Paddle clothing is usually appropriate. Naked paddling might become a new fad, but maybe not ;)
Something you mostly want to wear when paddling in a larger group anyway! 🙂 what, and how much depends on all sorts of things like, taste, season, temperature, type of paddling, paddling buddies, etc. And this thing with clothes can, like most things, be as complicated as you like. To begin with, it is of course perfectly possible to do as Cajsa Warg "you take what you have".
Shorts & t-shirt
If it's warm, it's almost always nice to bare your legs in the warm cockpit. Most things work here. Quick-drying thin swimming shorts, surf shorts or other similar. Quite nice if they are a little long, we think, so you avoid possible chafing against the front edge of the seat. If you have a small cockpit where your knees/thighs are always/mostly against the edge/knee support, it can also be nice to have something in between, depending on how soft, well-polished or padded it is. There are special paddling shorts with thin neoprene inner pants that we use quite a bit, then you don't get cold despite a little moisture and so you don't look like a porn star in tights when you leave the cockpit 🙂 the disadvantage of neoprene inner pants is that it can get a little neoprene spongy if it's really hot, a pair of thin ones without underpants can always be included.
On the upper body, tank tops or t-shirts with short or long sleeves work. Normally, cotton is rarely advocated as paddling clothing, but if it's really hot, it can be nice to have a damp or wet cotton t-shirt that cools you down. But otherwise most things work when it's warm, but we almost always have wool or, in case of emergency, synthetic. A cap or hat is not wrong to give the skull some shade. Remember that a cap or other headgear stays on even when it's a bit windy, it sucks to have to take it off as soon as it starts to blow.
On the feet preferably sandals, rubber slippers (flip-flops) or flip-flops. If you have durable hardened heels and comfortable foot supports (pedals/keepers), barefoot is really comfortable (as long as you don't have to step on spiky stones or glass when entering/exiting). There are also some "regular" shoes for wet use. Quite a sensible solution, often more walking-friendly compared to sandals & flip-flops & paddle shoes, and it's not wrong if only one pair of shoes is included.
Tights work, of course, too, available in mixed plastic materials, but as I said, it's so unsightly, so it's probably soon forbidden to leave the cockpit 😉 Good for those who choose not to leave the cockpit 🙂
Protect eyes
Sunglasses, you often have a pair at home that work perfectly. A strap in them might make sense so they don't sag if dropped. Polarized sunglasses are nice on the water but not a must. And remember that just because you bought way too expensive sunglasses, you don't have to wear them all the time 🙂 not even on your forehead or hanging from your shirt, it might have been cheeky in a shopping center in the early eighties but now a few years have passed . When it comes to sunglasses for UV protection, a cheap plastic pair is enough. The plastic often takes the UV rays better than a cheap glass pair.
Gloves for wind and sun protection
Gloves are rarely needed when it's hot to keep warm, but they may be needed to protect against the sun. A pair of thin gloves or a pair of light gloves is not wrong to have with you. The colder it is and the more sensitive you are to cold, you change to thicker neoprene gloves, thicker toma gloves, etc.
Neoprene clothing & Rashguard - smelly clothing 😉
Neoprene is great if you want to quickly smell bad and like to wash clothes often. There are many varieties of neoprene wetsuits. Both thick, substantial and really thin neoprene materials. Thicker neoprene warms well and can make sense for e.g. more action paddling such as rapids paddling, wave bus and play. Not very comfortable for touring paddling, gets too damp and scary and if it's thick, you're a little less mobile. Thicker neoprene provides some shock protection during rough paddling. Thinner neoprene-like material has become popular lately, there are lots of varieties. For our part, they seem to make the most sense for sweat and/or action paddling paddling for shorter periods. Maybe surf skiing, exercise paddling in cooler weather, etc. And then you probably have to wash or rinse immediately when you get home. Neoprene clothing as paddling clothing can probably be seen as an emergency solution for most people, a sensible drysuit is usually nicer, more comfortable and better for most people in the vast majority of cases.
Jacket + trousers
Jacket and trousers are a flexible solution that works for a lot. Even in summer, it's nice to have a jacket, because it can actually rain a little. Some have only one jacket out that serves as both an onshore jacket and a paddling jacket, while others have a thin paddling jacket, a thick paddling jacket and a couple of jackets for agriculture. We ourselves like a thin paddle jacket where the sleeves can be pulled up. A normal rain jacket/shell jacket can be made a little tighter in the arms with the help of e.g. wrist warmers in neoprene. Some jacket+trouser combinations stay completely dry through ingenious systems to hold the parts together at the waist. A couple suspenders with full feet is a pair of trousers that work for a lot.
Paddle suit
Often thinner full suits in fabric or fabric&neoprene combo. Rarely completely dry, often simpler seals in neck and/or wrists. Sensible alternative for paddling in many cases. However, do not confuse with a dry suit where the contents are completely dry. We have had Kokatat's paddling suits for quite a few years, they have full feet and latex cuffs in the arms but are not completely tight in the neck, a really good combination we think.
Dry suit
In our world, a drysuit is a full suit or a two-piece with a really tight connection with a solid zipper. Jacket + trousers is not a dry suit, even if there are some combinations that are completely tight.
The best the dry suits has substantial but still reasonably flexible zippers that hold really tight. Ideally, most people would probably like to have full socks in the same moisture-releasing material as the suit. In the neck and wrists, you have completely tight cuffs in neoprene or latex material. We like latex the best, easiest to keep clean, neoprene has a knack for smelling too damned when you've been sweating in it for a while.
Then of course there are variants. Try out paddling clothes that suit you. Some would like to say that this is how you must, must, should, dress, but it's not like that 🙂
Dress for the water temperature
It is often said that it makes sense to dress according to the water temperature. And it is of course smart safety thinking with paddling clothes so you can lie down for a while if you fall over. But then you have to take the time aspect into account, how long should you be able to lie in the water? Dressing in double thick underwear and a dry suit in the winter certainly means that you survive longer in the water, but you probably won't be able to or think it's fun to paddle for that long, you'll get overheated as soon as the speed exceeds 1km per hour. If you are going to dress according to the water temperature, time must also be taken into account, there is a huge difference between lying for a minute or 30 or maybe two hours that it may take before rescue...
Regardless of clothing, you can suffer from a gasp reflex when your head is exposed to cold water:
In addition, rapid immersion in cold water can trigger a "gasp reflex", accompanied by uncontrollable hyperventilation and tachycardia. This "cold shock reflex" can lead to pronounced alkalosis, risk of convulsions, aspiration and ventricular fibrillation. In some people this reflex can be partially trained out by repeated exposure to cold water.
That it is partially possible to train away sounds promising. Go swimming more!
Clothes can be bought at e.g. out north & The outdoor expert.
