It is cold as heck in Colorado, and I am having a hard time accepting that this might interfere with my paddleboarding plans.
I have still been getting out a bit. I really want to keep going. Which has led me to a very practical beginner question: what do you actually wear on a paddleboard when it gets cold?
My first thought was about staying dry. The more useful question turns out to be what happens if I fall in.
Guidance from the National Weather Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, NRS, and the National Center for Cold Water Safety gives me a place to start before choosing a cold-weather setup.
What should you wear paddleboarding in cold weather?
Start with protection suited to the water temperature and an unexpected fall into the lake. Depending on the conditions, that can mean an appropriately fitted wetsuit or a properly functioning drysuit with enough insulation underneath. Wear your life jacket, too.
The National Center for Cold Water Safety emphasizes that the suit has to provide enough protection for you to remain functional in the water. Owning something labeled “wetsuit” or “drysuit” does not settle that question.
A pleasant afternoon forecast is not a clothing recommendation for the lake.
The air can feel fine while the water is a problem
The National Weather Service explains that sudden cold-water immersion can trigger involuntary gasping and rapid breathing. That can create a drowning emergency even for a strong swimmer. Cold shock can be severe in water between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; the lake does not have to be close to freezing.
That changes the question from “Will I be chilly standing here?” to “Am I prepared to end up in this water?”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says Colorado waters fall into its cold-water category for much of the year. The agency advises dressing for water temperature, bringing spare clothes, sharing a float plan, and making sure everyone wears a life jacket.
Splash gear, wetsuits, and drysuits do different jobs
NRS’s cold-water clothing guide explains the differences:
| Gear | What it does | What to understand |
|---|---|---|
| Splash jacket or splash pants | Helps keep rain and splashes off underlying clothing. | It is not designed to keep those layers dry during a swim. |
| Neoprene wetsuit | Provides insulation while wet. | Fit, coverage, and thickness must suit the conditions. |
| Paddling drysuit | Uses waterproof construction and seals to limit water entry. | Its condition, closures, and insulating layers underneath matter. |
For a beginner, that distinction matters before buying anything. A garment that handles paddle splashes might be doing exactly what it was designed to do and still be the wrong protection for a fall.
The National Center for Cold Water Safety also stresses snug, sufficiently thick wetsuits and leak-free drysuits with adequate warm clothing underneath. Get help matching the complete system to your conditions.
A drysuit still needs the right layers
In NRS’s winter touring guide, paddling coach James Stevenson explains why the clothes under a drysuit matter. The shell alone provides little insulation.
He discusses moisture-wicking synthetic or merino base layers, with fleece as an insulating layer. Cotton is a poor choice because it holds moisture and dries slowly. The amount of insulation needs to fit the conditions.
Hands and feet deserve attention, too. Stevenson discusses neoprene gloves and footwear, while emphasizing fit and usable hand movement. Warm hands are useful only if you can still work your equipment.
That is the kind of detail I want explained when someone recommends gear: what goes underneath it, what works with it, and what I need to be able to do while wearing it.
Learn to use the setup before relying on it
The National Center for Cold Water Safety’s field-testing guidance asks practical questions: does your equipment work, can you operate it, and does it interfere with rescue?
For a beginner, a qualified paddling instructor can help turn those questions into supervised practice. I would want help checking fit, movement, and getting back onto the board in the complete outfit. This is not an invitation to jump into a cold lake alone to see what happens.
A new suit is equipment to learn, and it does not provide a guarantee that a particular outing is safe.
The outing needs a plan, too
Before choosing a day, check the forecast, water conditions, and the lake’s current access rules. Bring a paddling companion who can help, have a way to call for assistance, and tell someone on shore where you are going and when you expect to return.
NRS recommends paddling with others and practicing with equipment in safe conditions with help present. CPW also warns that wind can separate a paddler from their craft and make getting to safety harder.
If the conditions, equipment, or skills do not line up, staying on shore is a perfectly useful decision.
My Colorado paddleboarding guide has places to research and links to local rules. An outing that worked in summer does not establish that the same lake is appropriate today.
What I want to figure out next
I have asked NRS for recommendations for this next part of my beginner paddleboarding series. I want to understand which pieces make sense together, how they should fit, and what I need to learn before using them on cold water.
I still really want to paddleboard. My next step is figuring out the complete setup, including the layers underneath and the practice that goes with it.
