experienced ones, how cold is too cold to board?

YelloJello · Newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 43 City: San Jose

I live in California, so it doesn't get that cold during the fall/winter.

Anyways. I was going to buy a boat soon. But the summer is almost over. Prices for boats may drop when the hot season ends?

Also, if I bought my boat now, would I still use it in the colder seasons? Perhaps I'll just wait till next spring...

Chad H · Posted: Jul 31, 2004 10:16 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't go in below 60 degree water temp with a wetsuit. I went in about 60 water in florida spring break in a wetsuit and hood and i got used to it but it was super cold

Bruky · Guest

I've ridden in 50 degree water without a wetsuit and 40~ degrees with one on. I was fine, just don't fall too much. Since you are going to be putting out the money for the new boat, you may as well invest in a dry suit. My dad has got one and he can wear his sweat pants underneath it and sweatshirt as well. I think they go into the thousands of $ though.

Lizrd · Posted: Aug 01, 2004 2:30 am Post subject:

My drysuit cost $299 and is worth every penny. Here in IL it stretches our season another 3 or 4 weeks on both ends. We have boarded with air temp about 40 and water temp about 50. There is a 100 degree rule -- water and air temp should add to 100 degrees with a drysuit and you will be relatively comfortable. Not sure about Cali temps -- plus it depends if you spend most of your time riding or most of your time sitting in the water waiting for the boat to come back and get you! I'll say that when the water is a refreshing 50 degrees I hold on to the rope a whole lot better Shocked

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dmac · Addict Joined: 22 Jul 2003 Posts: 728 City: 405 be-otch

i think you will be cool just if its too cold for yu to stand staying in it long get a wetsuit. im not shore what the water gets like there but i dont think you would need a drysuit, but again im not shore. i think it was 45 degree we were riding in with a full so those are just some figures to go by.

mc_driver · Criminal Joined: 24 Mar 2003 Posts: 84 City: SF Bay Area

If equipped well, you can board year round. Although we snowboard during the winter, if time/weather permits, we'll take the boat out and get in a couple of sets. Plus. not too many to contend with for nice water.

I think you'll find many will snow- and wakeboard in the same weekend during the winter - that's Ca. for you!!! Cool

pooser · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 4738

ya you can ride pretty much year round in cali. like others have said if you plan on riding through the winter your gonna want either a dry souit or a full suit. i think ive trunked in below 60, but when its that cold you dont really want to have to jump in the water a second time. if your buying a used boat tho there is an engine break in period that your not supposed to wakeboard behind the boat during. this would give you time through the cold months to break in the boat and have it all broken in by spring.

ORIGINryder · Posted: Aug 01, 2004 2:19 pm Post subject:

coldest ive been in was bout 45 with a shorty.. pretty dam cold. when the water gets reallly cold your body gets real stiff, and when you do a jump like out into the flats its a lot harder on your body, also making you more injury prone but hey if you can take it more power to ya, there probly wont be many other boats out there with you so it should be butter.

Mitch3 · Criminal Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 80

You guys are crazy......50 degree water......can you say HYPOTHERMIA

my mom would flip if i did that

DavidHoff · Posted: Aug 01, 2004 5:22 pm Post subject:

You could say its crazy but most people who follow the 90-100 rule get the whole year to improve and when it comes down to hardcore wakeboarding and improving, cold water isn't much of obstacle.

ohsix · Posted: Aug 01, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject:

The coldest I've been in is 62 degrees and drizzling outside in about 50 degree water. Just boardshorts and a life jacket. That was pretty miserable though. Some people have posted pics of riding in drysuits here with icecycles on their boats. I think the best deals on new boats are usually at the winter boat shows.

scott a · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 9810

YelloJello, you can ride year round here. last year the water dipped into the 40s once or twice this past winter and we still rode. just put $400 into a nice drysuit. it will be worth every penny...

640Pressman · Addict Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 753

YellowJello, I live in the North Bay and We rode all winter with dry suits. I think the water got down to about 50 or so but i was still very comfy in the dry suit.
Lot's of butter in the winter too Smile

whiteVLX · Newbie Joined: 22 Jun 2003 Posts: 32

drysuit! I ride all year round, provided the ramp isn't iced over. Last year we put in Feb 22, the water was 42.4 and the temp was 45. Here's a little picture to prove it.

tWaker2 · Soul Rider Joined: 12 Jul 2003 Posts: 375 City: Gilroy, CA

YelloJello, i live in Gilroy, and since they closed Anderson and Coyote this winter i rode at Calero(San Jose), and the coldest i remember it getting was 49-50 degrees. I would ask the ranger each time. I have a drysuit that i doubt i would have gotten in without. haha, i had a friend who didnt fit in it, so he would wear two wetsuits over each other. The hardest thing is keeping your hands warm, because if they go numb, then its over. The good thing about winter riding is that the water is always either glass, or a little wind ripple.

640Pressman · Addict Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 753

Another good reason to ride in winter is You will be the only boat on the lake.

drifter36 · Addict Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 679 City: Fargo

my rule for temp is if theres ice on the lake then i cant board and im too poor to have a wetsuit let alone a dry suit so its always just the boardshorts for me

Bruky · Guest

walt, hence glass...

YelloJello · Newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 43 City: San Jose

thanks for the respones. than I shall proceed to continue boat shopping. maybe i'll see some of you guys around, since i'm in the bay area too. guess i could save tons of gas from having driving back and forth to tahoe for snowboarding, where calero is only 20 minutes away.

NVSAirWarrior · Posted: Aug 02, 2004 7:00 am Post subject:

I've ridden year round with a full wetsuit following th 100 rule and did ok. I think the coldest water though was about 50. I now have a drysuit which is awsome and worth the $299.
As mentioned, the hands getting cold used to be an issue but then we started using thin neoprene dive gloves......awsome. Takes a little getting used to but well worth it for keeping the hands warm.

whitevlx, wow...42 degrees? that takes balls.....although you probably couldn't find them. Smile

holiday13 · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 325 City: Flemington

We've ridden 40 degree air temp and about the same water temp with a non-dry full suit. Dry suit is the way to go, plus we are adding a heater and ports to our boat

AirDad · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 126

With a drysuit, neoprene gloves, and a heater in the boat we ride year round here in east Tennessee. Water temperatures in the low 40's and air tempertures in the low 40's too if it's sunny. Heater in the boat was a great investment. Place a vent in a towel to warm the toes, hands and head when the rider returns to the boat. We could probably ride when it's colder but usually if it's colder here the wind is blowing, and as was mentioned byWalt, the best reason to ride in the winter is the glass.

molypod · Criminal Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 85 City: Chilliwack

I once took my first ride in early February with a full suit I got one ride then the rubber of my bindings was so stiff I couldn't get my foot back in.. My buddies laughed so hard when I wiped out and came up out of the water my face was all blue.. Puppy Eyes

tball · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 3953

I can't believe nobody has said it yet: If it's smooth enough, it's warm enough! I've only been down to about 47F water/45F air and it's survivable in a 5 ml wetsuit with dive gloves. Any colder than that and I think I'd go with a dry suit. Life's too short to sit around and wait on the seasons...

Haggy102 · Outlaw Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 103

well, thats great for all of you guyz on the west coasts and lakes but over here in new england, water freezes..........completely so we dont have much choice so we snowboard in the winter and board in the spring, summer, fall

churchy · Posted: Aug 02, 2004 3:02 pm Post subject:

I hit it early March... mid 50s air and 39 degree water.

noneya · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 796 City: Roxboro, NC

This year I got a drysuit and a heater in the boat. Between those 2 it makes it all year round!

jryoung · Ladies Man Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 7664 City: Man Jose

colefooter · Posted: Aug 02, 2004 4:15 pm Post subject:

I wish i could ride year round here.. but you know, i live in ohio Sad

I did jump in the water in febuary though, not on purpose either..

This year im gonna be wakeboarding untill it freezes over!

WaffleJam2250 · Criminal Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 81 City: Green Bay

Yea you cant really wakeboard year round here in Wisconsin, but i did do a Polar Plunge in early February for the Special Olympics with just a swim suit and shoes, and it was pretty chilly.

Styk33 · Posted: Aug 03, 2004 10:25 am Post subject:

I have yet to get a dry suit, I just use a full suit. Last year on Super Bowl Sunday it was 46F for water, but in the hgih 50s for air temp. There was one other boat on the lake fishing. Father and daughter that thought we were crazy. Getting the bindings on require lube in the cold temps, plus keep your hands out of the water until you let go.

Remeber if there are no boats on the lake, make sure you have a cell phone, oar and anchor. We had the impellar suck up something gross and the engine got really warm one day. Luckily there was a bass tournement going on and we got a tow in.

flukdfilms · Posted: Aug 03, 2004 5:15 pm Post subject:

get a dry suit. no such thing as too cold. i live in canada and have been wakeboarding while snow falls. a proud moment i must say.

ozzgood · Newbie Joined: 03 Aug 2004 Posts: 16 City: Talisheek

I live in louisiana, so its year round for me also, my wife bundles up to drive and as long as she is warm and the sun is out we're ridin.... Razz

Gaignstar · Soul Rider Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 468

it's never too cold as long as you have a drysuit

that's in late april, 2 weeks after the first ride, the 1rst we ride were in the st-laurence cause it's never gets frozen and all the lake arround here were still in ice 2 weeks after that day

two days before that pics it was ice everywhere. don't need to tell you we were the first on the lake this years. the glove is the beast way to get warm.

hitit · Outlaw Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 178 City: Nor-Cal

We rode all winter last year. We have dry suits. The water is cold but you get killer glass during the winter. And no boat traffic.
Buy a boat and ride all year round.