How cold can I go?

[varano14]

Hi all, for starters I do my surfing in NJ. Being a broke grad student I opted for a 4/3 oneill hyperfreak for my one and only wet suit. I knew it wasn't going to be perfect for every situation and I would possibly have to sit out the coldest days but from what I read a 4/3 would be the most flexible. So far it has served me very well. I put it on the first time when the water dipped below 70ish. Probably would have been okay that day in just board shorts but the suit allowed me to stay in the water for 6 hours straight. As it started to get colder I added 5mm boots and gloves as well as a 3mm vest with a 5mm attached hood. Most recently I was out in 42-45f water (according to surfline) and the air temp was about the same. That day I was out for about 3 hours and got out as warm and comfortable as I went in. So my question is just how much longer will I be able to keep surfing?

According to their website I am already below what they recommend for a 4/3. But I've always been decently tolerant of the cold and I think the vest also helps a good deal. I have ton a ton of searching on the internet and I know this is largely a individual thing but does anyone have else use a vest under their wetsuit? I am just not sure how much warmth it adds. Obviously I can just go try it and see but its about a 3 hour round trip to do that so any insight you could offer would be great.

[waikikikichan]

So my question is just how much longer will I be able to keep surfing?
According to their website I am already below what they recommend for a 4/3. But I've always been decently tolerant of the cold and I think the vest also helps a good deal. I have ton a ton of searching on the internet and I know this is largely a individual thing but does anyone have else use a vest under their wetsuit? I am just not sure how much warmth it adds. Obviously I can just go try it and see but its about a 3 hour round trip to do that so any insight you could offer would be great.

You are correct that it's individual thing. Wetsuit makers even write:
"Suitable for suggested water temperatures of 11°C 14°C / 51°F 58°F
This is a guide only: Weather, sensitivity to the cold & conditions at your local break will affect temperatures & choice of equipment".
You might be okay with your 4/3mm and 3mm vest/hood. While another will go with a 5/4/3 built in hood.

You said your tolerance to cold is descent. Same goes to tolerance of Spicy food or Alcohol, EVERYONE is different. If 10 people chime in and say 4/3 with vest is enough, but you still get cold then it is what it is.

Being a broke grad student I opted for a 4/3 oneill hyperfreak for my one and only wet suit. I knew it wasn't going to be perfect for every situation and I would possibly have to sit out the coldest days but from what I read a 4/3 would be the most flexible.

Your 3mm vest added warmth to the chest area, but nothing to the 3mm arms and 3mm legs. Do you think a 5/4mm would've make that much more of a difference ? Do you think it'll be that much more less flexible ? What is flexibility worth if you end up freezing ? As we say in Motorcycling, " Dress for the crash, not for the ride ".

[BaNZ]

2 hours in under 40F water will turn your face purple and numb on a windy day. Even with the hoodie, your face will start to suffer. You probably don't want to get frostbite on your nose.

I wear 4/3 in 60F+ and 5/4 when it is colder. Boot + gloves + hood. As long as fresh water doesn't get inside the wetsuit, I'm usually sweating by the time I take it off.

[pmcaero]

I'm N of you and last year I used my Rip Curl 4/3 mm until January with 3mm hood, 7mm gloves and 5mm booties. It has the batwing flap so water doesn't really get in which probably helps too. The hooded vest under the suit might let more water get in.

[tomthetreeman]

I'm N of you and last year I used my Rip Curl 4/3 mm until January with 3mm hood, 7mm gloves and 5mm booties.

Dude, that’s savage. I’m in RI and I know how cold your water is up there North of the Cape. I’m already in my Hyperflex Voodoo 6/5/4 down here lol. Granted, it is more like a 5/4/3, but still.

Tom

[waikikikichan]

I feel bad for the postman when it’s cold. When us surfers get too cold or too tired, we can head in. Postman still got to keep going.

Tires chains on a motorcycle ? That’s hard core.

[tomthetreeman]

My dad took me out in the blizzard of ‘78 on his Bultaco Alpina motorcycle with a tire chain on the back and a ski strapped under the front tire. One of those moments that I still cannot get over. A big deal for me, nada for your average Canuck lol

Tom

[billie_morini]

My dad took me out in the blizzard of ‘78 on his Bultaco Alpina motorcycle with a tire chain on the back and a ski strapped under the front tire. One of those moments that I still cannot get over. A big deal for me, nada for your average Canuck lol

Tom

Tom, everything is so right your this snapshot story. I always liked Alpina. Once upon a time I regularly rode a Bultaco 360cc Pursang (wheelie monster!) in NY and competed many decades later in vintage observed trials with my Bultaco Sherpa 350T in CA (photo). As a teen in upstate NY, I rode motorcycles throughout the winter. The guys I rode with were so fast. We'd compete against snow mobile teams and win. We did this without ski, tire chains, or tire spikes (ice racing); just big knobbies. How vividly I remember powder kicking up from the front wheel that completely engulfed us! The blizzard I recall well was New York in 1977. There was so much snow. The State loaded trains and simply drove them south. I recall shoveling the driveway (and we had a big one) 10 straight mornings in a row. That convinced me to move to North Carolina and I did this at age 17! Bill

[pmcaero]

I'm N of you and last year I used my Rip Curl 4/3 mm until January with 3mm hood, 7mm gloves and 5mm booties.

Dude, that’s savage. I’m in RI and I know how cold your water is up there North of the Cape. I’m already in my Hyperflex Voodoo 6/5/4 down here lol. Granted, it is more like a 5/4/3, but still.

Tom

When I only had a 3/2 and a 6/5/4 I would start using the latter in November and sweat balls for a month

[tomthetreeman]

Billie, my Dad had a Sherpa, too!

[OlegLupusov]

I think a vest helps a lot! I used it under a leaking wetsuit with multiple tears. The difference between with and without was very substantial. Without that vest I would surf comfortably only for 30 mins or so. With the vest I would be able to surf for more than an hour

[varano14]

I want to follow up on this question for anyone who comes along later and might have a similar question. I used the set up I described above(4/3 wetsuit, 3mm vest with 5mm attached hood, 5mm boots and gloves pretty much all winter in NJ without any real issues. I believe the coldest forecaster water temp range (according to surfline) was 32-35. Air Temperature one the coldest day was also in the low 30s with 20+ mph winds so a decent wind chill. Some general comments:

My session times were shorter on the coldest days between 1 and 2 hours usually. However part of this was due to the waves being larger then what I was really comfortable with so I usually fell more and wore myself out quicker.

I never got truly cold to the point of shivering or any real numbness except in my hands at the end of the longest sessions.

I learned that while I may have been able to push the temperature a little colder if necessary, low 30s for air/water was about what the limit of me actually enjoying it. This might change if I was with someone else I actually knew and the waves were really pumping.

As others have said I think the vest/hood combo made a huge difference and stopped almost all flushing.

Bottom line in my opinion if you can only afford 1 wet suit a GOOD 4/3 is your best bet. It is not ideal for all situation obviously but if your working on a tight budget you can make it work.

[jaffa1949]

Great report back, maybe relevant southern Tasmania or South Island of New Zealand in deep winter. But always good to pass the knowledge on! Thank you.