Paddling on the Potomac

I was out paddling last night on the Potomac. I hadn't been out for a while and thought it might be nice, not only for the exercise but to see what winter paddling is really like. And I gotta say it is COLD. I was able to borrow a dry suit, better gloves and neoprene hat from a friend and was really appreciative of them. My wool cap and ear band might have kept my head warm, but the paddling gloves I have would not have kept my hands warm. I really do need to invest in a dry suit though if I want to keep doing cold water paddling. It was fun to paddle the Potomac at night. The stars were nice and clear and with the partial cloud cover, it wasn't really that dark. There were six of us. I didn't know this until I got there, but the dock had been removed for the winter leaving only a tiny little dock to launch from, that had a boat docked at it already, and a 4 foot drop to the dock. Certainly made moving and loading kayaks an interesting experience. I think I might wait for the dock to come back before going again. I might catch up with them after the paddling though to chat and catch up.