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Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

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Kamikuza
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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby Kamikuza » Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:05 am

CaptainArgh wrote:
edt wrote:the precurve only helps a bit, the problem is the thickness of the glove makes your grip tire out instantly. think about this, if the precurve really helped you grip the bar, you could put a glove without a hand in it, just the plain glove, on a bar, and it could tug the bar enough to turn the kite. Precurve gives you maybe an ounce of pressure, and we are gripping these bars with somewhere between 5 to 20 pounds....
I don't think that's the point of the pre-curve (to provide grip). The idea is, since the glove is already bent you don't have to stretch the material on the top of your hand (cut off circulation) and bunch the material on the inside of your hand (additional padding creating more fatique) when you bend your hand on a non curved glove.

That's my view on it anyway.
This. My new XCEL Drylock gloves require a reasonable amount of effort to just bend the fingers :( used my old 5mm gloves yesterday... timed my tacks so when one forearm tired, I'd go the other way :o

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby AGK » Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:47 pm

I have moderate Raynaud's syndrome and my fingertips start going numb before most people's. I also don't like to kite unless I have enough dexterity to fix and adjust stuff on the water, and I'm susceptible to forearm cramp from gripping against stiff gloves or mittens. After years of trying many of the options outlined in this thread, I have arrived at my best solution yet for cold weather kiting and paddling -- a pair of mostly waterproof 2 mm neoprene gloves (I'm using Rip Curl E-bombs [ http://shop.ripcurl.com/us/shop/categor ... ess-glove/ ]but I'm sure others would work) undear an extra-larged pair of Neil Pryde open palm mittens [ http://www.inlandsea.com/p-506-neil-pry ... mitts.aspx ]. I've found the following advantages (YMMV):

1. The 4 mm of neoprene -- especially since the outer 2 mm are mittens, which tend for me to be warmer -- provide pretty good warmth down for me down to about 36 degrees F (most people are less sensitive to cold fingers than me). The fact that the gloves keep you hands pretty much completely dry helps a lot. They aren't "dry gloves", but so far they are pretty close.

2. The 2 mm gloves are VERY flexible and do not fatigue my forearms at all. The mittens, because the are open palm, also do not fatigue forearms at all.

3. The 2 mm gloves are fine for rigging the kite, tying larks heads, fiddling with quick releases, etc. You can easily put your gloved hands through the holes in the mittens to do stuff, then put the gloves back inside the mittens for more warmth.

I wish I could find a pair of 4 or 5 mm open - palm mitts to use over the gloves, but there don't seem to be any available in the US. But so far this works better for me than anything else I've tried.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby shawn13 » Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:54 pm

I have tried 5 finger gloves, thin windsurfing precurve mitts, mec gloves and 7mm Xcel gloves. The 7mm have made my hands sweat in freezing water.

Unfortunately my forearms cramp within 30 minutes of wearing something on my hands, to the point that i can barely hold on the to bar. Can anyone explain why this actually happens? What's going on in the forearm? I do stretching and grip exercising but nothing helps. My cold water kiting days are done. I wish I could find a solution.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby NHKitesurfer » Mon Oct 27, 2014 2:53 pm

I have used the glacier gloves down to low 40's and they work well but any colder than that my fingers freeze. Tried pouring warm/hot water on/in them during the session and this helps but it's only temporary.

Friend suggested I try the NRS Toaster Mitts and they are magic :) I can kite well below freezing and my hands actually overheat to the point that when I remove them after a session I have steam coming off them. They are somewhat thick and you don't quite have the dexterity like you do with the glacier gloves but they are pre-curved and you don't get arm pain/fatigued.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby edt » Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:16 pm

shawn13 wrote:Can anyone explain why this actually happens?

it's very difficult to grip a large diameter bar. There is a famous weightlifting dumbbell called the "inch dumbell" which is not very heavy but famously difficult because the diameter of the dumbbell is so thick. You need less material between your grip and the bar that's all there is to it.


I like AGK's system as explained above. 2mm gloves under an open palm 4mm mitten. You will have to cut open the palm of the mitten because they don't make open palms that big but it's worth ruining a pair of gloves for warm fingers. I know what you are thinking, "Why do I want to cut open the palm, I don't grip with my palm I grip with my fingers." Ah that's true but think about how it works. You fingers press against your gloves, that goes through the bar and then presses against the palm of the glove and then into your palm. The longer this distance is, the quicker your grip wears out. By cutting out the palm you make the distance shorter and much easier to grip the bar. This is also why precurve only helps a little.

My hands usually don't get cold until it gets below 35F (1.5C) but there's about a month of kiting I do at that temp before it freezes.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby Johnny Rotten » Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:25 pm

Guys, NPX 3 finger "moose mits" is my magical solution down to lines are freezing and ice in the water temperatures.

Pre curved.
rubberized coating. (to prevent evaporative cooling from wind)
dexterity to connect and unconnect your lines (so you can keep them on and warm if you have to rig another kite/untangle )
dexterity to ride with 1 hand.
don't bother my forearms.
can evacuate your index finger to hang out with his friends if he gets cold

I have owned and tried most of the suggestions here.

Open palm mitts. ....too f'n cold and leaky....they flush badly in a crash.

2 layers of gloves you stay warm but too much dexterity is sacrificed...feels like kiting with ovenmitts.

5mm(or more) surf gloves....warm but not precurved.... too tough on the forearms...evaporative cooling in wind as they don't have a wind skin.

glacial gloves....pre curved.... and rubberized outerskin great, love em ....till about 5 C . air/water temp.

edt. Im fully convinced curving the neoprene is what does your forearms in. If I put on my 5mm surf gloves, and try to just curve my fingers and hold em for more than 5 min my forearms tire.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby edt » Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:43 pm

Ill try them npx 3s this season I go thru 2 or 3 gloves every season anyway.

what do you wear under 5c 40f that's still pretty warm

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby Miltsface » Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:08 pm

I've been really happy with the NRS Natural glove. Designed for paddling sports. 3.5mm with a very aggressive pre-curve so you're not exerting pressure to bend the glove into a curve on the bar. Pretty good seal at the wrist to avoid frequent flushes. My experience was that they run small, so order a size up from what you'd normally get.

http://www.nrs.com/product/2441/nrs-natural-gloves

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby edt » Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:25 pm

Miltsface wrote: I've been really happy with the NRS Natural glove. Designed for paddling sports. 3.5mm with a very aggressive pre-curve so you're not exerting pressure to bend the glove into a curve on the bar. Pretty good seal at the wrist to avoid frequent flushes. My experience was that they run small, so order a size up from what you'd normally get.

http://www.nrs.com/product/2441/nrs-natural-gloves
last time i bought the nrs they lasted less than month before it was worn completely through, fingers, palms, seams all busted up which is nuts considering it is a kayaker glove, they should be able to take punishment. just my experience with that glove. Can't remember if they felt warm, certainly weren't that warm when full of holes.

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Re: Recommendation on cold weather kiteboarding gloves

Postby Olas! » Mon Oct 27, 2014 11:58 pm

You guys ever consider putting paddle pogies on your bar? They are super warm, plus leaves your hands free to adjust gear/bar trim, pull release, and provide a direct connection to the bar.

It can be awkward when you need to reach for the bar quickly and have to grab over the pogie. In very cold temperatures it leaves me riding with both hands more than I usually would but I would still never go back to gloves. Definitely not good for unhooking though!

lots of companies make them such as level six and bomber gear.

http://www.levelsix.com/search?q=pogies

http://www.bombergear.com/products/pogie-paddling-mitt


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