Booties suck

[oldmansurfer]

I hear they have new heat moldable booties about to hit the market

[Alex44]

I was out the other day and everybody in the lineup had their bare hands in their armpits. I was so glad I brought my new gloves. I have the opposite problem from you. If my hands get really cold, they become useless. I discovered that after one session where my hands were so cold I couldn't grip my keys to take them out of my wetsuit pocket. I even had trouble holding onto my keys to open my car door. I'm not crazy about wearing gloves, but they're just one of those pieces of equipment I need.

Unfortunatly same for me, it's a necessary evil... Even if they work for only an hour or so, that's an hour and in winter it's not nothing ! But for me hoods and booties are necessary and clearly improve your session, while gloves are in most cases slowing you down. In my region many people surf in winter with hood (You clearly look like an idiot but duckdiving become almost a pleasure ! ) and booties, but many of them also keep their hand free from any gloves. I honestly don't know how they survive but I would definitely do the same if I could. The worst part of gloves for me is the muscular pain in the lower arms, I find them really exhausting, and I've tried different sizes/shapes/brands and always ended up with same results.

Even with gloves I always finish with freezing hands same as you ! Can't take my keys, then can't open my car, then I need to wait 10 min with my hands on the heater before I can start driving ! Bloody cold extremities !

[dtc]

I'm impressed by you cold water guys. I almost didn't go out the other day because it was drizzling. Sure it was 18deg C air temp and 20C water temp, but who wants to surf in the rain... fortunately it stopped just in time and I struggled through in only a 3/2 steamer... (I wear a steamer in summer as well for sun protection - sometimes it's a bit hot but I grit my teeth and just do it...)

[billie_morini]

Overheard in local surfers' favorite Surf City USA cafe.

dtc: "Who wants to surf in the rain?"
billie: "I know what you mean. I just haf my wetsuit dry cleaned and freshly ironed."

[OlegLupusov]

Does anybody like hoods? The same thing. At first, you hate it but then you cannot do without it.
It can even influence your balance for the first session.

[BaNZ]

I used to hate wearing boots but now I keep them on at all times. Cos some places I surf have very sharp rocks. Also I don't want to risk stepping on glass or broken stuff. I really enjoy wearing them now because I can run on the sand and I can walk further out without risky of cutting my feet.

It took me a few session to adjust wearing a hood, it definitely upsets the balance. But when you're desperate for a wave in winter, then you have to use it. I once went out in 5C water/air without a hood/glove. I was in and out of the water within 30 minutes. Nearly had hypothermia.