​Build a Kiteboarding Package - Part Three: Wetsuits

Hey guys, Jake here from MACkite. Today I'm here to talk to you guys about packages. Next: wetsuit, booty, gloves, beanie, hood, etc.

When you're kiting in cooler environments, these are really, really important. Even when you're in a warm environment it can be nice to have a wetsuit. The big reason for that is when you're learning, you're spending the most amount of time that you're going to in the water. So you're learning how to body drag, you're learning how to boardstart... that's a lot of time swimming and even 70 degree water can get nippy out there with the wind blowing on you. So why cut your session short when you start to feel uncomfortable? Get a wetsuit.

In this area we tend to have 5/3. That's going to be five millimeters in the chest and it's going to taper out to three, and for those of us who aren't super extreme that's going to cover the majority of the season out there. I would say when the water starts getting around 40-50 degrees I'm putting on my suit.

At that temperature I'm going to have some booties. Different styles: round toe, split toe. Split toe is going to feel more like a flip-flop so a lot of people prefer that style. It's going to give you a little bit more of a sense of where you are on a board if you're on a surfboard. Round toe is going to be a little sloppier, like a sock, but it's going to be warmer because all your toes are together.

From there you need some gloves. Gloves come in different styles. I personally like these five-finger gloves. Again, your digits are separated, so the fewer pockets there are for your fingers, the warmer you're going to be with your digits close together. This just feels more natural to me. You're going to have some more wear points when you have each finger articulated, but for the sake of comfort it's just worth it for me. These are going to be pre-curved. If you notice, it's sewn in where these curve; that's going to result in less pump because this is going to follow the natural curvature of your joints.

Lastly, if you're going out in really chilly stuff, we recommend a hood. Hoods are not fun to wear but honestly, if you get flushed, if you get dunked, you will never regret having one of these on. There are different styles: you've got a little brim to help keep the elements out. This one has some neck flaps so it can go underneath your wetsuit; you can cinch it down. Personally, I tend to wear a beanie, which is just the top. It goes on your head; you do a little knot on the back of your wetsuit string so when you go flying the beanie doesn't go with you and you're in business.

Again, you don't totally need all this stuff, but we would recommend it. In our neck of the woods, in Michigan, it's really a must if you're going to be going out in three seasons. Sometimes even in warmer climates people opt for boots. If you have a rocky bottom or any kind of reef and you fall off your board, it's nice to have something that's going to protect your feet from the coral.

Feel free to ask us if you have any questions. If you want us to review anything more in depth or something you didn't see here, let us know in the comments section. We're happy to get back out here on the table and talk about it. Otherwise, thank you so much for checking us out and we look forward to seeing you on the water.