How to keep warm in water during colder months?

 

We notice that many people are “afraid” of water in the spring months because they either do not have the right equipment (think it is too expensive or do not even know exactly what is on the market) or have had a bad cold experience in the past.

 

Windsurfing in low temperatures is the beginning just as difficult as when we take an ice bath for the first time. It takes time and experience to train the body to this situation.

 

While windsurfing there are two factors which are making us feel cold - water and wind. The wind chill effect is especially noticeable in the spring months, where the air temperatures around 15°C. If 30 knots of wind are added to it, the feeling of outside air temperature is like it is 7°C instead of 15°C. If you windsurf when the air temperature is 10°C and the wind is blowing at a speed of 40 knots, it feels as if you were standing at air temperature of 4°C. At these temperatures you are usually wearing a sweater and jacket on the shore, while on water we find ourselves wearing only 5/4 mm neoprene suit. So, without exaggeration, we can say that in these circumstances, a lack of experience and no enough warm clothes on the water can put us quickly in bed with a cold.               

                                                                                                                         

 

To avoid unnecessary cold we can already do a lot by choosing the correct wind. In the late winter months and early spring months, even though the atmosphere warms rapidly during the day, the sea still remains relatively cold. For this reason, we recommend that you avoid the north winds in February and March and wait for the south wind, which is warmer and less cools down the atmosphere, water and ourselves.

 

The most important thing is in cold weather the correct suit and all accessories which help us to protect from cold. Most of the temperature leaves our body through the limbs (arms, legs, head) - through the points where we usually have the thinnest neoprene or we don’t even have one.

 

In addition to high-quality, sufficiently thick neoprene suit, there are different accessories that play an important role. Below we will talk about the accessories.

 

Neoprene hood is a must-have for anyone who windsurfs in December, January and February. For many riders it is heavily used in March and April and also in November. The models of hoods differentiate in thickness and cut. The most useful hood is 2 to 3 mm thick. It is also important for the hood that it fits to the head as closely as possible and that at the same time it is not too loose but still comfortable enough. Some hoods have a deep collar that prevents (or reduces) the break-in of water under the neoprene suit. This is quite important (especially in coldest months), but on the other hand such hoods make us less agile and make it harder to turn our heads.

                                                                                                

                                                                                                          

Many people prefer a neoprene beanie instead of a hood. Beanie protects the ears and head, allows for better head mobility, but at the same time offers less protection against water and wind. During transient temperatures, this is also fine, but in more extreme conditions, the hood plays a better role since the neck, chin and cheeks are also protected.

 

Gloves are one of the accessories that many windsurfers like to avoid. During the winter months, this is usually not possible. Windsurfing with frozen hands is very hard, as we do not have a strong enough grip for the boom and are less sensitive to feedback. With gloves we can extend the length of time we spend on the water, but we basically have less grip. As you have probably already noticed, gloves vary greatly.

                                                                  

                                                                

Focusing on cold weather gloves, they could be divided into three basic types of gloves. The warmest ones are definitely those that have only a thumb apart. However, as a result, they offer the worst grip. Following are gloves on 5 fingers that offer better grip but are cooler. The best grip is provided by so-called open palm gloves. These gloves offer the best grip while still having a lot of wind protection on the most exposed parts of your hands while you're in the palm of your hand without protection. Gloves also differ in the thickness of the neoprene - the most common are 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm thick. Thicker are gloves, warmer are they, but as a result, have less grip.

 

Shoes and boots are an accessory that is also useful in warm weather. While some windsurfers don’t take their shoes off not even during the summer, others are barefoot from March to December. We recommend boots (high shoes) for the colder months. As for the thickness of neoprene, the same rule applies - the thicker the boot is, the warmer we feel, but lesser we feel the board.

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                       

Thermal neoprene linen is an accessory that many people don't even know it exists. It is a thin layer that we wear underneath a neoprene suit and plays a similar role as for example ski thermal linen. The main task of thermal neoprene linen is to further isolate our body and prevent heat from being transported through the neoprene suit to the atmosphere.

 

Neoprene linen is usually 0.5 to 1 mm thick and has some extra layer of other material to further increase the insulation level. We know neoprene tops (long and shortarm), vests, shorts and monoshorts, hooded vests and boxer shorts. The rule more layers of clothes – more warmth also applies in windsurfing. Our body can be easier heated "from the inside" and, consequently we can spend much longer time on the water.   

                                                   

 

If we have long or very intense windsurfing sessions, we get out of the water from time to time for a well-deserved break. If it is cold onshore, we can easily start freezing. While windsurfing, the cold sometimes doesn't even come alive because we are constantly in motion. When we stop windsurfing and grab a snack, we start feeling the cold. The most elegant and simple solution is to put on a neoprene jacket as soon as you get out of the water. Neoprene hoodie is for protecting from the wind and cold when we are on the coast.