14 Cold Weather Kitesurfing Tips - Updated!

Here are our updated 14 tips for cold weather kiting! We cover conditions, prep, gear and safety.
00:32 - Safety
01:09 - Quality over quantity
01:40 - Conditions
02:19 - Drysuit/wetsuit
03:02 - Kite size
03:25 - Quality gear
04:13 - Gloves & booties
04:47 - Life vest
05:20 - Changing
05:54 - Stretch & warm-up
06:14 - Unnecessary risks
07:03 - Packing up
07:37 - After session
08:04 - Travel

[@lovetofly32]

Holy crap! @ 4:36 that guy disappeared behind the wave!! Like you guys are nuts!! That crazy wind and cold together!? My word!! I thought I was nuts last weekend trying it in light wind and 65°f !!

[@lxfguits]

My changing routine. Arrive at the spot -> put on wet suit and booties -> pump up and rig up -> add hood and gloves -> HF -> land and change to dry clothes asap while I'm still warm -> collect gear. Stay active. Don't be afraid to crash. Just mowing the lawn is the coldest thing to do. My 5/4 psycho one suit is 5 years old and pretty ragged but I can still stay warm with it. Massive downside is that it takes three days to dry. Might need to get a new one this autumn but we'll see. This spring I was out in it with partial Ice on the water and snowing with my 8m and it was still fine. Crashed and swam back about 1km and only the foot with a massive hole in the boot was cold. Which reminds me that I should probably patch that up.

[@abacaxifamily]

Yes, I totally agree with your last recommendation. Traveling to a warmer spot 👍🏽 see ya in Brazil 😉

[@OurKiteLife]

😀😀😀

[@abacaxifamily]

Yes, I can confirm. Brasil feels good 👍🏽 just arrived at cumbuco, ceara

[@seewind]

Excellent advise!

[@vinny61389]

Great stuff! The quality over quantity resonates for me. I'm never trying to be skunked when kiting but I'm a bit more willing to roll the dice on a marginal forecast in the summer than winter time. The consequences are much higher in the cold.

[@AborigenAborigenovich]

15. So that the water does not rush under the helmet, and then through the entire wetsuit with an ice shower during hard cleaning "face down", wear a thin fleece balaclava under the helmet. ). By the way, a separate helmet is evil in cold water, because there is an extra slot for the intake of cold water. 16. Protect your ears from cold water in order to avoid otitis - put light cotton in the ear canal and they will keep water from penetrating inside .. This will also contribute to the balaclava. 17. Use a quick-release tent when changing clothes on the spot. So that it is not blown away by the wind, do not forget to tie it (at least to the wheel of a car). 18. Hot water from an additional thermos will help to quickly warm your hands / feet after a kiting right on the spot. 19. So that your hands do not freeze - use neoprene gloves in 1 mm large size XXXL, and wear cotton or thin woolen gloves under them. Tuck the edge of the glove under the cuff of the suit - it will be dry and warm even at -10 C and bends easily and the fingers do not get tired. Even if it gets wet, it will still be warm. If the gloves have fabric on one side and not on the other, then you need to turn the gloves with the fabric outward so that the delicate neoprene does not wear out on the bar. 20. In order not to freeze your feet, wear hydroboots either on cotton socks or 1-2 mm. neoprene hydrosocks (if it's really cold). Fill the top of the sock under the cuff of the trouser leg, and leave the tops of the boots on top - you will get a hydraulic lock. This way it is much warmer and the leg will not slip in the boot. But you will need to adjust the straps for a thicker hydroboots. 21. In order not to freeze your hands ahead of time when assembling the kite, put on dry thin cotton gloves or wool in advance. Then, before entering the water, you will put neoprene on top of them, and your fingers will be warm all the time. 22. In order not to tear off the boot from the leg when falling and biting the foot, sew a strip of elastic band across the strip and Velcro at the end of the elastic band to the top of the hydrobot in advance. 5 cm wide. This is additional and will save from water ingress. 23. For cold weather, hydroboots are preferable without leaking zippers with super stretchy neoprene. For example, diving boots such as Cressy Ultraspan 5mm. Wish you to be healthy i'm big sorry for my english :))) Translation done by Google

[@OurKiteLife]

Wow, thanks so much for these additional tips! Cheers :)

[@gBayCanada]

Another great video. Very timely and relevant. 👍👍

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks Mike 😊🤙

[@RobManser77]

That's a great spot you've got there 🙂

[@aniva7965]

Really good vid, glad you keep them coming!

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks 😊

[@williamhenault2761]

It is great to see videos from your new home spot! The conditions look amazing :)

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks! We're enjoying kiting (and filming) here :)

[@onurkitesurfer215]

Nice video

[@dougdemonde]

Was happy to see a new video :-) - thank you for sharing your learnings. Good tips to have life-vest under drysuit or wetsuit and to watch out for cold water quick release risks. In Sweden I was kiting in 2.3C April brackish water with Kokatat kayak drysuit (without built in skirt - just gets in way), 6mm ATAN latex boots, and mostly waterproof gloves (can't remember name) . I learnt to use looser hoodie as my first kite hoodie was too tight (scared water would get in) and gave me a painful sinus pain around ears and my life-vest kept lifting and blocking my vision - a funny sight. I had to keep putting my finger in the hoodie and stretch it out from my ear :-). Otherwise was nice and warm. Thanks again!

[@OurKiteLife]

Nice! It usually takes some trial and error to figure out what works best, but it sounds like you have your winter wear figured out :)

[@khelben1979]

Always nice to hear some wise tips! I haven't got a wet suit yet, but looks like I would need to make that decision the upcoming autumn next year. I think the ones with included hoodies looks like the best ones! Also if it's 15 C in the water, it would be beneficial with a lighter wet suit because of better body movement.

[@OurKiteLife]

15*C water temp sounds pretty warm to us right now 😄 but yes, you could definitely go with a lighter wetsuit that offers more flexibility

[@A_Canadian_In_Poland]

From my experience with windsurfing and stand up paddleboarding, a 5/3 wetsuit would be the best option at that temperature.

[@supericeman2222]

Nice job guys! Great shots from offshore perspective. Climate change is evident in the east coast. When I was a kid we would have 3 feet of snow by this date. Clearly I need a drysuit. 👍👍👍🙏🙏🤙

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks, glad you liked it :) Crazy to think there was so much snow by this date when just last weekend it felt like spring…!

[@jamesmckenzie4572]

Greetings from the other coast. I found a picnic cooler full of hot water was nice to have on the beach for dipping cold hands. Nowadays I just try to get things done for four months so I can let things slide in the summer.

[@markusbroyles1884]

Very cute superhero ~

[@artyrbelski]

Очень круто видеть как качество видео выросло) Цвета в этом видео прикольные и отличный звук. Ну и спасибо за полезный контент

[@OurKiteLife]

Спасибо :)

[@fathomfathom]

Great review -Luke warm water into booties and mittens (not to hot so you don't damage the seal) that way it's prefilled with warm water when you get into the water. -in a pinch a cheap rain jacket over the 6mm really cut the evaporative cooling on the wetsuit -minivans are awesome to get dressed and undressed in the van seat

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks for the added tips :) these are great!

[@kst157]

Another tip - keep socks on to make putting your wetsuit on much easier! Then take socks off and put your wetsuit boots on. (No need for plastic bag on feet then). Superb video! 👍

[@OurKiteLife]

Great one, thanks for sharing 😀

[@gflaig9131]

From personal experience, i think that sometimes if the water is just too cold but you really wanna kite, you could try kiteboard alternatives like kite landboarding. Being able to prctice kite skills without freezing to death is really enjoyable.

[@OurKiteLife]

Great point!

[@A_Canadian_In_Poland]

Have you ever tried layering two wetsuits for colder water? I found this works for stand-up-paddle boarding or windsurfing in 6°C temperatures, where I bought an old second-hand 4/3 which I patch-repaired to wear on top of a cheap 5/3 wetsuit I had. It effectively adds up the neoprene thicknesses in the most cost-effective way possible (giving a 9/6 thickness in my case), but greatly decreases mobility. I too have seen those budget 5/3 back-zip wetsuits advertised as 'winter wetsuits'. Paradoxically, here in Poland, those are the standard rental issued by surf (wind, kite and wave) schools, which are rated by said schools for 14°C to 20°C water temperatures in the late spring and early fall, and retail for about 500 zł or the equivalent of $150 CAD.

[@OurKiteLife]

Haven’t tried layering wetsuits for the reason you mentioned - limited mobility. I’d also be worried it would stretch the top wetsuit out. I imagine a 9/6 would be very toasty though! Late spring/early fall sounds about right for the 5/3 “winter” wetsuits. Once the temp drops to just above freezing we are definitely reaching for something warmer.

[@A_Canadian_In_Poland]

@@OurKiteLife The top wetsuit was only $10 secondhand, so I really didn't care about it and actually bought it in early autumn just for that test. The fact that the neck, ankles and one wrist was frayed was not a big deal with another wetsuit underneath, and was certainly tight enough to prevent leaking. It was a bit too warm in the torso area, but worked much better than I would have expected, well enough that I wore it over my 3/2 or 5/3 wetsuits on four separate occasions. From the mostly positive results of the layering experiment, I splurged on a Billabong Furnace 7/6 wetsuit that was on end-of-stock clearance and coupled with an end-of-November online sale. It was the only surfing wetsuit with an option of that thickness, and sadly appears to be discontinued in most countries.

[@RobManser77]

This is fairly standard in diving, where I've done it to great effect. They sell hooded shorties for this reason, which you buy a size up. My main issue with diving and surface watersports is my hands and face, which are exposed, and my head, because every hood I've ever worn flushes badly. My fingers go numb and get quite painful in water under 10C., and my face follows soon after.

[@bonerici]

I thought canadians were more hardcore. I do agree with most of your tips. Never kite below freezing your safety will freeze up. Unless you are from Cleveland. They are known for kiting down to -10c on the water. They spray spam on their quick release. This only works for 10 minutes then they end up with a 20 pound block of ice on their chicken loops that they have to chip away at when they are done. The cleveland kiters are the most nuts kiters. One tip you didn't mention is always put on your drysuit/wetsuit before you pump your kite. I always see people pump up their kite, then they change into their wetsuit or drysuit. All that wasted heat! Once you are in your wetsuit or drysuit you want to save all that heat. Sure you will get hot pumping up the kite with all your thermal protection on but you'll be fine once you get in the water. I never use thick gloves because that's the number one reason for a short session, as thick gloves wear out your grip and you can't keep kiting if your fingers cramp up due to thick gloves. The main arteries of our hands go straight through the palms and the reason your hands get cold is not the actual cold hitting your fingers but the fact there is no circulation in your hands while gripping the bar. Nobody needs thick gloves Do this instead: come in every 30 minutes even if you are not cold. Land the kite (you can't keep flying it as that will put stress on the fingers and close the arteries). Wait 5 to 10 minutes. Relaunch. Your hands will never be cold again. I see so many kiters put on their 5mm or 6mm gloves go out for 1 hour until they come back in and say "I'm finished my hands are too cold" and they are done for the day. You have to split your sessions up. Do 30 minutes, come in do 30 minutes repeat for 6 hours.

[@OurKiteLife]

There are definitely more hardcore Canadian kiters than us :D ...Maybe not Cleveland crazy though! Great point about pumping up with your wetsuit/drysuit already on. We'll have to try the tip about using thinner gloves and coming in every 30 minutes to save our hands. Thanks for the comment! Cheers

[@bonerici]

@@OurKiteLife nobody is as nutso as the cleveland crew. Here in michigan we shake our heads and wonder at our southern neighbors.

[@alexc4035]

Thanks, Eric. This is my first winter kiting in Michigan. If hands get cold because of the bar blocking circulation, would it help to fly the kite with one hand more often so the other hand gets a break?

[@bonerici]

@@alexc4035 no!!! You must land the kite. That's the only way it works trust me I've tried everything

[@bonerici]

@@alexc4035 you have to land the kite entirely so both hands have no pressure for five minutes

[@ldzi3lak]

When something goes wrong and you are in the water for an extended amount of time, you need to be dressed in gear that will make that possible. No matter your experience it can happen and you need to be prepared!! I like to bring a small cooler with barely warm water to stand in during breaks to warm those toes and hands. It's a comfort thing to warm up gently when your hands and feet get cold.

[@OurKiteLife]

100% agree! Love the warm water cooler idea for breaks - haven't heard that one before. Thanks for sharing :)

[@ldzi3lak]

@@OurKiteLife I have to stress the barely warm part, make it colder than you think you will need when packing it, because when your hands are cold and numb, it is very easy to burn your self. I'll add another tip, use a garbage bag in the cooler so you can tie it up and nothing will splash out on your way to the beach. Only fill the cooler 3/4 (leaving room to stand in and not over flow)

[@PG-bs3uv]

Great Video! Are you out in PEI now? Looks like a great location in addition to you Sir Samuel Smith Park location.

[@OurKiteLife]

Yes, we're in PEI now :)

[@Beastmasterbrett]

I didn't know a winter poncho was an option. Sweet. Last year I put a kite in a tree in a bad way on a 40 degree wind / water day. Mostly because my hands were freezing and it made me rush to fast when trying to land the kite.

[@OurKiteLife]

Yeah the winter poncho is a nice option - a little more heavy duty/wind proof and full sleeves :) Ah sorry to hear about the kite in a tree. Have been there before. Cold hands can be tricky!

[@Beastmasterbrett]

@@OurKiteLife the kite in the tree was really tricky. I had to cut my control bar lines because they were tangled in power lines near the tree. At first the kite might if been salvageable. But there was no way to get to the tree. The branch was 30 feet up from the road. But more like 40 ft from the ground below the branch. I came back a day later with a ladder and a long pole with a hook. But there was nothing I could do. Also the next day the kite went from salvageable to shredded. I felt bad about the kite in the tree. I definitely learned some lessons that day.

[@julesdanford1217]

Great info. Im curious your opinion on footstraps that adjust open enough for cold weather booties. The straps I have are popping open because the velcro is not long enough to accomodate 5mm booties. Im a female with fairly small feet and Im not willing to go up to a mens Lg/XL foorstrap just to fit booties. The booties fit the Sm/Med footbed perfect but they do not open enough for a bootie. Thank you, Jules

[@OurKiteLife]

Hmm - I haven’t had this issue before so hard to give specific advice. I wonder if there’s a way to extend the Velcro on the strap so it doesn’t pop open? Totally understand not wanting to upsize your foot straps, so in that case perhaps looking for a slimmer pair of warm booties is the next best option? Looking for a pair that doesn’t have a thick or hard sole would be my recommendation. I currently use Xcel winter booties and find they aren’t too bulky for what they are (and they’re very warm). Hope that helps!

[@julesdanford1217]

I did add some velcro extensions and am giving that a try but not liking the added bulk. It does mess with my focus and confidence in my gear having a strap blow open while zooming along. Im looking around and seems cabrihna source binding may be the best option. Thanks for the response . Really enjoy your channel, looks like a very fun crew up there. Might have to come up and join the party sometime.

[@stephentsang6995]

all great tips if tip 14 not possible! We deal with cold conditions a lot in NL...still worth it if prepared right!

[@OurKiteLife]

Definitely :)

[@JustKB8]

I would not state a neopreen as a recommendation, but more a necessity. The body looses by far the most heat through the head.

[@Fazer1789]

Главное - не падать!

[@OurKiteLife]

very true :D

[@Chris_PerthWA]

Another great video (PS. Coldest day in Western Australia winter is 15 degrees C...Sorry)

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks 😊 Ah, just a * tiny * bit jealous of the weather there! Enjoy!

[@1N2345]

I'm wondering what to use as layering inside the dry suit(soul). Any tips on materials for the layers? I know there's the ocean rodeo "no zipper" but I figure it'll be discontinued with the whole "Mustang" deal. Also it's pretty expensive, for what it seems to be? I have pretty much the same riding conditions as you, and I want to start the season soon! I'm close to PEI! Maybe I'll see you guys some day 😄

[@OurKiteLife]

I’d recommend looking for moisture wicking fabrics. I’ve worn leggings and long sleeve tops meant specifically for running under my drysuit, and just layered them based on how cold it was that day. It takes some trial and error, but better to dress a little too warm just in case you have a self rescue. Hope your season starts soon and to see you on the water sometime :)

[@1N2345]

@@OurKiteLife Good idea, I'll look at running clothes, thanks for the tip!! Also you're super fast on replies 😄

[@1N2345]

I got a lvl 3 ankle sprain a week after writing this 🙃 (You can relate...) Finally started the season last week, eventho my PT wasn't too happy about it 😅 I went for a surfboard having watched your ankle video.

[@jean-pierrearsenault8113]

Do you have any trick to feel the twin tip with booties on? I can't jump or ride confidently with booties 5mm thick, in the cold now I just go for foil with half straps or surf because I can't properly fit in my footstraps with thick booties, even adjusted they just keep falling off

[@mackuumackuumackuudrogimac8642]

Use neoprene socks without solid sole. One's with the rubber coating on the bottom will be more durable. It was game changer for me, I also was struggling with regular boots.

[@jordanboo3164]

OMG i love your wetsuit! What brand is that? It looks so warm and comfy

[@OurKiteLife]

Thanks - it’s an Ion wetsuit. Probably the best warm wetsuit I’ve ever owned.

[@jordanboo3164]

@@OurKiteLife oh wow, that's cool! Is it hard to put on zipless wetsuit? Because I saw that the zip was at the front of your wetsuit and not the back haha

[@OurKiteLife]

Putting it on, getting your head in the hood is tight. Taking it off is also kind of a struggle - getting your head out, and then shoulders/first arm is always …fun lol. The trade off is that a front zip wetsuit tends to be much warmer than a back zip wetsuit

[@jordanboo3164]

@@OurKiteLife ooh damn that's interesting, must've taken a few minutes just to squeeze in and out of your wetsuit haha. Oh didn't know that. From the looks of the design, it definitely looks much warmer because your whole body is snuggled into the wetsuit hehe. I was always thinking how do people put on a zipless wetsuit

[@_Kirill]

😀👍

[@jbwiden]

I am a bit surprised to not see any wingers out, or maybe there is a better spot for it. Seems it would be better if conditions are gusty and board can be large enough to float one in if need be.

[@OurKiteLife]

Winging hasn’t taken off here (yet!) That being said, it’s a pretty shallow spot. Foiling can be done but you have to walk upwind for a while until it’s deep enough

[@fathomfathom]

Lots of wingers here in Toronto even now in December including a lot of ex kiters.

[@jdlmon64]

What booties and gloves would you recommend?

[@OurKiteLife]

I like the Xcel 8mm booties for winter kiting. As for gloves, anything 5mm or thicker. The mitts will be the warmest options. Some kiters prefer the pre curved mitts but I haven’t tried them.

[@lrc87290]

Where is that heated hut/tent you had in the previous cold weather video? LOL

[@OurKiteLife]

Sadly it broke! But someday, hopefully, we will get a new one 😁

[@drlv3250]

One question, since your talking a lot about safety, i don‘t get the point why i see a lot of kiters in your videos with hard adjusted kites. If you feel overpowered, get a smaller kite, instead of pulling the adjuster!! The adjuster should be seen as a safety tool to come back home safe, when the wind is picking up, specially in the winter. What are these guys doing which are riding fully adjusted, when the winds starts nuking? At our homespot, they release there kites at the beach and cause a lot of trouble our get sucked in the air by a gust and the helicopter is coming. Maybe its just me, but who wants to ride a adjusted kite, handling, lift,predicting of the kite, looping, everything becomes worse.

[@barryritchey]

I vote to put back pouring hot [not hot enough to ruin the suit's seams, maybe just warm] water down the suit. Water hot enough to damage suit seams is probably hot enough to also damage skin. It's such a treat when you're cold. Top

[@OurKiteLife]

Fair enough! Can't deny that warm water feels great on cold days :)

[@CN-re5ut]

Have you guys moved? Doesn’t look like TO?

[@OurKiteLife]

We’re in PEI now 🙂

[@bradycarlson6061]

I have this fear of getting pulled over or something we’ll I’m wearing my wetsuit too or from kiting. Lol.

[@OurKiteLife]

Hadn’t thought of that! 😄

[@pawel7318]

5 stages I went with my freezing hands: 1) uncomfortably cold = what the heck am I doing here 2) cold as hell = guys don't cry... really ?!#$ 3) don't feel my hands anymore = kind of creepy as it's mix of scary, comfortable and surprising at the same time 4) I got my hands back = and no cold anymore ! hurray !! I feel sooo good now :) 5) my hands are burning ! = the very worst stage that come after my session. Everything I touched felt cold and I couldn't stop it. Than I couldn't sleep. Putting hands to a cold water gave me some short relief... Just to mention - the only reason I didn't get serious injuries was probably that the temperature was still above zero Celcius... and some of those effects came probably from tight cuffs..

[@OurKiteLife]

Yikes - stage five sounds pretty scary! Were the tight cuffs on a wetsuit or drysuit?

[@metacrawler4132]

As soon as I'm done i start the car so it can warm up

[@OurKiteLife]

Good call!

[@jimpike7445]

Get a Tesla. It has a keep warm feature or "camping mode". Or just pre-heat it via cell phone before quitting.