A good way to get the feel of how much brake is needed to stop is to practice braking as hard as you can without skidding.         

 These basic tips will serve as a starting point when transitioning from the pavement to the dirt.  I do recommend finding a location that is best suited for learning these skills.  Once you have the basics dialed in then you can check out more challenging locations in order to push your progress forward.  Some notable locations are; Deep Run Park in the west end, Rockwood Park on the south side, and Pony Pasture/Wetlands trails in the city.  Always remember to be safe and we’ll see you out on the trails.

Now that leveraging the James River through downtown Richmond is at the foundation of the city’s tourism and economic development strategy (a.k.a. the Master Plan), we need to consider the best means of implementation. No, this isn’t another article debating for or against development of Richmond’s waterfront…a continually worthwhile topic, but that kitchen doesn’t need another cook in it. This article is about taking low-cost and no-cost steps to enhance the entertainment value of the canal and Brown’s Island areas.Read More

It had been a frustrating morning and I was already running late for a doctor’s appointment when traffic came to a standstill where I-95 meets I-64. Sitting there minute after minute I could feel my frustration level—and blood pressure—rising. I pulled out the Richmond area map and plotted a route on city streets that would eventually get me to the doctor’s office once I was able to take the next exit.

Of course, then I had to face the annoyance of being stopped by every red light along the way and, upon checking in with the receptionist, finding that not only was I running late, but, because of an over-scheduling of appointments, it would probably be a least 90 minutes before the doc could see me.

Not wanting to spend an hour and a half reading outdated People magazines describing in minute detail the lives of Kim Kardashian or Snooki, I decided to take a short walk along the sidewalk. That’s when I discovered one of those wonderful little green spaces that are so easy to overlook within our crowded urban area.

Yes, tiny, 28-acre Cheswick Park is bordered on three sides by office complexes and housing developments and four-lane Forest Avenue runs along the fourth, yet within its small space is a winding one-mile trail that enables you to return to the natural world for a short time. Taking the footbridge over Upham Branch, where kids were wading through the water, turning over rocks in search of aquatic creatures, I entered a woodland of oak and black gum trees. Also known as tupelo, black gums develop a broad base when they grow in or near water, the better to anchor themselves in the moist soil. The leaves are some of the first to change color in the fall and range from deep red to bright yellow.

I took a break at a quiet spot and was soon absorbed, not in the goings-on of some tawdry, media-created celebrity, but rather in the entertaining exploits of several gray squirrels. Jumping expertly from limb to limb like trapeze artists and running up and then back down tree trunks at paces as frenzied as those at auto races, these little creatures soon had me smiling and no longer thinking about the day’s earlier aggravations.

Just before returning to the parking lot, I was stopped by a drop of water from the previous night’s rain that was still clinging to a leaf on a lower branch. What caught my attention was that that the droplet was a bright blue, reflecting the clarity of the sky above. Upon close examination, I found that the drop of water was like a globe, mirroring miniature copies of the trees and plants around me.

Taking a seat back in the waiting room, I knew that I was now going to have a good checkup, as my attitude—as well as my blood pressure—was in much better shape than it was when I had first arrived.

Lesson learned: There are many little spaces like Cheswick Park scattered throughout the Richmond area. Don’t forget about them when life’s insignificant frustrations start to get to you.

 Getting there: Take I-64 Glenside Drive South Exit, merge onto Glenside Drive, go less than .4 mile, turn right onto Forest Avenue, continue 1.1 miles and turn right into the park.

I spent the majority of my 20’s chasing trout from one end of the continent to the other and down into Patagonia, Chile and Argentina. So, when I hitched up my drift boat in Oregon at age 27 and headed east to a teaching job in Atlanta, I thought to myself, ‘I will be back!,’ as I crossed each glorious trout stream from the Deschutes, to the Green, to the Colorado.

Now, over a decade later I still have yet to return to the clear, trout-filled waters of the Rockies. Actually I just about gave up trout fishing for the better part of eight years. Selling my drift boat and purchasing a skiff, I quickly became enamored of salt water and the variety of species it holds.

Just last year, however, I pulled out the old 4-weight and headed west again, just not as far this time. A friend invited me and my wife to spend a weekend at his property in West Virginia, which just happened to have a little over a half mile of private, stocked trout water. My wife was anxious to learn, so we found a temporary home for the kids with the grandparents and hit the road. It was early spring and the conditions were perfect, the water clear and cold.

When you spend the better part of five years on the water, more than 100 days a year, chasing fish with a little fur tied to a hook, it comes right back without much trouble. Before I knew it, I was into a beautiful brook trout in a deep trough under a gorgeous rock bluff. Suddenly, I was asking myself why I had taken so much time off from trout fishing.

For those of you who have ever tried to teach your wives to do anything, you know it can be a touchy situation. I knew she needed some distance and space, but she also needed a little help catching her fish trout on a fly. I simplified the rig as much as possible, placing a single nymph just 3 feet or so under a pinch-on indicator and pointed her in the direction of some fishy looking water after a quick tutorial on nymphing for trout.

My wife is nothing if not independent and persistent. I watched from a distance as she made cast after cast into a nice looking run, as she untangled a few messes without looking my way, and eventually as she set the hook on a fat little rainbow that had her rod bobbing up and down and her stumbling back toward the bank on the slippery rocks.

She landed that fish and several others. It was a wonderful afternoon, and just as enjoyable an evening around the campfire, listening to the water rush through the darkness.

Spring is the perfect time to escape to the mountains in search of trout, whether for a day trip or even more preferably for the weekend. There are a wealth of cabins for rent and miles and miles of trout streams to explore right here in the Commonwealth.  

 Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg, The Albemarle Angler in Charlottesville or the Orvis store in Richmond are great places to begin your search for a Virginia trout getaway.

 With this kind of winter, we can paddle year round! Without snow in the forecast (except for today, of course), 50-degree days can be invitations to paddle with the Grim Reaper, and he never brings hot chocolate! 50-degree days can go from play to panic in less than 2 minutes. Even with the “proper gear”, you may just about have your hands full regulating body temperature, hydration, blood glucose, hypothermia, and hyperthermia.

I write this article after reading about a person’s near death experience just a few weeks ago on the Chesapeake Bay. An experienced kayaker decided to paddle into conditions which they thought they could handle, a wave overturned them and they missed their roll, and ended up in very cold water without proper clothing. If not for a random boat nearby, this story would not have had a happy ending. The complete story is on our Black Dog Paddle Facebook page.

Years of whitewater kayak instructor experience, raft guide experience, and training as a certified scuba instructor have drilled into my head the idea you always “dress for the swim.” We at Black Dog Paddle teach in our Basic SUP course that water, air temperatures and wind chill play an important part in any paddle sport or activity. Since we are somewhat more exposed to the air and wind standing on a board, we must understand our actions and decisions.

Let’s jump past a cotton T-shirt and jeans, after all it is 50 outside and you are on the water. I’ve decided I won’t be in whitewater today.  Great! That means I will be on flat water and can wear my nylon paddling pants as a wind breaker and a short sleeve jacket since I will be “working hard” and building a sweat.  Think about the result if you fall into a 40-degree river. Your pants fill with water and get heavy, your arms chill instantly and your furnace, which has been running hot, quickly chills and slows to a slumber.

A wetsuit, while warm by itself just due to neoprene and cutting down of the wind chill, needs water inside it to properly insulate the body in water. You may not even have water sweat in your suit while paddling, so the second you hit the water cold warps it way up your spine taking the breath from your lungs. Shock is a real and present danger. The dry suit is another option which has it’s own problems.

Paddling the Haxall Canal is best done during warmer months.

We, as SUPers and paddlers have a HUGE dilemma on colder water, warmer air days.  How do we properly dress to swim and keep from overheating?

Let’s start with the basics: The 100 degree rule.  Air + water temperature must be greater than 100 or hypothermia may be quick to set in. 40-degree water temp + 50 degree air temp = strong chance of hypothermia. Personally, we up this to the 120 rule! 60 and 60 is a lot nicer with a stronger margin of error. My wife would prefer the 180 rule!

Plan your trip and ask yourself some questions. Whether it is a mile sprint, or a six-mile lazy paddle, think about the journey. Is the water level on the James at Robious Landing higher than six feet, a modest current, or higher than seven feet — a stiff current — or higher than eight feet, a downright workout to stay in place going upstream? What are the air and water temperatures? Wind speed? Are there others around to help me? Am I able to help anyone else? Do I have a phone in a waterproof box, inside a waterproof bag? Do I need gloves or a wind proof hat? What is my footwear? Have I told anyone where I am going?

After falling into the water, the U.S. Coast Guard says shock may occur within 2 minutes, functional disability within 2-15 minutes, and hypothermia within 15-30 minutes, with full collapse outside that time frame.

What happens when your heated body falls into cold water? You first gasp, then hyperventilate. Can you keep your head above water? You may see stand up paddlers using a waist style USCG approved PFD during warm water months. This is fully approved and encouraged! Much better than no PFD at all, though against the USCG Federal Regulation, as of now. During the cold-water months, we wear a jacket-style PFD. You may not be able to physically pull that rip cord on the waist-style PFD, or you may forget until your body goes into shock. I also have a dry suit. I layer my undergarments to plan for the water temperature. So, this causes me to sweat while working out. So, I bring a water bottle and plan my drinks knowing that I am burning water faster than I can consume it. I wear a wind-proof hat and bring gloves, and shed those as needed to try to regulate temperature. The head is a great place to regulate perceived body temperature without sudden changes to actual core temperature. 

There is no formula. Each body is different and regulates temperature according to many factors. You can’t plan for everything, but you can at least give yourself a good fighting chance when it comes to paddling with the eagles, or floating with the sturgeon. Paddle smart and take a lesson……when it is warmer. 

To learn more about coldwater exposure, read the U.S. Coast Guard’s PowerPoint: www.uscg.mil/pvs/docs/coldwater1.pdf