Grand Canyon paddle gear for July?

[dermo99]

What do people normally wear for paddling the Grand Canyon in hot summer months with the still pretty cold water? Usual "dress for the water" must be tough at that time of year? More used to a climate where the hot sunshine and boating is less of a concern

Thanks a lot for any thoughts!

dermot

[yak1]

Dress warm and just do a roll to cool off. Dry top, fuzzy of your choice, and shorts should do it. Maybe neoprene shorts. A shorty top will be too cold for a long day on the river. If you're in a raft swim suit and PFD

[dermo99]

Appreciated - thanks!

[DanOrion]

Last year for a July trip I brought a shorty and wore it once...the preferred outfit was shorts, light thermal, drytop, UV long-sleeve shirt, PFD. Having the long-sleeve shirt over the drytop both protects from sun damage and keeps you cool (roll to get it wet!). Also, that UV shirt gets washed all day-every-day, so it works great for some sun protection on side hikes without getting stinky.

It probably doesn't need to be said, but bring a long, fast, comfortable boat.

[dermo99]

Thanks sir - appreciating the inputs ... don't want to arrive with the wrong kit!

[Jacob]

Other suggestions:

Some really light poggies to keep the sun off your hands, at least on the long quiet stretches. My hands took a solar beating.

A bandana under the helmet, draped long in back to keep the sun off your neck.

A pack cot from NRS was a big help sleeping. You can set up right next to the water and stay much cooler. River levels fluctuate daily, so make sure you know if it's high tide or low when you pick your spot!

[paulk]

Drytop for sure. Also, unrelated but the poster above mentioned protecting your hands. Definitely bring some o'keefe's workers hand cream for the night time. It was more refreshing than a cold beer on some days.

[dermo99]

Liking the tip on the tide check for bedtime levels!


Hand care has certainly been mentioned in other articles I have read as well.

Thanks again all.

[ExEssBoater]

I just got back 2 weeks ago. 7th trip down. +1 on the poggies for hand protection and O'Keefe's Working Hands. The water will freeze your hands if you try to surf anything longer than a few seconds, regardless of the air temp, and they will sunburn like crazy. Small cuts don't heal well so the Working Hands is a must and it doesn't make your hands all slimy whilst paddling. I did a trip in August once and even in the heat, I used neoprene shorts.

Last bit of advice: make sure your spray skirt works. This year my skirt decided it was time to start leaking on day 2. By the end of the trip, it was annoying AF to have to sponge water out periodically. If this is your first trip down, realize that shit ages quickly. You will put more than a typical season's wear on your gear in the days you are there. That said, embrace the chaos and have fun. I'm counting the days until trip #8! Cheers.

[Crazy Nate]

Rig a sun shade of sorts. There are days of flat blazing water.