Icy joys of winter kayaking

02/22/2007

It's 32 degrees and sunny. The water temperature is 34; the wind, negligible. A perfect day for a kayak.

Crazy, you say? Not for a small but devoted number of year-round kayakers whose paddles on Long Island Sound and its tributaries take them through ice-rimmed marshes and crystal-clear water.

Winter kayaking, "is not for the faint of heart" and you'd better be prepared and know what you are doing, says Jay Babina of Branford, secretary of the Connecticut Sea Kayakers club, ConnYak. But the rewards are many. Babina savors the peace and serenity cold-water kayaking affords. He told of paddling one day in a gentle snowfall. "The Sound was like a sheet of glass. It was a gorgeous experience," he said.

Wildlife watching is a major appeal. Last February, Don Hyman of Fairfield and two friends found themselves in the company of eight seals off Greenwich. "They were very curious. They swam over to our boats and started splashing around," Peter Green of Westport explained.

Harbor seals are making a winter comeback in the area, to the delight of kayakers who do need to be cautious that the whiskered pinnipeds don't try to "haul out" on top of their boats.

Green described recently seeing six deer bound across a narrow strip of sand that connects two of the Norwalk Islands. "The sun was low and the deer were silhouetted. The water was very glassy. It didn't look real; it was so beautiful."

"We're out there to enjoy the experience of nature," added Tina Green, Peter's wife, as the four of us talked one morning over coffee at Chat-n-Chew in Fairfield. "We're not going to fight 3-foot swells and chop in the winter," she added.

"There are," Hyman interjected, "people who do that. We see them in magazines." Safety is a major factor. "We pick our days carefully; we're on our own out there; and we haven't had any accidents," Peter, said, knocking on the round wooden top of our table.

"If you're going too fast you can miss things, like a hawk in a tree," Tina pointed out. "We're older and we're trying to rejuvenate ourselves," her husband added with a laugh. The Greens have operated a custom stained glass design shop, Renaissance Studio, in Westport since 1971. They find inspiration for designs on paddle trips.

Long-time boaters, the Greens are mentors for Hyman, who extended his kayaking to winter three seasons ago. "When you are with Tina and Peter the tide is with you and the wind is behind you," he said. They also know of many launch sites, which expand in number in winter when town-resident beach stickers are not generally required.

"One of the many beautiful paddles we do is to go around Sherwood Island State Park (in Westport)," Hyman explained. He said he and the Greens put in at the old Allen's Clam House site in Westport and travel through the marshes to Burying Hill Beach. They reverse the route to return or paddle out into the sound, often making a stop at Elvira's Market on Hillspoint Road for hot chocolate.

For them, a typical winter kayak is 2 to 4 hours. The paddlers say that by dressing for the sport they are not cold.

Paddling in the often crystal clear winter water, the kayakers have spotted a sea turtle off Southport Harbor, a snapping turtle in the marsh behind Greens Farms Academy in Westport, foxes, raccoons and lots of birds, such as hooded mergansers, oldsquaws and buffleheads, as well as great cormorants, which are only in this area in winter.

If this all sounds awesome, and a bit out of the realm of a tubby beginner kayak, the person to contact is Michele Sorensen, managing director of Norwalk-based Kayak Adventure, LLC, which offers sea kayak lessons, tours and rentals year-round on Long Island Sound. Here is a unique opportunity to try cold-water kayaking without making a major investment.

A certified American Canoe Association coastal kayak instructor, Sorensen matches qualified beginners to sit-on-top kayaks as opposed to traditional sea kayaks. She explains that with the sit-ons if you fall off you can get back on. "If you are properly dressed, going in the cold water is no big deal."

A potential danger with sit-in, spray-skirted kayaks is turning over and experiencing "cold shock" or a "gasp reflex." Pool sessions, and learning to roll a kayak, help prepare paddlers in advance.

Mark Bodian, boat department manager at Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton said he recommends cold-water paddlers travel in groups of at least three so there are two people to help one who might be in distress.

Early this winter, he said, most people were savvy enough to realize that even though the air temperature was 50-60 degrees, they needed to dress for the water temperature. "We've done what we can to build winter kayaking by stocking the right gear to keep paddlers safe in the winter," he said.

Gaeton Andretta, manager of The Small Boat Shop in Norwalk, says a significant number of the shop's kayak customers stretch the season, going out earlier in the spring and later in the fall. "Kayaking is becoming more and more popular-in-season and off-season," he added. "Every year we sell more dry suits."

The boat shop's cold-water workshops in February offer an opportunity to take a trial dip in the Norwalk River in a dry suit.

At those sessions, cold-water kayaking expert Charles Sutherland of Pennsylvania points out that paddling in cold water (60 degrees or below) carries great risk, noting that water removes heat from the body 25 times faster than cold air.

Dry suits, he and others say, are essential. Kayakers layer under the suits, wear neoprene hoods, boots and paddling gloves, and by law wear personal flotation devices.

A thorough rundown on safety precautions, what to wear and bring is located at Sorensen's Web site, www.kayak-adventure.net. The Appalachian Mountain Club and ConnYak also offer a wealth of information.

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