Second the swim, plus...
Posted by: Celia
on Dec-08-12 6:13 PM (EST)
If you do actually capsize, unless you have a very reliable roll (which I suspect not), you will have to re-enter the boat from the water. Try this out near shore wearing what you prefer.
Then try it wearing the wetsuit.
No cheating, keep your feet off the bottom so you have to empty the boat, inflate the paddle float and get back in just the way you would in deep water.
Unless your upstate NY is quite different from the one we live in, you'll be thinking dry suit and/or a nice warm pool to learn rolls pretty quickly.