Do I have to wear a wetsuit?

Yes. And here's why you'll be glad you did.

We hear this question every day in May and June — usually with a sigh attached. We get it. Wetsuits are not flattering. They're a production to get on and off. They (or rather the manufacturer's) have opinions about your body shape that nobody asked for (most likely not based in reality). We understand all of this, and we're still going to ask you to wear one.

Here's the thing about the Great Lakes: they're enormous bodies of water that take a very long time to warm up after winter. Even when spring has clearly arrived in the rest of Michigan — flowers out, trees leafed, air temperature a genuinely pleasant 70° — the water along the shoreline is often still in the 50s. Get away from shore and it drops into the upper 40s. Step in and the shock is immediate. That 70° day feels like a completely different planet from two feet underwater.

This is the gap that gets people into trouble. Air temperature and water temperature are two entirely different things, and kayakers need to dress for the water — not the air. The rule of thumb in kayaking is to dress for 15 minutes in the water. Not because we expect you to swim. Because if you do, those 15 minutes are what matter.

If you capsize — and it happens to everyone eventually — a wetsuit becomes your best friend almost immediately. Water seeps in and forms a thin layer between the neoprene and your skin. Your body warms that layer and it stays warm, because osmotic pressure prevents new cold water from continuously flushing through. You're insulated. You have time. Time for your guide to get to you, help you back into your kayak, and get the day back on track. Without a wetsuit in 55° water, that window closes fast.

Wetsuits also protect against wind and sun — two things you'll encounter plenty of on Lake Huron — and the physical activity of paddling will warm you up further once you're back in the boat.

The irony we see constantly: at the end of a tour, guests peel off their wetsuits and immediately start shivering in their shorts and t-shirts. The wetsuit was doing more work than they realized. Every time.

We make this call because we know this water. It's not about being overcautious — it's about making sure your day on Lake Huron is actually a good one.