Step Turns advice and others is good
You mention spring to Autumn and mainly cross channel short hops. Anything which helps stop heat loss from the body to the water is good.
Most are referring to dry suits it may also be worth considering part wet suits. Even a neoprene vest will protect in summer months better than nothing and will not restrict you
Wet suits are made of a material a little bit like cutting an aero chocolate bar i.e. its full of tiny bubbles
Water enters between the body and suit and then is warmed by the body to near body temperature Loss of heat is determined by the insulation properties and thickness of the suit
the other point worth considering on neoprene suits is that they themselves are buoyant
So for summer month short hops only maybe consider a Neoprene diving vest or shortie suit
That is better than nothing as I have seen many Pilots cross in a shirt and jeans only
A life raft is vital as well as being in a location easily accessed. Again I have seen crossings where the raft is concealed in some rear baggage hold
Another vital point to remember is that with an engine failure always as part of your checks open the door and jam it open with the raft or something else as while sinking pressure of water may keep the door shut
Any white caps on the sea don't go
Don't make the crossing near Dusk there or back
Crossing the channel there will be many boats keep a constant eye on those boats and their positions and direction. Choose a smaller boat to land near and in front of and overfly it at low level before ditching to grab maximum attention. A big oil tanker will take a long time to stop and its easier for others to pull you out of the water from a small boat
Also don't forget flairs its very hard to see someone in the seas and a locator
The poor lady in the news recently who fell off a Clipper round the world race boat was found within an hour but was already dead
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 9th Apr 2016 at 13:46.