Stand Up Paddle Surfing Community Website

Dress for flat water SUP in cold water

Hi,

I thought about this yesterday, the winter is approaching and the days of SUP in shorts will be gone soon.

Does anybody have recommendation on what to for clothes.

For the surf it will be full wetsuit for sure, but on flat water when you don't fall into the water as much if at all, you still have chance of overheating in it no matter how cold the water or the outside is.

thanks

Marko

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dhaluza on January 13, 2009 at 8:19pm

Unless you will be paddling in a very small body of water where you can never be far from shore, you need to dress to be in the water long enough to self rescue. If you forget to check the weather, and a cold front comes through, you could be blown away from shore, or the water could quickly become too rough to stand up. You also could break your paddle, or lose your board if you're not wearing a leash. Or you could become partially disabled if you get a cramp, dislocate your sholder, throw out your back, pop your knee, or whatever. You can't dress like you are going out on a boat, even if you usually don't fall in. You want plenty of time before it becomes a life or death situation.

I wear a Bare Polar Heat hybrid dry suit (no longer available) after Thanksgiving on Long Island, when the water temps drop into the 40's (now it's in the 30's). This suit is good in water at any temp as long as it is still liquid. So yes, overheating is a problem whenever the air temp is also above freezing.

You also need wetsuit booties, gloves, and a hood. I use the hood to regulate my comfort level, and it is surprisingly effective. You can pull the hood up when you get cold, and pull it down when you start to get hot. You can also take the gloves off (and put them inside the suit) to cool off. Even rolling the wrist seals up an inch or so helps to cool down.

The thing to remember is that you can always jump in to cool off. But once you're cold, you're in trouble.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by jackson on February 23, 2009 at 12:48pm

I wear a pair of kayaking shorts underneath my wetsuit as well. If theres anywhere I want to be warm apart from my head its down there!

Have you seen this Interesting sup guide for cold water paddling ?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by see on February 21, 2009 at 5:28am

Marko,

CT here. I ran into the same cold weather problem with wetsuits not getting it down. I purchased a Kokatat drysuit 3months ago. Although they are more expensive the dryuit works great! I've ridden waves up to 2' overhead and have taken some heavy waves on the head along with heavy wipeouts with the drysuit. The nice thing is you can add or subtract layers underneath the drysuit depending on how cold it is. Another benefit is your dry when get out of the water, plus the drysuit dries out really fast and does not get everything wet or stinky like a regular wetsuit.

If you want to be warm as toast get a dry suit Bro

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marko on February 23, 2009 at 6:01pm

You guys slightly miss my point, I am in San Diego so it doesn't get freezing cold,
but the water and breeze are cold enough where you need a wetsuit should you fall into the water.

At the same time it is nice and sunny out, and I am roasting in my wetsuit since I basically never fall in during flatwater sessions.

i still haven't found a solution for that.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by see on February 24, 2009 at 3:26pm

Maybe some of the new water resistant spring top 1mm. Not sure, let me know if you find something.

Looking at a nice overhead swell this weekend on shouls. Check out Google earth type in Jacksonville florida then north and check out the huge sand bar that is only exposed on low tide.

CT