NRS HydroSkin Shirt : Repellent, Effective

Finding the perfect combination of paddling gear for winter is a topic of utmost interest, a subject worthy of a doctoral dissertation...at least among Inuits or people goofy, brave, or dedicated enough to endure water and air temps that could chill your favorite beer in minutes.

Wear too much and you sweat like a wrestler trying to make weight; wear too little and you shiver like a coatless chihuahua at an Anchorage dog show. As a marathon kayaker racer in my 13th season of winter paddling in Brooklyn’s Jamaica Bay (10,000 acres of salt water nestled between JFK Airport and Coney Island), I’ve experimented with countless combinations. Much to my delight, the ensemble I’ve assembled from NRS has made this meteorologically volatile winter of ’06 my most contented ever.

I’ll discuss the rest of my NRS gear in future reviews.  For now, allow me to focus (happily) on a couple of shirts that have been the bread and butter of my wardrobe these past two months: the Long Sleeve HydroSkin and the Wavelite, of similar design but different weights (the HydroSkin is significantly warmer). Made of a polyester/Spandex blend material, these insulated, stretchy next-to-skin garments are warm, water repellent, quick-drying, and rather snazzy, as well.

On “balmy” January days when the wind was light and temperatures in the high 40’s or low 50’s F, I wore the Wavelite top over a wicking short-sleeve shirt and was, in winter paddling terms, as toasty a kitty snoozing in a ray of sunlight. On colder days, I opted for the more formidable Long Sleeve Hydroskin.

Hustling from my unheated clubhouse to the dock strewn with shattered oyster shells and bird droppings, I remind myself each time that the 42F degree water is cold enough to kill me in a few minutes should I take an extended swim. As I paddle hard out into the bay to warm up, I find myself smiling a bit smugly at the spray tossed from my paddle beads up harmlessly on the sleeves of my HydroSkin. I try not to get cocky, for fear of offending the Nordic God of Winter Paddling, but after seasons of chilly paddling it’s a comforting, comfortable feeling to know that for the next few hours I’m as thermo-regulatedly dialed in as a mortal can be. 

Bottom Line: A warm, comfortable, fast-drying top that offers excellent freedom of movement. Ideal as an outer layer during spring or winter base layer under a windproof outer shell.--J.G. (April ’06)

Price: $87 HydroSkin, $55 Wavelite

Manufacturer's Site: www.nrsweb.com

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