silk as paddle wear?

[PeterB]

Does anyone know about silk as a fabric to wear on the water?

I usually wear a long- sleeved thin merino wool layer under my short sleeved semi- drytop (mostly for skin covering/sun protection, but also comfortable for me) , but most of my merino wool uppers are black or some other dark color, and I would like this layer to be white fabric for summer, and I have seen some silk underlayer garments that look appealing .

Is silk in the category of merino wool (natural fiber but fast- drying, insulates when wet, and good to wear on the water) or more in the category of cottons: (" cotton is rotten", bad to wear on the water) ?

[Cath]

I have on old silk long sleeve top I wear a lot on the water. It is lightweight, dries quick, and offers some sun protection. Mine is pretty sheer and does not insulate much. I use it on hot days.

[Sue H.]

I wear my silk long johns under my dry suit when it gets too warm for fleece or wool...so it extends the time I can comfortably wear the dry suit during that transition time when the water is still cold, but the air is increasingly warm. I always wore silk long johns under my down hill ski wear when I used to ski and there was some additional insulating factor...but that was in dry (other than sweat) conditions. Silk can tear easily, so stress on underarm and other areas of friction can cause seams to pull or tear away at the seams. Sue Hriciga