Kiteboarding and Wing Foiling | Cold Weather Riding Tips for 2023

Welcome back to MACkiteboarding. This is Tucker, and today we're going to talk about some tips that we have for you if you're riding in frigid temperatures. We're up here in the Great White North, so when we talk to people about riding in the winter, they're always like, "What? You guys are crazy! Why would you do that? You must get frostbitten every time you go out. I could never do that." But in reality, it's not too bad. A lot of times, I'm actually just as warm when it's cold out as I am on a summer day, depending on the level of preparation and if I'm doing everything right, and of course you acclimate to it as well. So today we have some good tips for you if you want to ride in cold weather, how to do that safely and comfortably, and enjoy more time in the water.

Tip #1: Start Warm and Stay Warm

This is our overall mantra for riding in cold water: if you start warm and you stay warm, then you'll be happy. You don't want to roll up and have to get into a wet, cold, partially-frozen wetsuit in a cold parking lot with the wind blowing on you, and then go into the water already cold. You're only going to get colder, so you always want to start extra warm. Part of that is preparation before you even leave the house, but there are also some steps along the way that'll help you start warm and stay warm. You always want to think safety when you're out in cold weather, and if you're starting very warm, that way if your suit gets flushed or something else happens, it gives you a better baseline to start at so that you can get in and get to a place where you can get warm safely. If you're starting cold and you get even colder, it can get dangerous pretty fast, so you always want to start warm. We recommend you get suited before you get out of the car. If your spot is close to home, maybe you suit up at home and drive to your spot in your wetsuit. It's not always super comfortable, but it's going to allow you to warm up and break in that wetsuit before you get to the beach, and you won't need to change outdoors in the freezing cold wind. That is the worst. So if you can get dressed at home, or if you have a big enough vehicle to get dressed in your car with the heat on, you're starting warm and getting out there on a good foot.

Tip #2: Invest in Quality Wear

We suggest you get good equipment. If you don't have good rubber and you're in truly cold conditions, there's nothing you can do to stay warm. There's no tip to help you if you have a leaky wetsuit or if your wetsuit's just not warm enough for the conditions you're out in. If you don't have the proper accessories--footwear, gloves, hood--that are meant for those kinds of conditions, then you're really not going anywhere very fast. It's going to be uncomfortable and maybe even unsafe, depending on the situation, so definitely invest in good Neoprene. If you have to choose where to spend your money, spend it on good Neoprene. It's going to get you more time on the water, it's going to make you more comfortable for longer sessions, and it's going to help keep you safe out there. It also tends to last longer and be more comfortable in general, so it's a good place to spend some money, or at least go hunting for some good deals on really good equipment for cold weather. There's no shortcut to that. Get a good hooded 6/5 or 5/4 wetsuit, 5-8 mm boots, and 5-ish mm gloves, mittens, or lobster claws, whatever you want depending on the conditions. That's going to have you staying warm once you start warm, and lock in that heat and help you build that internal core temperature and keep it there, keep it comfortable, and also allow your body good dexterity to not fatigue your muscles prematurely. Good fit and flexibility are part of a good wetsuit as well.

Tip #3: Bring a Hot Beverage

We recommend you take a hot beverage with you. Whether that's just warm water, tea, coffee... whatever your pleasure is, get something warm in your belly. It's amazing how quickly that warms your body up and keeps it warm for a short period. You can also fill up a two-liter bottle with some warm water to pour down your suit right before you go; that's a good tip as well. But just having something warm to sip on really elevates that core temperature and allows you to get out there nice and warm, heat up your suit, and make it nice and toasty so that you can stay warm while you're out there.

Tip #4: Wear a Jacket on the Beach

Once you get out of the car and you've had your hot beverage and you're toasty warm, we're going to work on staying warm. If it's 45 degrees and sunny out, and not that windy, maybe you don't need to do this step, but if you get the kind of conditions we do here, it might be sub-zero with the wind chill. Putting a jacket on, and even winter gloves while you're setting up your gear and getting everything oriented, is going to keep the wind off you and keep it from blowing through your suit and chilling you. It's also nice to have that jacket to throw back on after your session, just to keep the wind off you and allow your body to warm back up while you're standing there packing up. A cold, windy beach can be pretty chilly if you're not prepared, so think ahead and don't take the lazy route, which I've done many times, and I always regret it.

Tip #5: Get a Grip

The next thing is more about grip. Putting on these thick gloves, it's harder to grip your stuff, whether that's a kiteboarding control bar, your surfboard, your foilboard, or your wing. Now you've got a thick layer of neoprene between your fingerprints and your gear, and your hands can sometimes shift around in the glove. It's going to help to make that as tacky as possible, so rubbing a little cold water surf wax on your hands can definitely help. You can also rub a little bit on anything you want to be able to grip, whether that's your wing handles or the edges of your board. Rubbing a little extra cold water surf wax on there is going to allow you a little extra grip and tackiness so that you're not sliding around. You won't need to grip it as tightly, and that way your hands won't fatigue as quickly, either. That's really key, especially if you're gripping something that's not all that grippy to begin with. A lot of kiteboarding control bars and wing handles are already pretty grippy, so maybe you won't need to do that, but some are a bit slippery, and rubbing a little surf wax on it can help with that.

Tip #6: Change at Home

After you pack your gear up, drive home in your equipment if you're nearby. You can hop in the shower, rinse off your wetsuit gear, and hang it up to make sure it's staying in good condition and doesn't get that funk. That way you don't need to undress in a cold parking lot. You can strip off in your car if that works well for you, but putting a couple of towels down or using a seat cover that's made for that will protect your seat from getting wet if you've got a short drive home. Otherwise you'll just have to bear the elements quickly before you jump in your hopefully warm car and hit some of that warm beverage to warm up again and, of course, rehydrate.

Those are some tips from us here at the shop. We just chatted about this the other day and swapped favorite tips. This is the list we came up with that we all like and stand behind, so if you follow some of these steps, it should help you get out there when it's a little colder, enjoy your sessions, and be warmer, more comfortable, and safer. This has been Tucker with MACkiteboarding.com, and we'll see you next time.

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