Whether they surf or SUP, lobster dive or scuba, swim or sail, most seasoned watermen know what it’s like to be in and around the water even when it’s a tad unbearable during winter. We know what it’s like to be out in a variety of water temps and conditions, even if some have the luxury of living in a sub-tropical or tropical location.
A wetsuit is an obvious piece of gear to wear into cold water. In California we split the year into two: spring suits and trunks; and in the winter 3-, 4-, and 5-mil suits. Yet sometimes, that’s just not enough. In addition to your full winter wetsuit, you might need a little extra “armor”.
Here’s some extra tips to add even more warmth when your wetsuit isn’t cutting it and you just can’t stay out of the water.
+Don the booties. A lot of us are not huge fans of extra accessories weighing us down in the lineup but we can attest to booties adding a significant amount of warmth to the whole body.
When you compare the tradeoff of extra warmth to extra weight/drag, warmth wins based on how it improves attitude, energy levels and physical range of motion. Those on the North Pacific and North Atlantic coasts don’t think twice, particularly when the offshore winds howl around. Some may even don the hoods and booties for 6 months of the year!
+Extra neoprene. The more you wear – the better. This means choosing a wetsuit with enough thickness for the water temp, but also being knowledgeable when it comes to the seams and construction of the wetsuit itself. Glued seams and zipper-less wetsuits tend to be the warmest.
All that extra neoprene can be bulky and rigid. And unless you’re paying top dollar for your wetsuit, you’ll likely get some chaffing on your thighs and neck, and knees and arm pits (at the body’s main joints). In addition to our performance rash guards for your neck and arms, our boardshort & wetsuit liners are great to wear under a wetsuit.
+Layers, layers, layers. We’ve covered this plenty before with some other basic tips to keep warm in winter, but it’s so important it’s worth emphasizing again.
Using layers to keep your core temperature higher will significantly increase your blood flow and temperature. And that will significantly increase how long you can stay out in your favorite element. Using our amphibious compression shorts under your wetsuit will do just that. Further, they’re extremely comfortable with their ultra-soft material, and they’re the perfect base layer – guaranteed rash free.
All in all, being out in the cold is bound to happen if you are a serious water- enthusiast and athlete, but being cold and shivering doesn’t have to be the result. Using these tips and tricks might not make you ready to tackle the polar ice caps, but we’re pretty sure your next cold session will be a little toastier.
Here’s more tips and tricks on our blog if you want to learn more from our experience of surviving in, recovering from and even enjoying the bitter cold waters of winter—