Why the water temperature matters in autumn
In autumn the air can be warm in the sun, but the water is already cold – and it is the water that decides your safety. You dress for the water temperature, not the air, because if you capsize what counts is what you are wearing in the water, not on deck. Thermal protection is recommended once the water drops below roughly 20 degrees, and especially below 15.
What to wear on an autumn trip
The basis is a neoprene wetsuit. With the water below 15 degrees a wetsuit – short or full – and neoprene boots work well; between 15 and 18 degrees a wetsuit or thick thermal clothing is enough; only above 20 degrees can you paddle in ordinary, quick-drying kit. You dress in layers, in fabrics that dry quickly. You avoid cotton, because it holds moisture against the body for a long time and chills you. It is always worth having a dry change of clothes for after the trip, packed so it will not get wet.
Cold water: shock and hypothermia
The greatest danger is sudden immersion in cold water. Cold shock is strongest when the water is between 10 and 15 degrees – the first, involuntary gasp and the rapid breathing that follows can make you choke on water. Over the next few minutes the cold takes the strength from your hands and arms, so saving yourself gets harder and harder. That is why in autumn you keep the buoyancy aid on from start to finish, not in your luggage, and you do not paddle alone on cold, open water. The times people quote are only a rough guide – in cold water you have to react at once, not count the minutes.
A shorter day and changeable weather
In autumn the days are shorter and the mornings cold, so you plan the trip with time to spare in order to get off the water before dusk. The weather can be fickle – the wind can turn gusty and cold, and a capsize that in summer is just an adventure ends in autumn in hypothermia. Before you go it is worth checking the forecast and choosing a shorter, calmer route than at the height of summer.
What changes on an autumn river
Autumn has its upsides on the water: there is less traffic on the rivers than in summer, the sun no longer beats down so hard, and the banks turn to colour. After the more frequent rains the water level usually rises a little, which can be a plus on shallow stretches – but before the trip you still check the current gauge reading. I explain how to read it separately.
Before you set off: a short list
In short, an autumn trip differs from a summer one in a few things. Clothing matched to the water temperature, with a wetsuit when it is cold. A buoyancy aid on the whole time. A dry change of clothes, protected from getting wet. A shorter route and time to spare before dusk. A checked forecast and the current gauge reading. And on cold water the overriding rule: there is little time to react, so you react at once.