Winter is approaching,How long are you going to keep sailing

amarie · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 233 Location: Corpus Christi, TX

We never put the gear away here, but even though we are far south, the frontal driven winds get pretty cold. Sometimes air temps in the 30s and windchill bringing that down further. Water 40s-60 mid winter. My hands are the limiting factor and on those very coldest days my sessions get very short to nonexistent due to hand pain and the headaches from that. The palmless lobster claws don't help me. But our best waves come in the winter and have already started. I can't wait for more.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

the hood is the best way to avoid booties and, worse yet, gloves. i won't sail with either. very happy to wear a hood though.

onjam1234 · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 5

The last day of the year is bitter sweet isn't it? Every year I get older, I also sail longer into November, and I'm one of those guys wearing ladies dishwashing gloves! Once the snow flurries start falling here in Buffalo, I take my snowboarding gear down from the garage and I find this ritual very therapeutic. The snowboards came down Sunday, and today I'm looking at a high of 66 and warm SSW winds...so I'll be making a break for the protected waters of Chrystal Beach if the forecast holds this afternoon.

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

I draw the line on using facial Vasoline....that's too cold

Honestly if you don't put your gear away, you can get a couple warm days a month

cgoudie1 · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 10:45 am Post subject:

Elvis has left the building, and I'm looking for my sticks.

-Craig

jpeter · Joined: 18 Oct 2009 Posts: 353

Random cold thoughts:

I usually go late Nov, sometimes early Dec. Then straight to skiing.

Zipped my hood on for the last 2 outings. Last friday was sub 50 and I was plenty warm.

First for me on Sunday, marginal windsup conditions in RI, 10-12 sideshore, small waves, 1.5 hour session and stayed dry !! One fall in to knee deep water on the inside.

I have a 2/1mm shirt that I wore under my suit last spring and it was choking me some. One snip last week and turned it into a Vneck and I don't even know its under the suit.

I just ordered some Dakine thin-palm mitts.

I wish those weather guys would stop using terms like "polar vortex", which I heard last week. Like it's a new thing that the jet stream really rolls in from canada from time to time in the winter.

Cheers, stay warm - JP

KGB-NP · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 2856

Sailed today 5'C with 6/5/4 suit and 1.5 mil gloves in 25 gusting 30 at Sandbanks Provincial Park. Cold hands made it "not as fun" and limited my time on water. Bunging up my knee at the end didn't help either.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

This past Sunday: gale force westerly winds, huge swell, blue skies, air and water temps in or pushing the 60s. A great time was had by all.

Monday: highs in the 30s, windy, miserable wind chill factor, with colder and snowier stuff forecast for the rest of the week.

Whether the fat lady has sung for me depends on the air and water temps next week. The next 7 days look dead except for the Rooster Rock blizzard buffs.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

I draw the line at 50/50.
After 33 years of winter windsurfing, it's gotta stop sometime, and now 65 years of age is a good time to spend Dec/Jan in Puerto Rico.

Windnc · Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 85

After living in Belgium from 2007 to 2010 and windsurfing through most of the year in Holland and along the Belgium coastline on the cold North Sea, it was a rare day that you did not need some kind of wetsuit protection from the cold even in the summer. The local sailors however, seemed to sail all year as long as the water was not solid. In the colder fall and winter months they typically wore 1-2mil neoprene undershirts/shorts with full cold water wetsuits over the top, 5-7mm boots, gloves/mittens and a full hood.

For me purchasing and wearing similar cold water/weather wetsuits and accessories allowed me to sail there most of the year too but I always still struggled with keeping my hands warm. I even had a good Kokatat Goretex drysuit that I would sometimes wear on the coldest days but my hands still got cold before anything else. I also wore Dakine or NRS mittens which worked better than gloves for me but I still had problems with my hands getting cold.

Upon returning to the east coast USA I have continued to sail throughout most of the year and until last year was still dealing with cold hands limiting my time on the water. That is until, like Boardsurfr talked about in his earlier post in this thread, I discoverd the Ianovated suit with the Breath Powered Hand Warming suit system. See:

http://www.ianovated.co.uk/

Last year I ordered one of these suits and could not believe what a difference it made in allowing me to sail on the coldest days yet keep my hands and fingers warm. I can now even use palmless mittens which I could never use before because my hands and fingers could not tolerate the cold water.

You may think this Ianovated suit and integrated breath powered hand warming system is just some gimmick but I can personally attest that it is no joke. It really works! Plus the suit coupled with the heavy metal dry zipper additionally does a superb job in keeping you warm. I had several sessions last winter in 38-40 degree F winds and 39-40 degree water and was out for over two to three hours each time without getting cold!!!

It takes a little getting used to at first blowing into a small snorkle like device as you sail. However, you soon become addicted to having that warm body heated air flowing down over and around your hands and fingers. It does wonders to help keep them warm even when wearing palmless mittens!

If you really want to maximize your year round sailing and take advantage of those frequent strong winter winds, then this is the suit to have! It works!

Chuck