Best Cold Weather Wear

[Netdewt]

I live in Minnesota, so watersports season doesn't really come around until mid-June, but I have been thinking about getting some warm water gear for a while now. What would you recommend?

dry suit or full wetsuit?
5mm? 4mm? 3mm?

There's a 5mm suit here for $160, doesn't seem so bad. Is 5mm too thick to be comfortable?
http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page...uits-5/SA501MG

[BrennanK]

I use a full wetsuit, ill look and see how thick. It is cold when you first get in, but after 3 min I have no problems. The worst part is taking it of, it is cold!
I would use a wetsuit, more comfortable and cheaper. You can also use them on the cold summer days, they are great and many temps, unlike a dry suit.

[2004196]

Ski year round, current water temp is 53. Past water temps have averaged 48 in Jan with air temps around 38 - 42. I use a drysuit (our "man rules" allow drysuits from nov 1 to April 30) and go to neopreme pants and a 2mm top into June. This year I bought some Nike "warm gear" to try instead of using sweats under the drysuit. I double layer the bottoms and use one top, much less bulk than sweats and still maintains warmth. I am very happy with this and have no restrictions in movement and no feeling of added weight. Highly recommend the "warm gear" - also available from Under Armor and others but the Nike is best for the buck.

[Netdewt]

It is cold when you first get in, but after 3 min I have no problems.

Would it work to soak the suit a bit in the shower ahead of time? Just an idea. Anyone tried that?

[DanielC]

I have a loose fit type of drysuit. I like it because it is versatile, in the coldest parts of the season, I can put layers on underneath it, and stay warm. As spring approaches, I use fewer layers. A dry suit does not really keep you warm, it keeps you dry.
A wet suit works much better for scuba diving than skiing, because the water in it does not get exchanged every time you come up out of the water. When you water ski, you get in the water, cold water seeps into the wetsuit, and then you warm the water up. You get up, the warm water drains, and the next time you go into the water, cold water seeps in again.
With a drysuit, you stay dry, and warm.

[janswake]

We use a loose fit drysuit if the water is 50 degrees or less.I personally use burton first layer thermal underwear under the drysuit to stay warm very effective and still gives decent mobility some of my pals just throw the thing on over their jeans and seem fine as well but I feel too bunched up and constricted when I do thAt.As far as the wetsuits go in my opinion a 5ml wetsuit is too thick to wakeboard or ski in.I use a 3/2 fullsuit made for surfing it was expensive but it does a fantastic job not only for flex and movement but it also keeps the water in better than my 5 ml I use only for diving.

[BrennanK]

Would it work to soak the suit a bit in the shower ahead of time? Just an idea. Anyone tried that?

I try to get up on my ski and soon as I get in, that helps with this. Then you warm the water up as you ski, and by the time you go down the water is warm. I don't have a shower, so I have never tried it, but it could help.

When you water ski, you get in the water, cold water seeps into the wetsuit, and then you warm the water up. You get up, the warm water drains, and the next time you go into the water, cold water seeps in again.
With a drysuit, you stay dry, and warm.

I completely disagree with this, if you have a proper fitting suit the water should not drain. There are wetsuits made for water sports, so they have tight seals around the legs, arms, and neck. I have never been cold after the first 3 mins even with going in and out of the water 6 times though the course.

[janswake]

I checked on my wetsuit it is a oneill I believe it is called the psyco or psyco freak something along these lines.This is a suit quite a few pro surfers use to go in to the ocean all year long.It's more expensive than a regular wakeboard wetsuit but well worth the extra money.My last boat had a hot cold shower and I used it everryday the water was cold to fill my wetsuit before getting in.I liked it so much, pretty sure I am going to install a shower on my new 236.The seals on my wetsuit were so tight that when I would fill my suit with the shower all the water would make it way to the legs and the suit would blow up like you had elephantitis.

[2004196]

Cold Weather Wear

Sorry, I got the Nike "Cold Gear" - not Warm gear. I like this better than thermal underwear or the like

[2gofaster]

I use the UnderArmour cold weather gear under my new Eagle dry suit. Eagle's suit is the best I've ever used as far as freedom. Light, light, light. With a front zipper so you can put it on and take it off with no help. I'll probably use it til the water is in the mid 60s when I can switch to a 1mm heater top and shorts. For our hands, we put glove liners on, then surgical gloves over those. Then we put our hands through the wrist seals so our hands stay dry. The gloves go on last. Without the surgical gloves your hands just got numb in a few minutes. Right now our water in our ski lake is 42 degrees and it's completely livable.

[jmo]

I use a ripcurl 4/3 F-Bomb chest entry wetsuit in 50 Degree water in early Spring & Late Fall in New England - works like a champ, I get ZERO water penetration into the suit - even if I take a major digger. the 4/3 wetsuit gives we a wider range of coverage in terms of usable temps, but its clearly not as warm as a dry suit - especially after your run is over waiting in the boat for the next run. It was as expensive as a dry suit, but has been worth every penny.

[xrichard]

Another vote for a drysuit. I got my first one in the fall (an O''Neill Boost) and can't imagine using a wetsuit again...my expensive (more than the drysuit) O'Neill 4/3 will never be worn again. The drysuit is much more comfortable riding and I'm not wet between sets. Plus I can vary my temperature when riding by choosing different clothing to wear under the suit. If the water is too cold for a heater top or trunks alone, I'll choose a drysuit every time.

It appears some folks use both drysuits and wetsuits depending on water temp...why is that? Why not just a drysuit any time it's cold? I wakeboard and I was told by one skier that wetsuits are better for skiing because the they don't like the baggy calf area of the drysuit hitting the water/buoy. Perhaps that's why some folks switch....?

[janswake]

If I could only have one I would go with a high quality wetsuit.The neck seal on a drysuit always feel like it's choking you and a hassle to get in and out of.Now that I have both I would not want to go back to having just one or the other.Even though I only use the drysuit maybe ten times a season it lets us ride in April and November in Vermont.Buy a nice full wetsuit and a used drysuit.The drysuits are pretty tough and usually the only thing to go wrong on them are the sealYou can have thosed replaced at a Place in Washington state I believe it's called Adrenaline.Thay do a fantastic job.

[a.kale15]

skied in a dry suit a few weeks ago. def your best option cause ya cant go wrong

[HS]

http://www.adrenalinewatersports.com...&SubID=17&pg=0

Is this a good price? I haven't worn this type but did borrow a friends hybrid and got a little wet.