No endless summer - drysuit or wetsuit for foiling?

[wavy navy]

Hi,
does anyone has experience with both wetsuit and drysuit in last winter?

I like to crash a lot, so I swim a lot. Air temperature let's say 6 degrees celsius and water temperature is the same. What do you prefer, as in foiling you move less on the board and so one's getting colder earlier in the session?

[elguapo]

i'm not exactly a cold water person..
(socal water is freezing to me without a 3/2 wetsuit)


that said..
i prefer a DRYSUIT for cold water riding/
they are a little expensive but gortex drysuits made for kayaking are awesome.
they're made to be durable without restricting freedom of movement.
you layer (undergarments) underneath to your own comfort level
and drysuits are 100x more pleasant changing out of.. (the only moisture..is your own sweat)

[jumptheshark]

Pro's and cons. I have had a couple drysuits, and prefer the swim ability of a really good wetsuit. There is definitely more evaporative cooling with a wetsuit, but with a warm enough suit, I'm comfy well into the cold tips of the season.

From getting out in shore break, quick board retrieval and start up, to the potential for an actual self rescue swim in cold water. Swimming any distance in a drysuit is no where near as fast and efficient as in a wetsuit.

[tomtom]

I hate drysuits.

[tkaraszewski]

I wear a wetsuit down to 40F/5C

[surfbird]

I had to stop using drysuit when started hydrofoiling.
The wrist seals leaked water when doing wipeouts. Never had that problem with twintip.
I was also a little afraid of cuts from the wing, I don't know if how high the risc is.

I can really recommend using a "Mystic Wind Barrier" with a wetsuit. Much much warmer for hydrofoiling.

[Windigo1]

I wear a wetsuit until about mid October here in Canada an then a drysuit until it freezes over. The drysuit is much warmer you can layer as much as you want. It's nice to change back too you just put your jeans back on you don't have to undress. Go with a drysuit with integrated socks it's much warmer and more watertight.

[keskopesko]

Maybe some idea which winter wetsuit is good? 5mm 6mm? Hooded?
Price/performance?

tnx!

[Peter_Frank]

If a neoprene drysuit, it makes absolutely no difference if a wetsuit or drysuit in these relative high temperatures, both works just great and would be my choice.

If a real drysuit, I prefer these for winter conditions as you are much more free "inside" and a lot faster and easier and warmer to change.
You will look a bit more "clunky" yes, but still really free inside, nothing that feels hindering like a really thick wetsuit.

For foiling I most often use a warm wetsuit in the winter, simply because of the risk of cutting the drysuit with a wing, and good drysuits are extremely costly (but worth it)

If REALLY cold and winterly, I use my drysuit for foiling though, but ride more careful.

Peter

[matth]

Drysuits are great IMO but if you are still crashing often you will get some water in the suit. The key to drysuits is to layer up with wicking fleece that almost works like neoprene when wet. I think the odds of cutting the suit are slim, gortex is a very tough fabric and most suit have double layers in most areas.