Winter warmers recommendations..

seachto7

Howdee,

I can feel the nip in the morning air at the moment, and not long before cold mornings on the coast are here.
I have a 5mm suit and have worn gloves and a hood (a bloody tight one at that), and a rash vest. However, I am looking of getting the vest/long sleeve with the attached hood. Any good pointers of what to go for?

Or should I bite the bullet and get a good winter suit with a built in hood?

OuterBombie

Bite the bullet!

I got an integrated hood winter suit maybe 5 winters ago and haven't gone back. I used the ripcurl 6mm but found it was too much rubber, also tried a season with excel, but ripped the arse out during a low tide session at a limestone reef and am now using a "boz" wetsuit which lasted last winter and is in such good nick I expect to get this winter out of it also.

I find the integrated hood cuts down on the accessories, I just wear booties as well and I'm good to go. I'd judge cold based on how cold my feet are and if I'd get into a wet wetsuit again for a second session in January.

I'm out of that and into a good summer suit from end of May till October.

The boz suit I got online from the states. Ripcurl/Excel seem to be the suits of choice from the local shops...

seachto7

looking at prices, I'd say I'd be looking at €200 or more? Yikes...!!

wary of ordering off the net, as I would have to try on the suits. i could go for a L or XL...

OuterBombie

Fair enough, I know my size but if you are unsure buying locally is the way to go. Initially I always got suits that were a bit too big for me until one day I tried on a size smaller and hey presto, prefect fit. Best to try a couple of sizes and different manufactors until you are certain.

Yeah they are expensive but being warm and flexible is whats important, to me anyways.

If cost is the issue for you then just go for the rashie with the hood to supplement your current suit.

Winter's on the way alright, yesterday morning i had what felt like a pure autumn session. The waters still warm though :cool:

seachto7

yerra, I'm not too bothered if I have to pay for a good suit, as it would have to be done..

I might see how much a vest/hood would cost compared to a new suit.

I have a cskins 5mm suit, L, so could order a winter suit off the net, same size...

£250 for cskins suit...

what about this:

http://www.surfing-waves.com/Item/SU3s00004414/billabong_furnace_poly_pro_sleeveless_rash_guard_black.htm

Cecil Mor

No fancy & expensive integrated suit is gonna help you through winter esp. if you've been wearing a 5mm suit with rash vest, gloves & hood in August. This is the warmest that it'll be.

My advice is to hide the surfboard in your garden shed and book a winter course of step aerobics down the local gym with the rest of the women folk!!!:p:p:p

mechwarrior

i found the bodyglove suits to be the most warm but god are they expensive

you can always get some really warm water and pour in your suit as you're zipping up helps a bit hehehehe

seachto7

i'll be honest, i never surfed in the depths of winter (Dec/Jan) but will this year.

I have a 5mm suit, rash vest, hood, gloves, booties, that worked fine in October and Spring in times gone by.

Would they be enough to get me through the grim times ahead...?

OuterBombie

seachto7 wrote: »

i'll be honest, i never surfed in the depths of winter (Dec/Jan) but will this year.

I have a 5mm suit, rash vest, hood, gloves, booties, that worked fine in October and Spring in times gone by.

Would they be enough to get me through the grim times ahead...?

Yes, just make sure the heater works in the car.

kodute

Cecil Mor wrote: »

No fancy & expensive integrated suit is gonna help you through winter esp. if you've been wearing a 5mm suit with rash vest, gloves & hood in August. This is the warmest that it'll be.

My advice is to hide the surfboard in your garden shed and book a winter course of step aerobics down the local gym with the rest of the women folk!!!:p:p:p

I wear booties in the summer... does that make me a big girls blouse?! :P

seachto7 wrote: »

i'll be honest, i never surfed in the depths of winter (Dec/Jan) but will this year.

I have a 5mm suit, rash vest, hood, gloves, booties, that worked fine in October and Spring in times gone by.

Would they be enough to get me through the grim times ahead...?

Thermos flask with soup or tea, or in the depths of winter, both! Essential piece of kit IMO

rothai

wrote:

Thermos flask with soup or tea, or in the depths of winter, both! Essential piece of kit IMO

Hot chocolate is my choice

yank_in_eire

Cecil Mor wrote: »

No fancy & expensive integrated suit is gonna help you through winter esp. if you've been wearing a 5mm suit with rash vest, gloves & hood in August. This is the warmest that it'll be.

My advice is to hide the surfboard in your garden shed and book a winter course of step aerobics down the local gym with the rest of the women folk!!!:p:p:p

Or stuff a few spare tampons in your suit for extra insulation.:o

rothai

or drink loads beforehand (prehydrate i think the pros call it) and just keep on pissing...come on somebody had to say it:eek::D

Cecil Mor

I wear booties in the summer... does that make me a big girls blouse?!

Yes Kodute, it does!!!:D:D

Thermos flask with soup or tea, or in the depths of winter, both! Essential piece of kit IMO

But you redeem yourself with this, home made veggie soup with extra chili powder.

I find that generally the cold is only an issue when changing post surf.
Short days limit the water time during the colder months but plenty of paddling & a decent suit sorts the cold out.

mechwarrior

how about a camelback with coffee ?

Trishis

Hey Folks,

Just looking for some advice...I wanna buy my boyfriend a wetsuit for the winter months and I was hoping you could point me in the right direction! He is a surfer and I am not, so I know nothing about the thickness, zips, movement etc needed....would be great if someone could offer some advice! Thanks

Not The Real Scarecrow

I have a C-Skin 6x5 Wired, with a hood it does a great job.Would highly recommend the C Skin ones myself and am sure if you look around you'll get one of last seasons ones in sales over the next few weeks.Prob around the 200 mark where as the new season ones might set you back nearly 400 squid.

true

Meatwad wrote: »

I have a C-Skin 6x5 Wired, with a hood it does a great job.Would highly recommend the C Skin ones myself and am sure if you look around you'll get one of last seasons ones in sales over the next few weeks.Prob around the 200 mark where as the new season ones might set you back nearly 400 squid.

The C-Skins are really good suits allright, but I think most of the shops have sold out of last seasons C-Skin Wired hooded stock in most sizes by now, so no bargain / clearance stock there. Best settle for a new model 2009/2010 one.

Trishis

greta, thanks a million, any suggestions on where i can pick one up? and also from a blokes point of view, would you like a wetsuit as a suprise or would you prefer to know beforehand so you could try it and choose it etc? is it kinda personal choice etc...or if I get a C skin I'll be ok and still in good books!! Cheers for the advice

seachto7

Trishis wrote: »

greta, thanks a million, any suggestions on where i can pick one up? and also from a blokes point of view, would you like a wetsuit as a suprise or would you prefer to know beforehand so you could try it and choose it etc? is it kinda personal choice etc...or if I get a C skin I'll be ok and still in good books!! Cheers for the advice

keep the receipt just in case it doesn't fit properly...
make sure he doesn't plan on going off and buying one himself first though...

Trishis

Yea cool....and how think should it be for sligo winter water?...what should I be looking for really....
Is it better to have the hood attached or a seperate hood?
So many questions I know, but I wanna make sure I get the right one and you guys are my insider surf info! Imagine your girlfriend wanted to get you a wetsuit for winter...what would you want?!

Trishis

sorry that should say how 'thick' for sligo winter water....

Trishis

Meatwad wrote: »

I have a C-Skin 6x5 Wired, with a hood it does a great job.Would highly recommend the C Skin ones myself and am sure if you look around you'll get one of last seasons ones in sales over the next few weeks.Prob around the 200 mark where as the new season ones might set you back nearly 400 squid.

Hey thanks a million, I'll have a snoop around for one....6x5....what does that mean exactly? Believe it or not im not blonde! im just totally new to the whole surfing thing, so aint got a clue! is it hard to paddle in it? and what makes a C skins better than O'neills wetsuits? Im not that worried about how much it costs (well I am a lil bit!) but I would prefer to get a good one rather than one coz it was cheap if ya get me!

seachto7

Trishis wrote: »

.....Imagine your girlfriend wanted to get you a wetsuit for winter...

imagine I had a girlfriend lol......:):(

Not The Real Scarecrow

6x5 is the tickness of the suit in mm, so the upper body is 6mm and the legs(i think) are 5mm. I prefer the ones with the hoods attached as it its handy to be able to pull it on or off when ever you want and it also prevents ice cold water shooting down your back when you go through a wave.
I'd recommend that he goes with you or if you're buying it online have his measurements at hand.I think the cskin website itself has a fairly good guide to sizes, but this would only be in the cskin range, I think theres a slight difference between brands.e.g. a large rip curl is a snug fit on me but still fits but the large cskin doesnt fit at all so its a xl from them for me.heres a link to a page for them , just click on the sizing guide and it comes up.
http://www.c-skins.com/products/wetsuits/wired-hd-winter-64.htm#

can't talk from experience how they relate to o'neills, just I find that from the different suits I tried, the c skin works best for me.

stupidbaby

i wear a 4x3 in summer, and bought a "hotskin" rashvest with hood which I wear underneath the 4 x 3 in winter. Can pull the hood up and down quite easily.

never been that cold really....

mechwarrior

Meatwad wrote: »

6x5 is the tickness of the suit in mm, so the upper body is 6mm and the legs(i think) are 5mm.

almost correct meatwad - 6.5 means the upper body is 6mm and arms and legs 5mm

kodute

Cecil Mor wrote: »

Yes Kodute, it does!!!:D:D

:cool:

stupidbaby wrote: »

i wear a 4x3 in summer, and bought a "hotskin" rashvest with hood which I wear underneath the 4 x 3 in winter. Can pull the hood up and down quite easily.

never been that cold really....

A mate of mine just doesn't feel the cold, no booties needed until the coldest winter day.
Some people just don't feel the cold either because they are decended from eskimos and penguins or they have more insulation!

mechwarrior

in my case (born in africa but lived all my life in portugal) i get a 5.3 and 2 days ago in salthill i could only stay in there for 30mins - there were people (kids too) with no suit whatsoever...

... makes me kinda feel powerless

//offtopic: kodute: you surfing this weekend ?

kodute

mechwarrior wrote: »

//offtopic: kodute: you surfing this weekend ?

Maybe sunday, depending on the conditions.