Wetsuit/drysuit - warm air/cold water

[dyz36]

I have a dry suit and a shorty wetsuit that I use for windsurfing on upper lake Michigan. There are many days when the dry suit is too warm for the air and the wetsuit is too cold for the water. Upper lake Michigan water is rarely warm. I would like to windsurf from early May into mid October weather permitting but not later than that. Am I better off with a thick wetsuit or a goretex dry suit (ignoring cost)? The typical temps I am need it for are 75/50 air/water. When the air is colder I can use the regular neoprene dry suit. Are goretex dry suits still comfortable in 80 degree weather?

Since I will not be able to try it on and will be buying it online, which one requires a more precise fit?

Based on what I read online goretex looks like a good choice but is it bulky/cumbersome, overkill for what I need?

I am a low intermediate. I fall maybe a couple times per a session on my large gear and every other jibe on my small gear in rough water. I waterstart unless it is light.

[rigitrite]

3/2 full wet suit, or maybe a 3/2 w/short sleeves. Many excellent brands out there. I'm a fan of Hotline wetsuits:

http://www.hotlineonline.com/

[johnl]

I love Drysuits, although for windsurfing you can get by with one of the "synthetic Gore-Tex" suits and save a lot of money. I have both for Kayaking and can't really tell the difference.

BUT for a 75 air and 50 degree water, I would just go with a wetsuit. That is some VERY warm air. You will be sweating in a drysuit. Probably a 4mm or maybe 5mm mix suit for the water temp. If you get hot, just fall in the water and cool off. pretty simple. With a drysuit, you can't really do that, and the drysuit also blocks the cooling you would get from wind chill.

[techno900]

Don't get into the hype of the "breathability" of Gore-Tex. It's fine if you aren't moving much and it does breath, but if you are working hard the amount of vapor that it will let out is inconsequential. If the air is 70 and you are working hard in an expensive Gore-Tex dry suit, you will be soaked inside.

I wear a synthetic shirt under my drysuit to keep the clammy feel of my skin from the sweat. Have worn cotton, but it is dripping wet after a session.

[scargo]

I'm a huge fan of the Kokatat goretex drysuit, but as others have said, 80 degress air temperature would be pushing it. That said, it's going to be much more versatile--and much less bulky--than your neoprene drysuit is.

A shorty is a good call for warm air/cool water, and they can be picked up for cheap. For shorties, the usual hallmarks of quality--how stretchy the neo is, how well the suit drains, etc.--don't really matter, so you can buy something cheap from wallmart.

When it's a little cooler, however, I think you can transition straight to a goretex drysuit, i.e., foregoing a 3/2 wetsuit. I layer underneath depending on how cold it is outside, and I've used mine from 70 all the way down to below freezing air temperatures. The material is so lightweight and comfortable, I normally put the suit on at home, drive to my spot with it on, zip it up and sail, then drive back home with it on.

[cgoudie1]

I use the Mystic Star 4/3 DL Steamer for conditions between my
drysuit, and my 3/2 short arm. For me it's perfect in the conditions
you describe, but I like a warm wetsuit and this baby is warm.

http://store.kittyhawk.com/Mystic-2014-Mens-Star-43-DL-Steamer-Wetsuit-P7164.aspx?gclid=CIyQvYeI0sACFa5AMgodDBAAlw

-Craig

[isobars]

By shopping for great deals online and around the PacNW, I have amassed a HUGE variety of water sports "suits" from Kokatat Goretex to neoprene dry suits to simple neoprene vests to 0.5mm neoprene rash guards. As seasonal goods, their prices vary dramatically even new, and much more in the used, factory seconds, and closeout sources. Besides versatility, that variety has let me experiment with all aspects of materials, configurations, layering, daily air temp ranges from hot to cold, etc. I HATE being too hot and don't feel safe if too chilly.

Some solutions:
Own a variety. Seasonal deals, swap meets, deep pockets, online sources with generous return policies, etc. all lessen the risks and impact of buying and owning a variety. I just snagged three excellent new suits for less than the list price of even the cheapest one, thanks to 2nd Wind in Hood River, and every source offers seasonal deals.

Layer. I dress first for the warmest part of the day, then if I'm going out in the cool morning wind, I'll add a layer I can easily peel off later and add again near dusk. These layers may include a zippered or pullover vest, jacket, insulated rash guard, neck gaiter, skullcap or hood, all anywhere from 0.5 to 3 mm of neoprene and sized to fit under or everything else. I'd far rather peel an XXL 1mm shirt off my rib armor at midday than have to completely undress and remove a L 1mm vest from under everything else. Ditto hood, skullcap, neck gaiter, etc.

On the water, one can pull a thin hood up or down, add or subtract a skullcap, unzip a wetsuit, etc. Dress a bit warm, and use the chilly water to cool off if necessary. On a two-mile-wide hot tub in snowstorms, I dressed cool (old wetsuit) and used the water to warm up as required.

If safety is an issue (big and/or cold waters), I dress for safety. If it's not (e.g., the hot tub, onshore winds), I may dress more for comfort with less concern over a potential swim.

Take advantage of the slickskin/fuzzy skin outer surface and its effect on evaporative cooling. Warm day + chilly water favors fuzzy (nylon) outer skin for evaporative cooling when sailing yet insulation in the water; chilly day + warm water favors thinner insulation but slick neoprene outer skin. Gorertex is extremely versatile, but if you wear too much underneath, be prepared to take it all off and start over.

[dyz36]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think with go with a few extra layers to wear under the shorty wetsuit I already have. Do you know who sells quality 2mm neoprene shirts and shorts? I also have a tight fitting life vest that I wear for floatation and extra insulation. It sounds like goretex is too warm for 75 degree air when some activity is involved.

[isobars]

Promotion, NRS, and countless lesser brands. I've bought 2mm shorty and full suits from Walmart, Ace Hardware, etc for $35.

[NOVAAN]

Try an exoskin long sleeve over your shorty. Don't fall in the water...