PADDLING TRIP TO BLED

I was simply fascinated by stand-up paddling in the winter. There are no crowds on the lake, the mountains are covered with a white blanket, the sun is pleasantly warm and there is no heat when paddling. But all these good things are not entirely risk free. The water is already very cold this time of year and falling in it without the right equipment could have serious consequences. This is by no means a trip for beginners, and safety should always come first.

We left our car in the parking lot by the Velika Zaka beach, where we also inflated our SUP boards, as the lake is only a few metres away. There, we pulled on our dry suits, which are waterproof suits that protect you in case you fall into the cold water, over our ski underwear and started paddling around the lake. First, we paddled to the island, then to the boathouse (by the Castle Bathing Area), past Villa Zlatorog, took another lap around the lake and headed back to the starting point, as the sun was already going down behind the mountains and the temperatures started dropping. Finally, we had a dry suit test with a short swim in the icy water of lake Bled.

The dry suit proved to be excellent, as it felt flexible, breathable, and comfortable for activities both on and in the water. It passed the test with flying colours, as we got out of the water without getting our clothes wet.

As I mentioned before, stand up paddle boarding in winter has a special charm and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try something different - it's definitely not just a summer sport, and with the right protective equipment it can be a great recreation all year round.

What is the right or wrong clothing for winter paddle boarding? How should we dress to protect ourselves against the elements?

I often see photos of reckless people going out on the lake in winter, when the water temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius, wearing tracksuits, ski trousers, jackets, fleeces, and similar clothing, and I wonder whether they know that if they fall into the water, these clothes will soak up the water very quickly, become extremely heavy and make it almost impossible for them to swim. Falling into such cold water puts an extreme strain on the heart, and we only have a few minutes, maybe even less, before we go into hypothermia. Such behaviour is reckless and can have serious consequences.

Clothing is extremely important when paddling in winter, as it can save your life. For this, a dry suit is the most suitable choice, as it has seals on the legs, arms and neck to prevent water from entering the suit and is made of a waterproof material that also protects you from the cold wind, but flexible and breathable at the same time. The suit itself has no thermal properties, so you need to wear a warm undergarment – such as tracksuit, turtle-neck sweater, fleece, ski underwear, thicker neoprene boots to protect your feet and neoprene gloves for your hands. Some people use 6 mm thick wetsuits for cold-weather paddling, which can be uncomfortable because of limited mobility, but are still safe and offer sufficient protection.

May you enjoy your paddling all year round. See you on the next winter adventure on one of the lakes.
Text: Boštjan Jaklin, Foto: Urban Lagoja, Boštjan Jaklin

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