I'm living near Georgian Bay (between Wasaga and Balm Beaches). I just bought an entire new rig and would like to get out sailing in April or early May. .rather than wait until June.

I right now have a bodyGlove brand wetsuit that is cut off at the knees and arms. Definitely not adequate for springtime and fall sailing in the bay.

So what is an in-expensive option for me for cold water sailing? Wetsuit or drysuit or semi-dry suit? How about thickness? What is working good for you all?? I don't want to spend $1000 to go sailing in December, , just want something cheaper that can extend my sailing window by several months.

Leery to offer advice on this as everyones tolerance for cold is different.

Here is my experience, maybe it will help you decide...

I have had a 5/3 and a 4/3 NeilPryde suit and have used both in the early spring. My feet and hands get cold before anything else. I also dont spend much time in the water anymore so that helps and is probably the biggest factor.

The 5/3 kept me warm, the 4/3 did just as well when I wore thermals under it. I can also wear the 4/3 througout the year.

Previous suits I've owned were rubber coated, meaning the skin of them was a soft rubber coating. I think it was warmer and didnt let the wind cut through it as easily. The suit I have now is a fabirc outer skin, i dont like it as much for this, but its probably more durable.

The rubber skinned suits I think are more expensive.

What also helps is some purpose made thermals to wear under the suit. I use Mysterioso, its a fleece made for under suits and adds a good deal of warmth. I am sure there are other brands.

DrySuits like Ocean Rodeo might be the warmest solution, you can layer up underneath to match the conditions. They are plenty expensive though. And if it leaks, your gonna get very cold very quick.

I sail Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe. For me I find Lake Simcoe is alot colder than Lake O in the spring and can feel it.

I consider how much time Ithink I'll have to spend in the water (like how long will it take to swim back in) and plan for that. I also let my head, hands and feet dictate how long I stay out for. I wait for sunny days, makes a world of difference. And sail with a buddy just in case.

I know I didnt offer advice on specific suits, but stick with the big names like ONEILL, NEILPRYDE, PROLIMIT, OCEAN RODEO, and ask your local shop guys. Call SilentSports or Windsurfing Direct and ask them, the staff are keen sailors and will be out on the water by then, they will know what works.

Hope this helps.

db

http://www.silentsports.com/store/produ ... Drysuit-L/ <<<<<<This equals warm, maybe too warm on sunny spring days but the bomb for fall when air and water are brrrrr. I like the 5-4-3 Pryde suits better for spring sailing spring but I boffed my zipper so I'll stick to the death bag for now.

I admit that I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold. In April, May and November I wear a 5/4 suit with a polypro or fleece layer underneath as well as neoprene hat, gloves and boots. I find that I'm warm-ish as long as I'm sailing...but if air temps are low, I freeze when I come back to shore to swap sails...etc.

Has anyone tried that Gul bag suit?

I personally wear a 5/3 wetsuit with a shorty over top and toque and that keeps me warm enough.

I prefer the feel of bare feet on the board but on really cold days I wear an old pair of water socks to cut the wind. -I don't mind numb feet (which might help you decide if any of this is relevant to your cold tolerance).

My biggest problem is keeping my hands warm. Anything I have ever worn either limits my ability to grip the boom or severely limits my endurance to do the same.
Does the any have a solution they have found works?

My one piece of advice is to KNOW YOUR BODY.
Many people have a sudden gasping response when they are submerged in cold water -this is a drowning hazard. (wear a pfd if this affects you - though it is often a good idea anyway -extra warmth)

Some other people can go into cardiac arrest when submerged in cold water. If you have a weak heart (or are at risk) you might want to go with a drysuit and forget about the affordable solution.

In any case, there are increased risks windsurfing in cold weather and you should sail with a buddy.

Happy sailing...I can't wait for the ice to break up.

Whatever suit you choose, get one that's designed for kiting or windsurfing, other thick neoprene suits, like diving suits can really cut off limb circulation at the joints. I've made that mistake. With a dry suit you get no compromise between warmth and mobility, for a price$. There are too many good windy days in the fall and spring that you will miss by not having a heavier suit, having a longer season makes the sport so much more viable in this climate, and if you're a low body mass person then a good summer suit or shorty will extend your sessions even in 25 degree weather.

Silent Sports has a NPX semi-dry for $99 right now.

All I have is a NP 4/3 wetsuit, and this one is made partly from cloth, partly from neoprene skin. The skinned parts are decisively warmer - IMHO stay away from the cloth options, wind goes through it rather easily. For Lake Ontario sailing I wear neoprene booths, and early/late in the season jam into them 5mm neoprene socks (from MEC), makes my feet the nice and toasty! The worst are the cloth-covered arms, and of course the hands... I tried several options, lately settled on double layered surgical gloves 1 size smaller than the hand, lives less room for water to collect.

Should invest in a more decent wetsuit though... is Xmas very far away?

Interesting Dave finds LO warmer than Simcoe, did not think this would be the case but never really tried sailing there in April or so, LO is too close nearby

Back to the original question, no experience with drysuits, but a long wetsuit will give you 3-4 months more than a shorty would do.

Marek

I find neoprene mittens the best: durable palms, does not cut blood circulation, better grip.
A fellow kiter recommended them. The only inconvenience - they get some amount of water, but still very warm, much warmer than any gloves I tried before.

When I was younger I used to sail as soon as the ice was off. That had little to do with the suit but much more to do with my tolerance for the cold and my drive to get out there.

You can probably get by with a 5/4 or 5/3 'steamer' or whatever, with some polypro longjohns and shirt underneath for a bit of extra warmth. The key though is the extremities, keeping your head, feet and hands warm. I think most people will agree that the extremities are the limiting factor. I find hands to be the toughest, since i have yet to find gloves that work for me.

I think if you are very serious about it, you can probably gain a month or so of comfort on either side of the sailing window by going with a dry suit, but that is speculation, since I have never owned one. I have heard a lot of good things about the Ocean Rodeo suits and was keen to get one, but they are pricey! It would be nice to be that extra bit comfy, since we get our best sessions in spring and late fall.

I haven't read the entire thread here, but someone should give you the typical warning. If things go wrong in April or December, regardless of what you are wearing, you will be in a life-threatening situation. A dry-suit is probably your best safety net, but there is always then the potential of a tear or rip in the dry-suit, in which case you are far more vulnerable that if you had a steamer on. Your biggest safety net in the very cold seasons are to use your brain, dress as warm as you can, sail close to shore, and sail with a buddy. Keep in mind though, in those sorts of conditions, it will be very difficult for a sailing buddy to assist you in any way without risking their own life. Make sure your universal joint is solid.

Sorry to put that spin on it, but its important to mention. Lots of people do it and lots of people do it safely. The consequences though are worthy of some extra preparation and consideration of the conditions.

I posted in my log in December.
Limiting factors for me in the past have been also the hands and cramping up the forearms.
To sum what worked wonder for me first week of December (air temp and water temp around 2-4C, no sun).

Safety: I went for Beaverton (SW-W)/Port Bolster(NW) with onshore wind. So if I break down, I can walk back and get blown to shore, even if by myself (which was the case). I also carry a cell phone in a water proof pouch in my PFD.
If it's side shore, deep water and no one else to sail with, I don't sail !!

Suit: Pyro Pro on the outside. If seal broken it might/might not become a big bag of cold water...so a 5/4 NP semidry on the inside. Neoprene hat.

Feet: NP 3000 booty.
Hands: can't remember the name, but I think it's Glacier gloves (same that rINR has, he recommended them).

Boom: the smallest diameter you can find, so not to cramp up.

For cramping up: I now realize that's it's because the seal is pressing on the carpal tunnel and you get a wicked carpal tunnel syndrome. So I pull the seal above the carpal tunnel area (ie more onto the forearm, counter intuitive, but works) and voilà, no cramping

And what's most important was a hot water bottle prefilled with hot water.
I filled the gloves and the boots with hot water before going out and the hands and feet don't have to warm up the water that leaks in (in fact because it's prefilled, there is no water leaking in !!!).

Thought I'd add my two cents.
I was in Lake Ontario last Thurs. I was wearing a Pryde Eclipse 5/3 with NP 5000 booties and DaKine neoprene mitts. I wore a hood but had it off for most of the session as it was too hot.
I was in the water a couple of times (blown gybes etc.) and was fine. I was standing in chest deep water at one point and could feel the cold on my lower back through the suit - not badly but I wouldn't want to be in for too long. My hands were sweaty in the mitts and I use 26mm booms and have rarely had grip problems there. I hate the mitts in small sail weather but they are not too bothersome with the bigger stuff.

Fish's advice about safety is right on - sail with a bud if you can fun a like-minded cold-weather lunatic. I've always gone under the premise that if I got into real trouble (broken equip etc.) I'd just ditch the rig and paddle back ON the board.

Just get the right stuff and get out there - I am getting old and although the post-session change gets a little harder every year - it's still worth it