Some more tips from Norway :) Park your car facing into the wind, then you have shelter when changing after session from your trunklid (works on most cars) Impact vest also keeps you warm instead of windbreaker or lifevest. Bring a floormat to keep your feet warm when getting out of your wetsuit.Have a big plastic case in your car for wet stuff as your car will not dry out until spring if it get soaked inside.
Really impressed with the commitment it takes to kite in those conditions. I rarely kite if it's too cold for a springsuit, but you've inspired me. I'll get my steamer on!
That makes our winter weather in Tasmania look more like Maui. We’ve got nothing to complain about other than the screaming squalls we get. Great tips, all of them, but the plastic bags on the hands would definitely reduce the amount of times I’ve punched myself in the face 😩😂😂 The lightest of windcheater over a 5/4 suit & I’m toasty for hours.......without piddling 😂😂. Thanks & beautifully presented 👏👏🙏
@@OurKiteLife absolutely. We are spoilt in Australia. Just throw on boardies and a Rashie and go out. No need to worry about the rest of the clobber.. You can probably relate to that on your warm weather trips. 😅
Amazing tips. Thermos with Warm water, Plastic bags, Windbreaker and Life Jacket are excellent tips. Have been watching your videos everyday one by one, they are amazing. For the last tip you can come to Portugal!! It's almost always summer here, a nice 15-20 knots and when there is no wind you can go surf :)
Thanks so much, we’re happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the videos and found the tips useful :) we would love to go to Portugal, hopefully we can sometime in the future!
we used to have a 90 f degree rule water and air had to meet or beat the combined temp . now our 90 degree rule is just book a trip to maui . thank you for all your great videos
Great video and a lot good tips in comments. I use NP edge wind top (armored skin) on top of the wetsuit. This top is so thin it doesn't restrict your movement but complelty blocks wind and keeps you warm.
We kite year round in Iceland. Our secret tip is an old camping trailer we gutted and installed just benches and a diesel forced air heater. (5 kw Webasto) An absolute game changer for the cold.
The island season is just starting to get underway - We recommend coming in late August early September for the best winds and water temperatures If you decide to make the trip let us know and we would be Happy to show you around :D
Xcel 'Drylock' boots are the best, they are so warm. I have kited in water temps of 3 deg C and those boots have performed very well. Otherwise I use 5/4mm suit, impact vest and dinghy smock on top of that. Gloves I use are 6mm...top tip for fingers getting cold.....stop in the shallows, park the kite on a wing tip on the water..now pull your fingers back and curl them up towards the palm of your hands...keep them inside the gloves! and wait. Fingers will warm up...wait a bit..then pop all fingers back into the gloves properly. Bet they wont get cold for the rest of the session :) try it, it works.
@@OurKiteLife you are welcome. I bought my first ones without knowing what they were like. Very pleased with them. The only thing I dont like is that the soles are really soft. Mine would last a year or so but that was with a lot of use. I got some other boots that arent brilliant but way tougher..but I have to use electrical type tape to seal the top of them to stop water flushing through all the time.
Haha, me too! :D 60*F is still admirable - especially for surfing! At least with kiting, you can avoid submerging your whole body in the water for the most part!
Thanks! Where we live (Toronto), doesn't really get the right conditions for snowkiting unfortunately. Unless the local marina bay freezes over and we get a good snowfall + good wind, we have to travel a fair distance north to snowkite. We do plan on it this winter though! :)
All great tips! I now live in Sweden and got uncomfortably cold at the end of August (in my home country, this month is still warm enough with nothing more than a wetsuit). So I bought cold water clothing, but I was still very anxious about kitesurfing during colder months here. Turns out this is actually not difficult at all with adequate clothing. I was on the water just a week ago (in January), and it's by far not the coldest thing I've done (I have been much colder before while skiing). Thank you for this video, it helped me overcome the mental barrier! :-) Besides the must-haves (hood, gloves, boots, windbreaker), what worked best for me was getting dressed at home (at least for the wetsuit). I know I won't have the willpower to change at the beach if it feels cold while I'm still in my dry clothes. Do you have tips for not getting tired so quickly in the forearms? I hope it will get easier when my gloves become less stiff. Or maybe I should exercise specifically for that.
Not sure about specific exercises for forearms. I like to do some general warm up exercises before going out. It could also be, as you mentioned, the tight gloves. Hopefully as they loosen a bit that will solve it.
I love kiting in cold weather. What makes it enjoyable is my Patagonia R5 wetsuit, mittens, and booties. The worst part is changing out of the wet suit in the cold and having that wetsuit smell. This is why I am currently converting a Sprinter van into a camper with a hot water shower!
@@colthenrie1631 Any hand strain gripping the bar? Seems like a lot of material for the hand to bend? Any concern being able to grab and use line knife in case of emergency?
@@dropthatfone First, let me correct myself. O I got R4 mittens but a RF suit. I find the strain on r4 yulex mittens no problem. In self rescue situations, it didn't have any problem for me. I am super grateful for that third finger rather than just two finger mitt. However the R5 suit I get tired a lot quicker from moving it around. My brother uses Ion Claw gloves that have pre bend fingers that he loves. I would say they are not as warm as a three finger mitten.
As for gloves.... ones with articulated fingers(pre bent) stop the forearm burn and allow for better circulation. I'm currently using the NP 5mm. The new versions are better than the old ones(the smooth skin old ones rip and leak bad). They basically hold the bar for you. Kyak gloves are also good options.
The forearm burn and lack of circulation can kill a session - we've tried so many gloves and most just don't cut it. We'll definitely check these ones out, thanks for the tip!
I duct tape the bottom of my drysuit to the top of my boots. Stops the flush and makes a huge difference. Feet are toasty with ice chunks in the water. I sometimes bring a cooler chest with a couple of gallons of hot water. Set it on the beach and can restore my hands, if they get numb.
Plastic bag trick is pretty cool. I tried it a few days ago. But... last year I splurged and bought a top end Voodoo suit. The fleece style lining makes slipping on super easy. Being a good winter suit, taking it off is like working with a straight jacket though. I have to do it very carefully so as to not pull a muscle. Question - in another video you record your jump height. What did you use for that? I'd like to record my location (on a map) and height jumped.
I wish there was a trick for taking wetsuits off similar to putting one on with the plastic bag :D If you find one, let us know! We use WOOs to measure jump height - but they aren't all that accurate (we made another video on that not too long ago)
Great Video! Wear a shortie wetsuit inside your full wetsuit. It make a huge difference. Wear a neoprene hoodie outer layer. Use a small plastic tarp from the dollar store to sit on. You can also use another one on the ground when getting out of your wetsuit to keep it clean.
I have heard about the shorty+long thing a couple of times from diver friends, not sure which way is better - short over long or long over short, have you tried?
@@honzaasterba Shorty inside is best. I have tried both ways. A shorty outside is harder to put on over a bulky full suit and looks a little funny. It takes longer to put on the first layer so you are exposed to the cold for longer. Finally taking off the full suit takes longer and you are exposed to the cold longer. A shorty inside is quick to put on so you get out of the cold quicker. Then the full suit is easy to put on over the thin first layer. Finally when taking off the shorty, it is quicker to take off so you are out of the cold quicker.
Tip: Don't get gloves that are too tight. Get a close fit but watch out they don't squeeze the fingers in any way. I only started kiteboarding a couple of months ago and figured out that when choosing gloves you want to watch out that they're not too tight. You want them to be close fitting of course but really watch out that they're not tight. Last time I went to the beach I think what happened was that my gloves limited some blood flow to my fingers and my finger tips started hurting in 10 minutes or so. Once I took the gloves off I actually felt like I could have gone longer without any because my body was actually very warm. Kinda the same way you can easily not wear any gloves when working outside in -20 degrees and not wear any gloves when your body is really hot. That last time was about a month ago when we had about 6-8 degrees out. After watching this video I kinda regret packing up for this season as I'm sure the rest of my gear will still be good for this 2-4 degree weather.
Great tip! We've found that having the right size and type of gloves can make or break a session too. We're actually pretty big fans of the lobster-style mitts right now - way less restrictive on the fingers than the gloves but still functional
Comments about drysuit ... I have a lucifer NP drysuit looks like jacket and trousers ... I have more free movement than a wetsuit a breathable thermal onesie underneath ... best bit of kit ever ...
@@OurKiteLife this wetsuit is very flexible. Check eu.billabong.com/shop/product/mens-furnace-fullsuits/7-6-furnace-carbon-ultra-hooded-fullsuit-wetsuit?color=0019
I have two ! BEST on the market Is Gul brand. Drysuit thermal .. the best one is the " radiation thermal undersuit " is breathable ....... and will be able to kite in any cold conditions allday .. as your body is warner your hands and feet dont suffer .
about the "warm up your wetsuit by peeing" detail: YOUR BODY is heating up the water you drank, and then you RELEASE it, although it feels good for the moment, you are actually NOT heating up your body, on the contrary, you are losing heat because you've just expelled thermal energy that your body so expensively produced. This is like opening the window at winter after hours of heating up the room. That good 1 litre of heat was already inside your body, at your core, close to all vital organs, now you've just released it between your skin and a wetsuit dipped in the cold ocean, and will lose all energy within seconds.
as a rule of thumb, any kite that has a low aspect ratio (proportion of the surface area of kite to its length) will behave good in gusts and have a lot of depower. So, in other words, any beginner oriented kite on the market. Also it would be important to have a good bar with a decent safety system. Let me know if you have any more questions
Below 0*C you can have ice build up on your harness and safety release so as a general rule of thumb it’s best not to go out on the water in negative temperatures - and go snowkiting instead if possible :)
Hi, which Rip Curl 5/3 do you use and what is the lowest temperature (is it air or water?) when it's still comfortable in it? Are fleece space (chest, chest+legs, fully fleece inside) or fully sealed seams really important by your experience? I'd really appreciate your thoughts! Thank you!
I used to have to Rip Curl Dawn Patrol wetsuit. I have wore it in just above freezing temps but wouldn’t recommend that. I’d say around 5*C is comfortable… but your best bet would be to see what Rip Curl recommends. Fleece lining is a nice feature, and fully sealed seams is best for a cold water suit. Hope that helps!
Hello all, I am planning my first cold wing foil sessions for this winter. meaning I might be a little more in the water than with a kite beach What kind of clothing do you put under your wetsuit? as those will get wet, what do you need to put for it to stay warm? Thanks in advance !
>Book a trip someplace warm If you go to Florida, bring a wetsuit anyway. Water on the Atlantic side gets down to 40 F in winter and windy days (in winter) usually come from cold fronts. I've come in from surfing sessions to tourists disappointed that they can't swim in the water and need to wear jackets on the beach.
I've lived in Daytona beach, FL, and as a Northern European originally, I'd say they're spoiled with those warm water temps. Here the sea doesn't get warmer than 18-20C in the hottest summer months.
Is this in St Catharines? Looks almost like it. I live here, just trying to get back into KB. I keep looking at the wind forecast and looks like I may have just missed the season. What are the good spots around the GTA?
Yes - this was at Port Dalhousie! Good spots in GTA are Cherry Beach, Ashbridges, Marie Curtis. Forecast lately hasn’t looked great but usually enough wind for foilboarding/light wind twintip sessions at least a few times a week :) hoping for some stronger winds over the next couple months!
Put on fleece suit, two layers of wool underwear, drysuit on. Then drive one hour to the spot jump out, pump the kite and have an epic session in 30 knot winds and -5C temps. I still dont know why i kite alone all winter cause im toasty warm! :p
I hadn't seen the plastic bag trick .. I duct tape the seam between wet-suit and boots, or roll the wet-suit over the boots. I'll swing my arms in circles quickly to warm my hands up flushing my blood into them :-) + Have Fun
Hey, I know it's an old video but wondering, for gloves and boots in Toronto. Would you go with 5mm Boots and Gloves (5mm enough?) ? or would you do 5mm gloves and 7mm boots? (I understand that for gloves, anything over 5mm is useless as very hard to handle). Thank you.
For winter kiting I am currently wearing 8mm booties and 5mm gloves. The booties are great for keeping my feet warm. Next pair of gloves will be mitten style as I think that will keep fingers warmer for longer. There are pre-curved mitts and gloves that we’ve heard good reviews on but haven’t tried them yet
@@OurKiteLife Okay thanks. I'm thinking XCEL lobster 5mm gloves and for boots I was debating between the 5mm split toe and the 7mm round toe. If you guys are rocking 8mm booties, I guess 7mm will be better than 5mm. Thanks (once again) for the tips
Comfort and reward vs cold weather. For me cold weather wins but I hope it is worth it for you. You guys like me need to move to a place where human beings can live and have a good time. :)
Pouring hot water into your wetsuit (like hot showers with your wetsuit still on) makes the glue in the wetsuit's seams fluid, rendering your wetsuit useless in no time. Best gloves are ION's claw gloves, they're pre shaped for good bar grip without fatiguing your forearms. And most important (especially if you're on a wave spot), get out when your still fit. A long session until you're fatigued is not a good idea during winter. If you get in trouble if your already tired and cold, chances of survival are slimmer. Hypothermia happens fast and you'll make all the wrong decisions once your body temperature drops too much.
Ah - didn't know that about the hot water and wetsuit glue - but it makes sense. We never use burning hot water - it's usually warm tap water, kept warm in the thermos. Haven't noticed that our wetsuits are not performing as well, but it's something to be aware of. We've been hearing about the pre-shaped gloves a lot - we'll look into a pair like that as forearm fatigue is one of the very first things that you notice when kiting with gloves. Agreed on getting out while still fit - pushing the limit can be extremely dangerous in cold conditions!
You made a couple really good points. Hypothermia does happen quickly especially when you are already being so active - it means the heat equations is really turning against you and you have no reserve to generate more heat. Additionally, when you are wet, heat lose is extremely fast in the cold. Your second key point is judgement. When you start to enter hypothermia your brain behaves like you are drunk and judgement becomes extremely impaired. Add to that, the loss of willpower and the desire to sleep and one is soon in trouble. I am curious, is it not just better to do snowkiting with proper winter gear with the elimination of drowning?
Water is pretty consistently 5*C here during winter, so with air temp of 0*C or above we can get out with our current set-up. I went out in the spring in -2*C air temp (Vlog #1), but I was pretty frozen!
Dry suits can be dangerous. If they open or rip and fill with cold water you will go hypothermic fast, be less buoyant and have a hard time swimming. All most lost a friend due to this. Thanks for the tips.
Sorry to hear that your friend had such a close call - that can be terrifying. We have done a couple videos on drysuits and while it is possible to swim with a drysuit that’s full of water it is difficult and, as you said, the biggest danger is becoming hypothermic. That being said, we both wear Ocean Rodeo Soul drysuits for kiting most of the winter and find them to be extremely durable/highly unlikely to tear. We still play it safe with a life jacket, not riding too far from shore, and never kiting alone. Same goes for when we’re wearing wetsuits.
The one I use is specific for kiteboarding - it's the Mystic Windstopper. I have seen some guys in regular windbreakers though, so they may work just as well!
You can use a drysuit too, we've been through at least three of them, but unfortunately they don't last long and start to leak. We have been using thick wetsuits for now and they work great
Consider a community campaign! Ok, I'll admit--this one (link) is used by walkers and cyclists; not so much wet kiteboarders. But I think they use a building on the other end (if only for changing?). www.parksconservancy.org/services/warming-hut-park-store-cafe
Shes adorable, but crazy! Never would you EVER get a lady to do this!! Shes a trooper! But I was wondering how she would go pee after drinking all that but now we know 😆
In my opinion there is a lot of hopeless advices in this video. Finger gloves is the worst ever to wear on hands because its so cold unless they are crazy thick. Evrything with neopren inside the hands gives you less contact and more fatigue. Try dakine cold water mitts with artificial leather inside for cold days. For semi cold: Open palm neopren mitts are a very good choice. They allow you to take them quick on and off for fixing knots on lines etc. Shoes inside shoes is a hopeless solution! 5mm surf shoes will do the work. Secure suit- shoe interference with a neoprene tube or similar to avoid circulation and the bare leg annoying phenomenon. I use chopped of neo legs from an old suit with closure. More layers under suit is an emergency solution. However, I use a neoprene west over my surf suit somethimes. Allso from a butchered old suit. But many layers isnt ideal. Use minimum 6-5-4 surf suit in cold weather. 5-3 isnt enough. when under app 6 degrees I use a free dive open cell 7mm on. A cold water suit must have an integrated hood. Or else the neck will be flushed. A dry suit is warm and works, but personally I dont like them becauce of the moisty inside. The video recommend vaseline. Thats so hopeless. Its not a survival game! Who want that sticky stuff in the face? Totally unnessesary with proper insulation. If the body is warm, it will transfer heat to exposed bodyparts. Dress properly and avoid vaseline :) . I liked the "Warm up" - point i nthe video. Stay warm an avoid injuries. But the way to do it is with a hooded 6+mm suit, mitts on hands and 5mm shoes. If you follow theese 3 advices you will stay warm and safe. You will allso be super bouyant becauce of the thick neoprene and doesnt need the PFD in addition. The last advice in the video about traveling to a warm place is correct if you dress like this with double shoes, vaseline, 5mm suit etc. :) Best Regards Halvor - Have a super winter season!
Thanks for the comment! We are actually thinking to make an updated version to this video as our own “tips” for winter riding have changed a lot since we made this video :) appreciate the feedback and suggestions!
@@OurKiteLife Thanks! And thanks for videos. I am looking forward to see the video. I will say its a limit around 6-7 deg. Over its ok with 6mm and open palm gloves. Under, its the dakine cold water mitts type with leather inside and something warmer than the 6mm. Perhaps 6+ additional things like a vest, or a thicker suit. I found the 2 piece open cell freediving suit warm and flexible. Good luck!
for sure 5mm wetsuit is thin for cold water if it is the only thing u wear. Check our first vlog and see what happened to Laurie. However, with rashguard underneath and wind stopper jacket, 5mm gloves, and 5 mm booties with 2mm neoprene socks, it is 100% manageable. With that said the guy in this video in a blue hoodie jacket was wearing 6/5 mm and he swears by it.
5/4 is on the limit. i had to wear rain gear on top the get the wind chill off. then it wasnt so bad. But no way in hell im changing in that so i just got a drysuit after half a season of 0C and below kiting. Apart from that, 6mm booties and you wont feel the water at all.
Some more tips from Norway :) Park your car facing into the wind, then you have shelter when changing after session from your trunklid (works on most cars) Impact vest also keeps you warm instead of windbreaker or lifevest. Bring a floormat to keep your feet warm when getting out of your wetsuit.Have a big plastic case in your car for wet stuff as your car will not dry out until spring if it get soaked inside.
Those are great tips! Thanks for sharing them :)
the flormat tip is perfect, thank you!!!
Or buy a campervan, so you will have a warm place where you can change clothes
Although a paddle boarder in the UK I continue to pick up lots of tips from your channel and much appreciate what I have learned. Thank you.
These are some of the best kiteboarding videos on UA-cam.
Thank you :)
Love the hot water and plastic bag tips, new to us. Thanks for sharing these!!
No problem! The hot water tip is one of our favourites :)
@@OurKiteLife So obvious but had never thought about it!
Really impressed with the commitment it takes to kite in those conditions. I rarely kite if it's too cold for a springsuit, but you've inspired me. I'll get my steamer on!
Haha, awesome! Thanks 😊
That makes our winter weather in Tasmania look more like Maui. We’ve got nothing to complain about other than the screaming squalls we get.
Great tips, all of them, but the plastic bags on the hands would definitely reduce the amount of times I’ve punched myself in the face 😩😂😂
The lightest of windcheater over a 5/4 suit & I’m toasty for hours.......without piddling 😂😂. Thanks & beautifully presented 👏👏🙏
4C a few weeks ago in the UK and we all had fun, thanks for all these extras. The winter wind is nice and strong, it's a shame to miss it.
Agreed! After waiting all summer for wind, it feels wrong to pass it up in the winter :)
Hats off to you going out when it's that cold. To get out for a kite surf course it's worth it! You lot are made of tough stuff.
Thanks! The season would be really short if we didn’t embrace the cold 😄
@@OurKiteLife absolutely. We are spoilt in Australia. Just throw on boardies and a Rashie and go out. No need to worry about the rest of the clobber.. You can probably relate to that on your warm weather trips. 😅
Amazing tips. Thermos with Warm water, Plastic bags, Windbreaker and Life Jacket are excellent tips. Have been watching your videos everyday one by one, they are amazing. For the last tip you can come to Portugal!! It's almost always summer here, a nice 15-20 knots and when there is no wind you can go surf :)
Thanks so much, we’re happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the videos and found the tips useful :) we would love to go to Portugal, hopefully we can sometime in the future!
Good tips that I will need for sure now the winter is coming in The Netherlands and travel opperunities are not sure!
Very good video! Thank you! Greetings from Sweden.
I did not think about the plastic bag. Great idea!!! Yeah!!
Haha ya - it's so simple but so good :D
we used to have a 90 f degree rule water and air had to meet or beat the combined temp . now our 90 degree rule is just book a trip to maui . thank you for all your great videos
Thanks for the video, some tips I'd not thought of before, really useful
Great video and a lot good tips in comments. I use NP edge wind top (armored skin) on top of the wetsuit. This top is so thin it doesn't restrict your movement but complelty blocks wind and keeps you warm.
We'll have to check that out! Thanks for the tip!
I just use a 7 mm diving wetsuite for these days...Thanks for the hot water tip never tought of that. Great vids!!! Greetz from Belgium!
Thanks! 7mm sounds toasty warm :) we'll look into those when it's time for new wetsuits!
Top tip, soon as you land the kite. Turn on the car engine, heating on. Jumping into a warm car and having a hot coffee is great.
Agreed! Thanks for sharing!
I do that! so nice to get into a warm car
We kite year round in Iceland. Our secret tip is an old camping trailer we gutted and installed just benches and a diesel forced air heater. (5 kw Webasto) An absolute game changer for the cold.
That sounds awesome! We had a portable sauna last winter, but sadly it broke. We were kiting in bathing suits at the end of December :D
Not happening in Iceland - any time of the year :-)
Do you venture out in below zero C. Sir ? Sounds like you must.
The plastic bag tip worked out great!
Nice! 😀
Great tips, here's one to share ... If out with multiple friends, take a 4 man tent to change in or out of.
Good one! Thanks for sharing :)
Your very welcome, it just hit me like ... why hasn't anyone thought of this before including me -duh?
Awesome video! Here is to warmer weathers and strong winds!! :D
What's the kiting like in PEI right now? We're dying to kite out east and curious what your season is like
The island season is just starting to get underway - We recommend coming in late August early September for the best winds and water temperatures If you decide to make the trip let us know and we would be Happy to show you around :D
OMG,,, great plastic bag tip,,, cant wait ta try it! Graeat vid!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :)
Xcel 'Drylock' boots are the best, they are so warm. I have kited in water temps of 3 deg C and those boots have performed very well. Otherwise I use 5/4mm suit, impact vest and dinghy smock on top of that. Gloves I use are 6mm...top tip for fingers getting cold.....stop in the shallows, park the kite on a wing tip on the water..now pull your fingers back and curl them up towards the palm of your hands...keep them inside the gloves! and wait. Fingers will warm up...wait a bit..then pop all fingers back into the gloves properly. Bet they wont get cold for the rest of the session :) try it, it works.
Awesome - thanks for the tips! I'm in need of new booties so I'll check out the Xcel Drylock :)
@@OurKiteLife you are welcome. I bought my first ones without knowing what they were like. Very pleased with them. The only thing I dont like is that the soles are really soft. Mine would last a year or so but that was with a lot of use. I got some other boots that arent brilliant but way tougher..but I have to use electrical type tape to seal the top of them to stop water flushing through all the time.
I like your last tip the best. 😀👍. People think I’m hard core for surfing when the air and water temp are 60 Fahrenheit.
Haha, me too! :D 60*F is still admirable - especially for surfing! At least with kiting, you can avoid submerging your whole body in the water for the most part!
Our Kite Life Only when your as good as you. I’m a much better surfer than kite surfer, so I’m probably out of the water more surfing. 😀
Great tips!! I'm wearing 5mm + a drysuit on top. Works great for 0-10C
Sounds like a good & warm combo!
I admire you passion and devotion. What about just staying dry and going snowkiting?
Thanks! Where we live (Toronto), doesn't really get the right conditions for snowkiting unfortunately. Unless the local marina bay freezes over and we get a good snowfall + good wind, we have to travel a fair distance north to snowkite. We do plan on it this winter though! :)
Great tips, I think I will be adding a dry suit to the mix for next season. I will admit I like your last tip the best! Thanks!
Drysuit will definitely extend those cold water sessions :)
You are very beautiful and sunny! Thank you!!!)))
Thank you :)
All great tips!
I now live in Sweden and got uncomfortably cold at the end of August (in my home country, this month is still warm enough with nothing more than a wetsuit). So I bought cold water clothing, but I was still very anxious about kitesurfing during colder months here. Turns out this is actually not difficult at all with adequate clothing. I was on the water just a week ago (in January), and it's by far not the coldest thing I've done (I have been much colder before while skiing). Thank you for this video, it helped me overcome the mental barrier! :-)
Besides the must-haves (hood, gloves, boots, windbreaker), what worked best for me was getting dressed at home (at least for the wetsuit). I know I won't have the willpower to change at the beach if it feels cold while I'm still in my dry clothes.
Do you have tips for not getting tired so quickly in the forearms? I hope it will get easier when my gloves become less stiff. Or maybe I should exercise specifically for that.
Not sure about specific exercises for forearms. I like to do some general warm up exercises before going out. It could also be, as you mentioned, the tight gloves. Hopefully as they loosen a bit that will solve it.
I love kiting in cold weather. What makes it enjoyable is my Patagonia R5 wetsuit, mittens, and booties. The worst part is changing out of the wet suit in the cold and having that wetsuit smell. This is why I am currently converting a Sprinter van into a camper with a hot water shower!
Agreed - getting out and changing up is always the worst but sounds like you'll have an amazing set-up for that soon!
What brand mittens do you use?
For the coldest of weather, I use my Patagonia R5 three finger mitts.
@@colthenrie1631 Any hand strain gripping the bar? Seems like a lot of material for the hand to bend? Any concern being able to grab and use line knife in case of emergency?
@@dropthatfone First, let me correct myself. O I got R4 mittens but a RF suit. I find the strain on r4 yulex mittens no problem. In self rescue situations, it didn't have any problem for me. I am super grateful for that third finger rather than just two finger mitt.
However the R5 suit I get tired a lot quicker from moving it around. My brother uses Ion Claw gloves that have pre bend fingers that he loves. I would say they are not as warm as a three finger mitten.
As for gloves.... ones with articulated fingers(pre bent) stop the forearm burn and allow for better circulation. I'm currently using the NP 5mm. The new versions are better than the old ones(the smooth skin old ones rip and leak bad). They basically hold the bar for you.
Kyak gloves are also good options.
The forearm burn and lack of circulation can kill a session - we've tried so many gloves and most just don't cut it. We'll definitely check these ones out, thanks for the tip!
@@OurKiteLife Newfoundland is cold a lot!
I duct tape the bottom of my drysuit to the top of my boots. Stops the flush and makes a huge difference. Feet are toasty with ice chunks in the water. I sometimes bring a cooler chest with a couple of gallons of hot water. Set it on the beach and can restore my hands, if they get numb.
Nice! Haha that cooler chest with hot water is next level!!
Thank you so much for the tips. I didn't get though why one should not use the heated seats, can anyone please explain?
4:25 we used to say there are 2 types of surfers - those who pee in their wetsuits and those who doesn't admit it.
Plastic bag trick is pretty cool. I tried it a few days ago. But... last year I splurged and bought a top end Voodoo suit. The fleece style lining makes slipping on super easy. Being a good winter suit, taking it off is like working with a straight jacket though. I have to do it very carefully so as to not pull a muscle. Question - in another video you record your jump height. What did you use for that? I'd like to record my location (on a map) and height jumped.
I wish there was a trick for taking wetsuits off similar to putting one on with the plastic bag :D If you find one, let us know! We use WOOs to measure jump height - but they aren't all that accurate (we made another video on that not too long ago)
Great tips. Thanks!
Thanks - glad you enjoyed!
Some good advice, a cheap alternative to a windbreaker is to buy a cheap kayaking cag.
Nice one! Thanks for the tip!
Great Video!
Wear a shortie wetsuit inside your full wetsuit. It make a huge difference. Wear a neoprene hoodie outer layer. Use a small plastic tarp from the dollar store to sit on. You can also use another one on the ground when getting out of your wetsuit to keep it clean.
These are great! May have to try the shorty under the wetsuit soon. Thanks for sharing Indy :)
I have heard about the shorty+long thing a couple of times from diver friends, not sure which way is better - short over long or long over short, have you tried?
Long over short might look better :D I'd be worried about stretching out my shorty too!
@@honzaasterba Shorty inside is best. I have tried both ways.
A shorty outside is harder to put on over a bulky full suit and looks a little funny. It takes longer to put on the first layer so you are exposed to the cold for longer. Finally taking off the full suit takes longer and you are exposed to the cold longer.
A shorty inside is quick to put on so you get out of the cold quicker. Then the full suit is easy to put on over the thin first layer. Finally when taking off the shorty, it is quicker to take off so you are out of the cold quicker.
Great Video!
Thanks!
You guys are Crazy NUTS!!! I love it :)
Haha thanks!
The plastic bag trick is genius!
Right? We just learned this one recently and it's great!
Need to watch more videos like this to avoid butchering my sessions
1 tip I’d like to add is to choose a fine sunny weather, which is much warmer even with the same degree.
That's true - sunny sessions are always warmer :)
Tip: Don't get gloves that are too tight. Get a close fit but watch out they don't squeeze the fingers in any way.
I only started kiteboarding a couple of months ago and figured out that when choosing gloves you want to watch out that they're not too tight. You want them to be close fitting of course but really watch out that they're not tight. Last time I went to the beach I think what happened was that my gloves limited some blood flow to my fingers and my finger tips started hurting in 10 minutes or so. Once I took the gloves off I actually felt like I could have gone longer without any because my body was actually very warm. Kinda the same way you can easily not wear any gloves when working outside in -20 degrees and not wear any gloves when your body is really hot. That last time was about a month ago when we had about 6-8 degrees out. After watching this video I kinda regret packing up for this season as I'm sure the rest of my gear will still be good for this 2-4 degree weather.
Great tip! We've found that having the right size and type of gloves can make or break a session too. We're actually pretty big fans of the lobster-style mitts right now - way less restrictive on the fingers than the gloves but still functional
Great advice as always 🙂
Very good tips
Just any other day here in Santa Cruz...
Comments about drysuit ... I have a lucifer NP drysuit looks like jacket and trousers ... I have more free movement than a wetsuit a breathable thermal onesie underneath ... best bit of kit ever ...
interesting, what brand onesie do you use?
thx a lot for this Video!!! really good tips!
Thank you! Hope the tips are useful :)
I have a 7/6 Billabong wetsuit, super warm
Sounds very warm! Do you find the thickness restricts your movement a lot?
@@OurKiteLife this wetsuit is very flexible. Check eu.billabong.com/shop/product/mens-furnace-fullsuits/7-6-furnace-carbon-ultra-hooded-fullsuit-wetsuit?color=0019
Thanks for the advice and tips. It really helped me get started in cold weather
No problem - are you kiting today?
Nice tips. If you find yourself in South Africa, you are welcome to Langebaan. :=)
Thank you! :)
I have two ! BEST on the market Is Gul brand. Drysuit thermal .. the best one is the " radiation thermal undersuit " is breathable ....... and will be able to kite in any cold conditions allday .. as your body is warner your hands and feet dont suffer .
thanks for the tip, how about condensation with this setup? You mentioned, breathable, so I assume it shouldn't be an issue?
Good Information
Thanks
handsome advice...
You are a legend
great tips
Thanks!
about the "warm up your wetsuit by peeing" detail: YOUR BODY is heating up the water you drank, and then you RELEASE it, although it feels good for the moment, you are actually NOT heating up your body, on the contrary, you are losing heat because you've just expelled thermal energy that your body so expensively produced. This is like opening the window at winter after hours of heating up the room. That good 1 litre of heat was already inside your body, at your core, close to all vital organs, now you've just released it between your skin and a wetsuit dipped in the cold ocean, and will lose all energy within seconds.
nice video, thanks for the advices :)
Nice love the video thank you for the tip
Can you recommend what is the safest kite to fly in your opinion ty
as a rule of thumb, any kite that has a low aspect ratio (proportion of the surface area of kite to its length) will behave good in gusts and have a lot of depower. So, in other words, any beginner oriented kite on the market. Also it would be important to have a good bar with a decent safety system. Let me know if you have any more questions
Hey fellow kiters, what do you do to make sure your safety release works in winter water kiting ? :) is it not safe to go out below a certain temp?
Below 0*C you can have ice build up on your harness and safety release so as a general rule of thumb it’s best not to go out on the water in negative temperatures - and go snowkiting instead if possible :)
That was my next question. Thank you.
Hi, which Rip Curl 5/3 do you use and what is the lowest temperature (is it air or water?) when it's still comfortable in it? Are fleece space (chest, chest+legs, fully fleece inside) or fully sealed seams really important by your experience? I'd really appreciate your thoughts! Thank you!
I used to have to Rip Curl Dawn Patrol wetsuit. I have wore it in just above freezing temps but wouldn’t recommend that. I’d say around 5*C is comfortable… but your best bet would be to see what Rip Curl recommends. Fleece lining is a nice feature, and fully sealed seams is best for a cold water suit. Hope that helps!
Hello all,
I am planning my first cold wing foil sessions for this winter. meaning I might be a little more in the water than with a kite beach
What kind of clothing do you put under your wetsuit?
as those will get wet, what do you need to put for it to stay warm?
Thanks in advance !
We have worn rash guards under our wetsuits for additional warmth - but not sure how much, if any, additional warmth they provide
@@OurKiteLife many thanks for your answer and all the knowledge you share on your Chanel!
It is super helpful for newbies to the topic like me !
Awesome😁😎 love this channel
Thank you :)
>Book a trip someplace warm
If you go to Florida, bring a wetsuit anyway. Water on the Atlantic side gets down to 40 F in winter and windy days (in winter) usually come from cold fronts. I've come in from surfing sessions to tourists disappointed that they can't swim in the water and need to wear jackets on the beach.
Thanks for the tip!
I've lived in Daytona beach, FL, and as a Northern European originally, I'd say they're spoiled with those warm water temps. Here the sea doesn't get warmer than 18-20C in the hottest summer months.
Is this in St Catharines? Looks almost like it. I live here, just trying to get back into KB. I keep looking at the wind forecast and looks like I may have just missed the season. What are the good spots around the GTA?
Yes - this was at Port Dalhousie! Good spots in GTA are Cherry Beach, Ashbridges, Marie Curtis. Forecast lately hasn’t looked great but usually enough wind for foilboarding/light wind twintip sessions at least a few times a week :) hoping for some stronger winds over the next couple months!
@@OurKiteLife thanks for the tips. Maybe I’ll see you out on the water in the following months.
The last tip is the best)
We think so too! :D
Put on fleece suit, two layers of wool underwear, drysuit on. Then drive one hour to the spot jump out, pump the kite and have an epic session in 30 knot winds and -5C temps. I still dont know why i kite alone all winter cause im toasty warm! :p
Sounds like you've got a great system in place! We might just try it out this winter for ourselves :)
No problem With things freezing when it’s below zero?
names of the gear?
so helpful !!
I hadn't seen the plastic bag trick .. I duct tape the seam between wet-suit and boots, or roll the wet-suit over the boots. I'll swing my arms in circles quickly to warm my hands up flushing my blood into them :-) + Have Fun
The plastic bag trick is one of our favs :) lots of arm swinging and hand shaking going on in the winter months!
dont forget a hammer to break the ice from your QR to unhook once you are done with your session ;)
Plus a hot shower to melt the ice off your harness so you can take it off :P
😭
Wait, is that a real kiting accessory? 🤣
Hey, I know it's an old video but wondering, for gloves and boots in Toronto. Would you go with 5mm Boots and Gloves (5mm enough?) ? or would you do 5mm gloves and 7mm boots? (I understand that for gloves, anything over 5mm is useless as very hard to handle). Thank you.
For winter kiting I am currently wearing 8mm booties and 5mm gloves. The booties are great for keeping my feet warm. Next pair of gloves will be mitten style as I think that will keep fingers warmer for longer. There are pre-curved mitts and gloves that we’ve heard good reviews on but haven’t tried them yet
@@OurKiteLife Okay thanks. I'm thinking XCEL lobster 5mm gloves and for boots I was debating between the 5mm split toe and the 7mm round toe. If you guys are rocking 8mm booties, I guess 7mm will be better than 5mm. Thanks (once again) for the tips
I always wear a 7mm backzip wetsuitt
That sounds warm!
Does the plastic bag trick work for the neck on my dry suit?
Nice Video tanks a lot :)
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Im never gonna wear a lifejacket😂 over all great tips
Thanks 🙂
Yes, that's exactly why I have a big tub of Vaseline ... for kiting ... 😬
LOL
Where should I put my wetsuit and wetsuit hood and wetsuit gloves and wetsuit boots for boogie boarding
Which wetsuit brand to u use Mam....
In this video, Ripcurl. Since then we are using Mystic wetsuits
Comfort and reward vs cold weather. For me cold weather wins but I hope it is worth it for you. You guys like me need to move to a place where human beings can live and have a good time. :)
That's definitely something we've considered! Maybe someday we'll live somewhere warm and windy year round :)
Pouring hot water into your wetsuit (like hot showers with your wetsuit still on) makes the glue in the wetsuit's seams fluid, rendering your wetsuit useless in no time. Best gloves are ION's claw gloves, they're pre shaped for good bar grip without fatiguing your forearms. And most important (especially if you're on a wave spot), get out when your still fit. A long session until you're fatigued is not a good idea during winter. If you get in trouble if your already tired and cold, chances of survival are slimmer. Hypothermia happens fast and you'll make all the wrong decisions once your body temperature drops too much.
Ah - didn't know that about the hot water and wetsuit glue - but it makes sense. We never use burning hot water - it's usually warm tap water, kept warm in the thermos. Haven't noticed that our wetsuits are not performing as well, but it's something to be aware of.
We've been hearing about the pre-shaped gloves a lot - we'll look into a pair like that as forearm fatigue is one of the very first things that you notice when kiting with gloves. Agreed on getting out while still fit - pushing the limit can be extremely dangerous in cold conditions!
You made a couple really good points. Hypothermia does happen quickly especially when you are already being so active - it means the heat equations is really turning against you and you have no reserve to generate more heat. Additionally, when you are wet, heat lose is extremely fast in the cold. Your second key point is judgement. When you start to enter hypothermia your brain behaves like you are drunk and judgement becomes extremely impaired. Add to that, the loss of willpower and the desire to sleep and one is soon in trouble. I am curious, is it not just better to do snowkiting with proper winter gear with the elimination of drowning?
what is the min temp, air + water youll go out in with a suit 5/4 with wind break hat etc?
Water is pretty consistently 5*C here during winter, so with air temp of 0*C or above we can get out with our current set-up. I went out in the spring in -2*C air temp (Vlog #1), but I was pretty frozen!
Dry suits can be dangerous. If they open or rip and fill with cold water you will go hypothermic fast, be less buoyant and have a hard time swimming. All most lost a friend due to this. Thanks for the tips.
Sorry to hear that your friend had such a close call - that can be terrifying.
We have done a couple videos on drysuits and while it is possible to swim with a drysuit that’s full of water it is difficult and, as you said, the biggest danger is becoming hypothermic. That being said, we both wear Ocean Rodeo Soul drysuits for kiting most of the winter and find them to be extremely durable/highly unlikely to tear. We still play it safe with a life jacket, not riding too far from shore, and never kiting alone. Same goes for when we’re wearing wetsuits.
So you put normal sport windstoper on wetsuit and it helps or is it some special windstoper for water?
The one I use is specific for kiteboarding - it's the Mystic Windstopper. I have seen some guys in regular windbreakers though, so they may work just as well!
Thanks I will try it 🤙
@@OurKiteLife I was wondering the same thing. I have a very good hardshell Outdoor Research that I ski in. I may try it.
Ever see issues with safety line icing up and malfunctioning?
Icing up, yes. Usually at that point we call it a day. Wouldn't trust the safety to work if it's covered in ice...
A 7/6 Billabong is super warm
I bet! Do you find the thickness restricts your movement much?
Our Kite Life not at all, the suit is very flexible
+1 - bring some liquor
Delayem no ne afishiruyem ;)
@@OurKiteLife that's exactly correct ! :D
any inflatable boards?
Not for kiteboarding - that we know of. There are inflatable winging boards though
Очень интересно и позновательно. Круто.)
Спасибо :)
Вы и по русскому можете?!))))
@@alexcake7272 ) Ну да)
It will be easy to buy only the ticket to Miami and kiting only in shorts..
Haha I wish I could just fly down to Miami for all my winter kite sessions :D
@@OurKiteLife it will be cheaper that all cold weather stuff)))
you tough guys!
Why not a drysuit?
You can use a drysuit too, we've been through at least three of them, but unfortunately they don't last long and start to leak. We have been using thick wetsuits for now and they work great
@@OurKiteLife leak is a common matter with scuba drysuits too
build a warm surfhouse on your favorite surf spot. It sounds a bit over the top but only this keeps me surfing during cold .se winter :)
If we could build one at our local spot, we definitely would!
Consider a community campaign! Ok, I'll admit--this one (link) is used by walkers and cyclists; not so much wet kiteboarders. But I think they use a building on the other end (if only for changing?). www.parksconservancy.org/services/warming-hut-park-store-cafe
Shes adorable, but crazy! Never would you EVER get a lady to do this!! Shes a trooper! But I was wondering how she would go pee after drinking all that but now we know 😆
Why the plastic bag on the seats?
So you don't ruin your seats? :D
CUTE ! Warm Girl... beautiful and sweet...(great tips too) BRRRR...
In my opinion there is a lot of hopeless advices in this video. Finger gloves is the worst ever to wear on hands because its so cold unless they are crazy thick. Evrything with neopren inside the hands gives you less contact and more fatigue. Try dakine cold water mitts with artificial leather inside for cold days. For semi cold: Open palm neopren mitts are a very good choice. They allow you to take them quick on and off for fixing knots on lines etc. Shoes inside shoes is a hopeless solution! 5mm surf shoes will do the work. Secure suit- shoe interference with a neoprene tube or similar to avoid circulation and the bare leg annoying phenomenon. I use chopped of neo legs from an old suit with closure. More layers under suit is an emergency solution. However, I use a neoprene west over my surf suit somethimes. Allso from a butchered old suit. But many layers isnt ideal. Use minimum 6-5-4 surf suit in cold weather. 5-3 isnt enough. when under app 6 degrees I use a free dive open cell 7mm on. A cold water suit must have an integrated hood. Or else the neck will be flushed. A dry suit is warm and works, but personally I dont like them becauce of the moisty inside. The video recommend vaseline. Thats so hopeless. Its not a survival game! Who want that sticky stuff in the face? Totally unnessesary with proper insulation. If the body is warm, it will transfer heat to exposed bodyparts. Dress properly and avoid vaseline :) . I liked the "Warm up" - point i nthe video. Stay warm an avoid injuries. But the way to do it is with a hooded 6+mm suit, mitts on hands and 5mm shoes. If you follow theese 3 advices you will stay warm and safe. You will allso be super bouyant becauce of the thick neoprene and doesnt need the PFD in addition. The last advice in the video about traveling to a warm place is correct if you dress like this with double shoes, vaseline, 5mm suit etc. :) Best Regards Halvor - Have a super winter season!
Thanks for the comment! We are actually thinking to make an updated version to this video as our own “tips” for winter riding have changed a lot since we made this video :) appreciate the feedback and suggestions!
@@OurKiteLife Thanks! And thanks for videos. I am looking forward to see the video. I will say its a limit around 6-7 deg. Over its ok with 6mm and open palm gloves. Under, its the dakine cold water mitts type with leather inside and something warmer than the 6mm. Perhaps 6+ additional things like a vest, or a thicker suit. I found the 2 piece open cell freediving suit warm and flexible. Good luck!
5mm wetsuit sounds way too thin for 5C water and near freezing temps :)
for sure 5mm wetsuit is thin for cold water if it is the only thing u wear. Check our first vlog and see what happened to Laurie. However, with rashguard underneath and wind stopper jacket, 5mm gloves, and 5 mm booties with 2mm neoprene socks, it is 100% manageable. With that said the guy in this video in a blue hoodie jacket was wearing 6/5 mm and he swears by it.
5/4 is on the limit. i had to wear rain gear on top the get the wind chill off. then it wasnt so bad. But no way in hell im changing in that so i just got a drysuit after half a season of 0C and below kiting. Apart from that, 6mm booties and you wont feel the water at all.
Oh, look at that. The plastic bag technique which u appear to think is new new but been popular knowledge since mid 1960's. Well done 🤣
wim hof learn it and you can do this all in a pair of board shorts hahahah