Kayaking on Lake Winnipesaukee

[Evenstar]

Hi,

I don't know how experienced you are, or what type of kayaks you have, but if you're new to kayaking there's some safety considerations for kayaking on cold water. The water in Winni is still pretty cold . . . currently about in the low 50's. That's easily cold enough for hypothermia, especially with the cool air temps we've been having.

So, unless you are wearing at least a wet suit, you shouldn't really paddle too far from the shore. When you kayak, you should always dress for immersion, because you never know when you'll end up in the water. No one expects to tip over, but it can happen easier than you might think, even in the most stable kayaks. That's why you need to dress for the water temperature, rather than for the air temp. I was kayaking on Squam last Saturday afternoon, and the water there is still cold enough that I wore both my wetsuit and my drytop.