Cold Water Kiting - Newbie Wetsuit Questions

Hi folks,

I need to get suited up for spring kiteboarding. I'm way to impatient to wait until summer and "perfect" weather conditions. I've read about full-body wetsuits and the thickness vs water temp guide. What I am curious about is:

What brand/model of wetsuit has proven to be the most flexible for this sport?

When the water temperature rises above the temperature range for the suit, does that make the suit uncomfortable?

Do y'all wear 6/5/4 in the spring for Shediac Bay?

Thanks!
-S

Well I have a Ocean Rodeo Pyro Pro drysuit that I use in early spring and late fall, but honestly I think if it was to Redo i'd get a 6/5/4 with built in hood

when it warms up just a bit i put on my 5/4/3 NPX Assassin and honestly i've never really been cold in it, or really that warm either but when it's like 15+ degrees I got a 3mm wetsuit I got at Costco online
Most of the summer I'm in a shorty 3/2 i got at costco as well. (but I don't like being cold and my harness eats at my back if I only wear a rash guard

So I guess a lot of it comes to personal preference and temperature tolerance. I usualy find that when i'm kiting I'm never thinking about if i'm hot or cold, it's only when your standing on the beach.

I do have to add though that kiting in early spring and late fall is probably not the best idea if you are not too experienced. For myself I've had some bad sessions when learning and if I would have been in 0-5 deg water it would have made things dangerous. It's just to say I guess even with a good suit, the cold water still makes it an added potential danger to keep in mind

Thanks for the feedback MolsonH, including the warning - safety first.

Reading what I wrote again I guess I didn't really have too much advice to give, I wish I could commentate more on how warm a 6/5/4 is, but I think a 5/4/3 would get you riding in a large span of conditions. Because to be honest I'm not sure if I even use my drysuit half a dozen times a year. and i've seen Paul out with his 5/4/3 NPX Zealot in the middle of the summer when it was just in the high teens/low 20s. So if your looking to save a bit of cash maybe that would be the way to go.

6/5/4 is a great suit for winter riding. It's safer than a dry suit IMO and it's what the surfers of the region wear throughout the winter even in 20 below weather.

Be sure to get a suit like those of NPX, or any other kite brand as the closed cell neoprene blocks the wind and actually makes it semi dry. A surf suit with open cell neoprene is meant to keep you warm in the water, but unlike surfers, we are mostly out of the water. If you're suit is full of water & exposed to cold wind you will lose more heat than you would with closed cell.

Last year I rode in late March, with many icebergs in the water and I was wearing a 5/3. I was comfortably warm and forced myself to stay submerged to see how I would react to being in the water for a long time. Very nice. I rode that 5/3 until I was warm enough to ride in a shorty. Very versatile. If you get too hot, dump some water down your neck & you'll be refreshed.

Drysuits are convenient, comfortable & warm, but don't give any protection if water would get inside. If there's a rip or a leaking seal, you'll be in a lot of trouble. Another thing they don't mention is that you need to replace the seals on the arms, legs & neck as they degrade over time. This is a pain in the ass to do.

The best bang for your buck is a 6/5/4 wetsuit. It's cheaper, easier to maintain, safer and has a much larger usable range in terms of temperature. If you need any help sourcing something, wet or dry, let me know.

And, yes, regardless of what you wear, extreme cold kiting is best left to intermediate or better riders. Even simple problems can be made much worse when exposed to cold water/air. If you can ride & stay upwind, you're probably ok - just err on the side of caution until it warms up a bit.

Mike

You won't be disappointed with Neilpryde suits (NP, NPX). Most people here use them. No problem in warm weather at all. The newer suits (05 and up) are extremely flexible and comfortable. You'll be amazed... your hands will be the first to get cold in all likely hood.

I've never used a dry suit so I can't comment too much but I have seen first hand problems with zippers and some overheating...