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Gorge sailors snag New Year's Day sessions!
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bobgatpdx1



Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 385

PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:39 am    Post subject: Gorge sailors snag New Year's Day sessions! Reply with quote

Those Gorge sailors are a hardy bunch. About 7 or 8 folks (not me, unfortunately) sailed the fierce east winds today to mark the start of the 2008 windsurfing season here in the Gorge. Stevenson was gusting up to nearly 50MPH! Air and water temps were both in the low 40's - brrr!
bobg
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WMP



Joined: 30 May 2000
Posts: 671

PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Gorge sailors snag New Year's Day sessions! Reply with quote

bobgatpdx1 wrote:
Those Gorge sailors are a hardy bunch. About 7 or 8 folks (not me, unfortunately) sailed the fierce east winds today to mark the start of the 2008 windsurfing season here in the Gorge. Stevenson was gusting up to nearly 50MPH! Air and water temps were both in the low 40's - brrr!
bobg


Actually, Stevenson air temp was right at 38*f when I arrived about 1:30.... thanks to Temira for the advice to rig the 3.2!! I didn't spend much more than 20 minutes out there... it was NASTY. Those girls (Temira and Laura) certainly are hardy.... they lasted much longer than I could in those very cold conditions.

-- Pete
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Temira



Joined: 15 Jun 1999
Posts: 94
Location: Hood River

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:21 am    Post subject: New Year's Day Reply with quote

I had a great time out there! I was plenty warm, even hot (I swear I own the warmest wetsuit ever made), except for my hands. I think the meter was reading a bit low in the gusts. There were macro-gusts in the 60+ range. Average of 39 sounds about right. =)

I think it's time we redesigned the gloves. Neoprene just doesn't protect from windchill. I'm open to all suggestions; I'll write up a proposal and take it down to Da Kine and they'll make us some prototypes to test. Think "dry" when you make suggestions... I think the insides of the gloves need to stay dry for our hands to stay warm.

Yup, 3.2 or 2.8 was the call. I wish it was always that windy!

And in case you didn't know, I have plenty of prototype sails between 2.8 and 3.7 for people to use on the wicked windy days. "I don't have a small enough sail," is no longer a valid excuse.

=)

Temira
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WMP



Joined: 30 May 2000
Posts: 671

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:48 am    Post subject: Re: New Year's Day Reply with quote

Feet were toasty warm, body was fine... but couldn't feel no finga's!!

windbabe wrote:
I think it's time we redesigned the gloves. Neoprene just doesn't protect from windchill. I'm open to all suggestions; I'll write up a proposal and take it down to Da Kine and they'll make us some prototypes to test. Think "dry" when you make suggestions... I think the insides of the gloves need to stay dry for our hands to stay warm.
Temira



You're right Temira, keeping the hands dry would be ideal. But I don't see how that would be possible without crimping around the wrists and/or forearms = loss of blood flow. Nice thing about the mitts is they do not fit so tightly that they mess with curculation... bad thing is they do allow flood water in (especially when the straps are not used).

Keeping hands dry will be a challenge. Easy if we don't go in the water... not so easy if we are being ragdolled by a 65 mph gust. Water always finds the weakest link.... if the seal is not 100% water tight, expect a flood of water. Then, need to figure a way to get the water out without too much trouble while sailing.

I dunno... neoprene mitts seem the only way to go.... just having a better seal perhaps? If DaKine made the cold water mitts to go UNDER the wetsuit with a firm 'O' ring around the wrists, this might work to seal better and allow better blood flow. If a huge amount of water somehow got into the mitts, there should be a quick release plug to allow water to flow out, but not in.

Just brainstorming here.... I'd like to help if needed?

-- Pete
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geohaye



Joined: 03 Apr 2000
Posts: 1437

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

just brainstorming- maybe you'd have a much better chance of that dry hands goal if the gloves/mitts actually extended way up your forearm -- UNDER the dry suit, like Pete suggested. With O rings somewhere around the wrists perhaps...
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jedi



Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:20 pm    Post subject: hands Reply with quote

That is the single problem i have in winter sailing. Sealing off presents a problem also, if it is tight enough to seal off water its gonna restrict bloodflow too just making it worse. my hands have lasted longest in the mittens. keeping them loose @ the wrist, i still can only hang on for about 30 minutes at a time. While sailing though lowering your hands to let the bodyheat warmed water into the hands actually helps me. See ya'll on the ... Derek
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:52 pm    Post subject: Where ya been Reply with quote

Back in the day when I bothered with cold weather sailing the only thing that worked for me was dishwashing gloves. Put them on first,, then the suit. No wind chill and whatever water gets inside is a lot warmer than the water splashing on your hands. ????????????????????????????
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Drive.
It's been far warmer and very windy out east, and of course the swell is far mo bettah than with east winds.

\m/
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WMP



Joined: 30 May 2000
Posts: 671

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
Drive.
It's been far warmer and very windy out east, and of course the swell is far mo bettah than with east winds.

\m/


Dude.... you seen the price of gasoline?? Course, since money grows on trees, no problem? Problem is... there's no trees out east!!
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loonie2



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 145

PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a Canadian sailing year round in the ocean about one state north of the gorge it's always interesting to hear of others sailing in pretty extreme conditions. I don't know if I could do what you are doing as normally when we get the higher winds it's typically warmer (SE winds). Easterlies are definitely the worst if wind is coming in off snow!

My experience has been the limit is air temperature. Also, as mentioned above it's the hands that are the weakest link.

OK, some may say wait for a warmer day. However, sometimes you're only as good as your present session. And if it's been a few weeks since you were last on the water... well what choice do you have?

After much experimenting, I've found the Neil Pryde open palmed gloves to be best. Except on the coldest days, I keep my fingers out of the 1/3 "finger spots". There is no wrist tension and it seems keeping the top of the hand covered makes a big difference. Even with this, I sometimes find after my first couple of runs I come in with painful cold fingers. I then swing my arms in big backward circles. After this, I'm warmed up and fine for the rest of a 2-3 hour session.
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