Damn the water is cold!

[peterslovo]

Been almost 3 months since I've been in the water (too much good skiing to be had this season!), but damn, I forgot how cold that Maine water is!

First duckdive and I forgot to cinch up my hood, and flushed both ears = massive ice cream headache. Welcome back!

[Piggity]

OUCH!!! Stay warm....that was a huge reason I moved from Mass to California. Deeper snow and warmer water

[big mike]

ya i just got back to nantucket after 2 months in fernie bc. jumped in the other day for some chest to head windswell with the boyz. when i put on my 6 mill realized it is all done with some small holes at the seams. lets just say i was not impressed. i did catch first wave i paddled for nice little right so i was stoked. ready for things to warm up tho...

[tgray]

so, what's your favorite wetsuit for the cold? I've been using a hooded 654 Rip Curl Elasto until I noticed seepage at the seams.


last season I replaced the rip curl with the Matuse Tumo hooded 543 , which at the time was the stoutest suit they made , this year they are offering the tumo in a 654 that
I'm thinking about jumping on.

another alternative is the O'Neil Psycho 2 or the PsychoFreak [ 654 hooded and
4.5/5.5 hooded ] up until now I've been happy with the 654 config. but with the
new geoprene being lighter and and more flexible, but still haven't found wetsuit nirvana yet. the matuse is warm but doesn't quite cut it when the wind
picks up

What have you found with the suits you've been using?

[BCJC]

after trying all the major brands, i've come back to the xcel 654. best compromise of warmth/flexibility/longevity imo.

[Ottime]

My friends back east (NH,ME) rock xcel and (for those with the cash) patagucci.

tgray - been a good five years since I've been in an o'neil, but was never too happy with durability. Great flexible suits, but they last less than a season.

Out here I've prefer my xcel, but have had some good luck with hotlines.

Always chest zips. Hooded for warmth. And something that fits your build well enough that it does not flush on duck dives. Ouch.

[Tunco]

Water here dropped below 75 yesterday and I thought it was cold.

[peterslovo]

Water here dropped below 75 yesterday and I thought it was cold.

Heh. Water's up to a balmy 39 here!

in terms of suits in winter, I'm in an xcel 6/5...used to just be in a 5/4 until I found out how much damn warmer the 6/5s are, with not a huge decrease in flexibility. 7 mm mitts, and 7 mm booties for me.

Lots of guys I know here wear West 6/5s, and if on the budget, hyperflex 6/5s (just didn't fit me well).

[Ottime]

7 mm mitts, and 7 mm booties for me.
.

Next time I complain about it being cold, I will just reflect. 7mm mitt. Geez. That is a big difference from the .75mm glove that I rock.

I do (slightly) recall the sub 40s. I am not sure how I made it through. It was certainly not technology and quality gear. It must have been youth and ignorance. I also remember get out of even warmer (sub 50) water being hard because the 15F air temperature is what really hurt. And then try changing on the boardwalk. Great way to get a dickicle.

I must say that I think the water temp here is mostly fine. At 50-55 it is pretty consistently chilly, but rarely cold. The air and sky makes a much bigger difference.

[Bud]

man...i couldn't imagine using 7mm mits...it would be like paddling with barbells in my hands (guess it would be good training for summertime). even on winter days in Washington when the air temp is at or below freezing and the water is in the low 40's, i'm comfy for hours in a quiksilver 5/4 front zip hooded with 5mm booties and 1.5mm gloves.

[Piggity]

I also remember get out of even warmer (sub 50) water being hard because the 15F air temperature is what really hurt. And then try changing on the boardwalk.

I definitely agree with the above comment. I've become admittedly soft in my middle age years

definitely remember the worst part of surfing sub 40 degree water was 1) getting flushed 2)trying to take my wetsuit off with numb fingers and prolonging the misery of standing in 15F air soaking wet and 3) the Fire roasted feeling my fingers and toes got once they started to thaw out, OUCH!!


My friend, who I trust his opinion on most things related to surfing, swears by his custom Axxe wetsuit. He said he starts to sweat in water that he would normally be chilly.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

I'm always out of town for the NE winter surf season, but the shoulder seasons I get by with a Exel 5/4 and 2 mm booties/gloves, usually gets me down to below 50f

Pete, my Buddy said 'the wall' was pretty much all-time yesterday. you get some? ....so jealous.

[peterslovo]

Pete, my Buddy said 'the wall' was pretty much all-time yesterday. you get some? ....so jealous.

Nah, unfortunately, work beckoned. Missed today as well before the winds killed it too.

But got a good 5 hours in on Friday during the storm, which was very nice - but really sore afterwards, since I hadn't done much paddling this winter!

[rdennhs]

^^^

Today was better at high tide. That video is uploading now.

[peterslovo]

^^^ 'Like' ^^^

[rdennhs]

This one is from today, firing.

[Piggity]

^^^ skillz

[Ottime]

Pete, my Buddy said 'the wall' was pretty much all-time yesterday. you get some? ....so jealous.

Yeah, Utah must suck.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Yeah, Utah must suck.

...well if they keep pushing back our snow totals!....only a couple feet now???


Utah would be amazing if we had surf withing a couple hours drive.

ski, golf, surf. repeat

[Tunco]

Those videos are supper rad.

Waters back up around 80 here. I'm glad that nightmare is over.

[rdennhs]

[icelanticskier]

Utah would be amazing if we had surf withing a couple hours drive.

ski, golf, surf. repeat

ya, having amazing uncrowded all winter bc skiing (presidentials) just a couple of hours from surf and home doesn't suck. only tough thing is, when there's good snow, there's usually good surf. good surf=crowds even in winter. high prezzies in winter=zero crowds. i used to spend winters in utah, don't miss the crowds or the instant snow fucking sun in the bc there. nice pow tho.

good waves this week in nh. amazing pow skiing up high nh as well. WIN/WIN

thursday 4/7 east side of washington. no bottom pow and no one around. 3 out of 4 days were just like this, this week:


we got it pretty damn good round here

can't wait to get back in the water again. my excel 543, 5mm mitts and 7mm booties is all i ever use. did 3 hours last saturday with no chill.

rog

[Ottime]

ya, having amazing uncrowded all winter bc skiing (presidentials) just a couple of hours from surf and home doesn't suck. only tough thing is, when there's good snow, there's usually good surf. good surf=crowds even in winter. high prezzies in winter=zero crowds. i used to spend winters in utah, don't miss the crowds or the instant snow fucking sun in the bc there. nice pow tho.

good waves this week in nh. amazing pow skiing up high nh as well. WIN/WIN

thursday 4/7 east side of washington. no bottom pow and no one around. 3 out of 4 days were just like this, this week:


we got it pretty damn good round here

can't wait to get back in the water again. my excel 543, 5mm mitts and 7mm booties is all i ever use. did 3 hours last saturday with no chill.

rog

Man, I miss NE and that pic makes it look tasty. Always thought if I moved back, I'd do a lot of touring. Even Mt. Aggie seem enticing.

As for this:

my excel 543, 5mm mitts and 7mm booties is all i ever use

, I call bullshit. I bet your wetsuit quiver is bigger than your board quiver. When I lived back east, I had a longboard, a short board and a 6'8 1/2" mini gun. I owned a hooded 5/4, a 4/3, a 3/2, a long john, a shorty, neoprene shorts, neoprene vest and a neoprene vest with hood. I was comfortable every day of the year from 80F near NYC and 38F in southern Maine. Not to even get into my foot and hand options

[icelanticskier]

Man, I miss NE and that pic makes it look tasty. Always thought if I moved back, I'd do a lot of touring. Even Mt. Aggie seem enticing.

when i 1st moved back from alta in 96', i did a bunch of touring up high nh that spring. went back for another winter out west just to make sure that i really did prefer the solitude and unassumingly epic nature of our high peaks. never looked back. an inch of new on the summit usually provides up to a foot or more in the lee more often than not. it really is unreal, and no one is up there in winter.

utah pow on east facing george. lower portion turns of a 1000 vert gully:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb7zM...&feature=email

As for this: , I call bullshit. I bet your wetsuit quiver is bigger than your board quiver. When I lived back east, I had a longboard, a short board and a 6'8 1/2" mini gun. I owned a hooded 5/4, a 4/3, a 3/2, a long john, a shorty, neoprene shorts, neoprene vest and a neoprene vest with hood. I was comfortable every day of the year from 80F near NYC and 38F in southern Maine. Not to even get into my foot and hand options

actually i meant that's my winter setup. my only other suit tho is a ripcurl 4/3. no other rubber owned, suit, booties, gloves, or otherwise.

i only ride one board as well. just one. a 6'0 x 20.25 x 2.5 lost blunt, thruster or quad. run it quad for under chest high and thruster for chest and above. awesome board and kills it in thigh junk as well. long boards always made me lazy and i'd be junk when switching back to a shorter board. i like having one board completely wired all of the time, just like i only have one pair of skis for all.

maybe some fun waves this week!

come back and visit at least!

rog

[whipski]

bout 90 farenheit in Tamarindo Costa Rica today wish you were here I'll quaff an Imperial for ya tho