ways to 'keep your cool'.....

CliffA

CliffA

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2009
4,712
Lake Norman, NC
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 340DA
Name: 'Happy Place'
4.5kW West. Generator
Purchased Nov. 2014
Fresh Water Use
Engines
Twin Merc. 6.2L (MPI)
640 hp (Total)
Raw Water Cooled
V-Drive Transmissions
I have noticed for the past few years my tolerance to hot weather has decreased....now when it gets above 90* with humidity above 60% I struggle by sweating profusely and my energy just gets drained ....I used to be able to be out in 95* temps well enough to enjoy being at the boat or being outside....I asked my Dr. about the change and he told me most likely it is just that I am getting older and my body cannot manage my body temp as well as it used to....he said some people tend to get cold natured as they get older and some tend to get hot natured....

I imagine others have a similar issue so I thought I would start this thread to see how others ward off the effects of hot weather....

I love spending time on the boat but this week we are going to be in the upper 90's with high humidity in our area....we have a covered slip but it is even miserable to me under the cover when conditions get like this....and that is with a large floor fan blowing directly on me....it has gotten so bad that we now seriously consider not going to the boat if the temp is above say 92* with high humidity....

standard things I (and probably others) do:
- go for a swim or float behind the boat
- take a cold shower
- drink cold drinks
- drink lots of water
- use fans to circulate air
- use wet towel around your neck to cool down the 'pulse points' in your neck
- stay in the shade as much as possible
- use 'cool down periods' in AC throughout the day
- wear loose fitting clothing
- wear large brim hats to keep the sun off your head/face/neck

cliff
 
Here are a few things that might help.

Hydrate the night before you go out in the boat. I find that if I'm properly hydrated prior to going out in the sun, I last a lot longer. Playing catch up all day doesn't work. You need to drink at least a gallon of water on a boating day.

Don't wear a hat, it traps the heat. If you need something to keep the sun off your face use a visor or sunscreen. Staying in the shade really helps.

I try to wear as little clothing as possible. Bathing suit is about all you need in the 90's. Any other clothing just traps the heat.

Keep your hair wet. I'm frequently under the transom shower staying wet.
 
what 420 said...

water spray bottle and my Ryobi fan!!
 
This past weekend was brutal up here.

I had a damp towel around my neck all day that got frequently rinsed in the 60 degree lake water and I periodically soaked my hat as well. I have to wear a hat or my bald spot burns and that sucks.

Today is far more humid, but I'm at work. The boat A/C is running and we might go out tonight for a sunset cruise when there isn't a thousand sailboats circling all over the place exercising their right of way every 100 yards.

We wished for this all winter and here it is.
 
Yeah heat bothers me now more than it used to - don't like the freezing cold for that matter either. I started wearing a brim hat a year or two ago, for me that makes a big difference in the sun. But I'll tell you, this past weekend was just plain hot, once it is in the 90's with very little breeze it's hard to get comfortable. And on southern lakes by late July/Aug when the water temp is 90 and the air temp is 95, your just not going to get relief.

Cold showers are great :)() oh wait, we are talking about the heat - yeah so I am runner and a cold shower after a run in the summer really does the trick, If I take a regular shower I will just keep on sweating. I guess on the boat a swim is about the same thing.

Ice towels are nice too - a lot of golf courses have those. On the boat, just throw a small towel or two in the beer cooler.
 
I use this Kayaker's hat when we are floating behind the boat or otherwise in direct sun light....it is extremely light weight with air vents and floats if it accidentally gets knocked in the water.....

I am also 'follicly challenged' and getting a sunburn on top of the head is bad.....

https://www.rei.com/product/126628/rei-co-op-paddlers-hat



0b234bb2-43bd-4ba6-9d9d-b4ec18c0aa0b
 
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I too have problems with the heat. We generally limit our time to mornings or evenings. I agree, once water temps hit the 90s your just getting wet, not relief. I suppose this is payback for not having to winterize and being able to boat almost year round.
 
Boater420 said:
Here are a few things that might help.


Don't wear a hat, it traps the heat. If you need something to keep the sun off your face use a visor or sunscreen. Staying in the shade really helps.
Click to expand...


Really....? "Don't wear a hat." Did I read that right?

Apparently, you have never felt the bite of surgeons scalpel as he removed a melanoma from the top of your head or endured the inconvenience and apprehension of regular blood tests and of seeing a medical oncologist every 3-6 months for 5 years hoping that every follow-up visit ends well?
 
Yes Frank, your reading comprehension is stellar. ;)

Cliff mentioned being on his boat or under the covered slip. Cliff's boat has a complete camper enclosure which provides shade. His covered slip also provides plenty of shade. There's no point to wearing a hat when you're in the shade.

The body loses/dissipates heat through your head, about 10 percent from what I've read, so if you're wearing a hat in the shade you're unnecessarily trapping heat inside your body.
 
Well, if you are like me, and have noticed that most everyone just fires off a comment without reading prior posts in the thread, but I worry about the innocents that might take your no hat comment as it reads without understanding the context.

I keep my boat in a covered slip and I have an aft enclosure and I will assure you that neither offers adequate sun protection if you use your boat like a boat instead of a place to sit in the shade.......and I have the dermatologist's scars to prove it.
 
+1 on the Tilley and +1 on the dermatologist comments. Wish I had covered up better when I was younger and running construction equipment for a living.
We are retired, won't see us spending too much of the coldest months up here, Florida is a wonderful place in the winter. If your retired, you don't know what your missing by not being in Wisconsin, Michigan, Northern NY or southern Ontario in the summer. In my old age I don't like real hot or real cold.
If your not retired, or can't/don't want to travel, read posts #3,4,5, etc.
 
Never had a problem in CO, now in TX and it's friggin' hot. I do most of the same things you do.

- I have a misting fan that moves a lot of air and mist - probably the best thing
- A/C is on down below, and I'll go down their periodically
- keep a spray bottle full of cold water, spray in front of the fan
- used to jump in the lake to cool off, but at 88 degs, it's only useful to get wet - then get in front of the fan or go below for a few
- I have a large bimini…..I hang in the shade during the hotter parts of the day if out
- lately have been going out in the evenings, very enjoyable
- I wear both a hat and a t-shirt if I'm in the sun for any period of time
- look forward to Spring and Fall weather
 
What a great thread. I have a slip that I enter from the west/southwest and I park bow-in. I get nothing but full sun in the late afternoon and evening. I've tried fans but nothing seems to make the early evenings comfortable on a really hot day after we're "done with the sun".

A shade extension or misting fan might be on the list of things to try this year.

Do you guys that run misting fans find that your cockpit ends up soaking wet? Any mold issues?
 
You could try getting a shirt from Columbia with their Omnifreeze ZERO technology. The fabric has little round circles that are sweat activated. They cool the fabric (and you) by several degrees, plus the fabric wicks the moisture to keep you cooler.

It sounds like total marketing BS, but I have a couple of these shirts and they WORK. I wore them at Disney and they saved my life. They have really expanded the options, and now offer a lot of styles; long sleeve, short sleeve, polos, t-shirts, active wear, fishing gear etc. https://www.columbia.com/technology-omnifreezezero/
 
The older I get, the less I can take extreme temperatures too.
Extreme heat, especially coupled with high humidity in the summer is killer. Being the type of person who hates to be indoors, it really gets to me. To get through the dog days I try to do my outside things earlier in the day and after 4:00 when the sun isn’t as strong. I stay in the shade in the hotter mid day hours, wear very light clothing, drink lots of water, and take a shower as soon as I work up a sweat. Having the separate shower stall in the boat really helps. I was never a hat person, but at 64 with thinning hair and a bald spot developing I make sure to keep a hat on when I’m working on the boat or around the house in the sun.
The extreme cold days of winter are no better for me. They can be even worse during the really cold January and February deep freeze days with snow and slush on the ground when I can’t get outside to wash my cars, putter around the house, or go down to the boat and work on it a bit. I try to concentrate on smaller inside projects like painting a room or fixing something inside to get through those day. When I go outside I wear multiple layers, and take a hot shower when ai get home to get the chill out of the old bones.
 
all the south florida people I know all bitch about the heat.. I call it the reverse hibernation. they all want to rub it in when its middle of winter up here and we are doing indoor activities, but come summer down there , they never want to go out side out of the AC
 
domer94 said:
all the south florida people I know all bitch about the heat.. I call it the reverse hibernation. they all want to rub it in when its middle of winter up here and we are doing indoor activities, but come summer down there , they never want to go out side out of the AC
Click to expand...

The only problem is that it can get darned hot up north too.
 
Stee6043 said:
What a great thread. I have a slip that I enter from the west/southwest and I park bow-in. I get nothing but full sun in the late afternoon and evening. I've tried fans but nothing seems to make the early evenings comfortable on a really hot day after we're "done with the sun".

A shade extension or misting fan might be on the list of things to try this year.

Do you guys that run misting fans find that your cockpit ends up soaking wet? Any mold issues?
Click to expand...

I am curious on the answer to this also.
 
domer94 said:
all the south florida people I know all bitch about the heat.. I call it the reverse hibernation. they all want to rub it in when its middle of winter up here and we are doing indoor activities, but come summer down there , they never want to go out side out of the AC
Click to expand...

Not this Florida guy, I love the hot weather!

I spend as much time outside as possible, but it's all spent in the shade during the hottest part of the day. There's no point to spending any time out in the direct sunlight unless you absolutely must. I do all my outside chores during the week, after 5 pm, when the sun is low in the sky. This leaves me all weekend to be out on the boat.

While on the boat, we paddle board and swim in the early hours, between 7 and 10 am. Apply a little sunscreen (SPF 45) and there's no need to wear a shirt or hat. The breeze is cool and the sun is low in the sky. Once we're done with being in the sun, the rest of the day is spent aboard the boat in the shade until later in the afternoon. We play card games, watch TV, read, talk, eat, and watch the boats go by...all while in the shade.

Later in the day, we'll go down in the cabin AC to cool off and sleep for a little while. Once the sun starts to set we sit on the bow and tan a little or jump in the water off the back of the transom.

I just don't understand this...
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