Coming into winter, i was wondering if anyone wears a hooded vest under wettie, I find on the sup, 4/3 too warm, 3/2 not quite warm enough. If so are the effective and any brand reccommendations.
Thanks
I tried vests and it helped some but was not as warm as an impact vest which has more insulation. This past winter I wore the Patagonia Impact Short John under my wettie (recommend 1 size up relative to your wettie). Previous winters I wore a Dakine Impact Vest (same relative size as your wettie) with impact shorts under my wettie which was not as warm. You may have to go up 1 size in your wettie to make room for floatation..
I have been wearing a limestone 3/2 which feels warmer (less water absorption) than traditional wetties. I like limestone neoprene hoods too. I have yet to try Yulex.
It seems like around 13 C, a 4/3 get to be too warm and I lose too much water from sweating which can lead to cramping. I love the flexibility and lightness of 3/2s.
I find them pretty effective when it is offshore and chilly but the water temp isn't too cold yet. It was great when I had a 2/2 and then add a 2mm hooded vest. Maintain the flexibility but keeps the core warmer. I wore it with my 3/2 and it was almost too warm if you're paddling a lot and not falling in.
They're a little more comfortable with a back-zip wetsuit but still doable with a chest-zip. The neck just feels a little more constrained depending on the suit.
I probably wear it for about a month or so at the beginning of winter before transitioning to a 4/3 and a separate hood.
Mine is a RipCurl with the fleece lining and cost about USD$60 on sale. I think it is well worth it.
I got away with a thinner wetsuit in freezing New England winters by wearing a hood attached to a thick rashguard.
The rashguard had long sleeves, so I cut those off to avoid added restriction.
As SurfkiteSup said, vest with a fleece lining would be perfect give you added thickness over your core, holding more heat and allowing a thinner wetsuit overall.
I find that combo much less restrictive than a thicker winter suit.
The other benefit of a hood attached to a vest instead of the wetsuit is that you don't have to have a separate wetsuit for the shoulder season... just leave the vest home, and you're in a thinner suit.
IMO, you can wear a thinner wetsuit if it is fully fleece lined... they are amazing at holding heat and they come off sooo much easier.
A good investment for a surf life!!!
Best thing about a hooded vest is that it stops that flush of cold water coming down the neck into your wetsuit. I I like to wear a 2 mm (Adrenaline) under a 2mm wettie or a polypropylene suit.
