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For us unfortunate kiters stuck in colder water for the next few months, and the wimpy cold water kiters, like myself, let me know your opinions on suits, wet and dry.

I like the Lucifer dry, on paper. I have always had ProMotion suits from Hood River. I've NEVER had a problem, but maybe something different this year?

I kite in the SOBX, (that's southern Outer Banks North Carolina)

I'm considering a dry suit for my 1st time...

before considering those stinky death suits
try Xcel all the surfers around here wear them all winter long
so do I
duro and comfy

What model?
The ProMotion suits have "wind skin" to keep the suit from drying.

Surfing suits are different than one needed for kiting. We crunch our elbows, suit can dry out when riding, etc..

Different parameters for performance..

x cel's are super tight fitting and super strecthy (hard to get off and on)
Day before yesteday I went kiting ,fell in a few times ,very small swell,
after and hour and half
parts were still dry
I'm in the 5-4 which is a little too hot in the warmish waters of around 60 degrees
but so nice in 48 degrees

once you go dry you'll never go back

death suits? hardly. old wives tale. If you have a cut in a dry suit and your in the water, water pressure closes the cut and there is almost zero water entry.

I ride a 3m mojo till 120 degrees water+air (w/ sun)
bare ultra dry under 120 degrees W/out sun had ths suit for 5 years and havent replaced gaskets or zipper yet.

I have no idea why anyone would chose to be wet and in a stiffer more restrictive suit. makes no sense to me.

the lucifer is just a bad idea, your gonna add a ton of bulk just so you can look cool? And whats up with the annoying useless hood?

I live and kite in bavaria, south germany...and these lakes can get realy cold. Alpin lakes always are and in autumn anyway.
I thought about the preditor from OR. A drysuit without the weird look and flappy fit.
But...a kiting pal of mine said: There is nothing like the elite2 from NP.
Feels good, fits and keeps warm. The better choice...wow...a wetsuit again(like I'm used to)
So, I'm stuck again. Because you can't realy try them first before buying aaaand my size is never in stock at any shop to see the fitting and feel.(big)
Darn!
I'm interessted as well in dif. Opinions...
(and yes...the hood is somewhat strange)

both wet and dry suits have own temperature spans.

personally i would rather prefer 6/5/3 wet suit over dry suit but in air temperature below 5 degrees centigrade the changing on the beach is too damned cold, so now when the air is colder than the water dry suit is definitely the best choice. basically you could pull the dry suit over your jeans and t-shirt and go kiting.

but as the air is getting warmer than the water in the spring get loose of dry and go for wet suit again or you going to get a heatstroke.

and there is really no noticeable difference between overpriced dry suits and popular and affordable ones like prolimit, gul and mystic. thats for sure.

as for lucifer i wouldn't buy it for half price, too bulky, scoops too much water when water start and has too much air drag anyway. hell with the snowboarding look!

anyway there will be genuine snow everywhere around here soon!

winds

jeans and a t-shirt under a dry suit?! WTF


overheating:
if you screwed up and put on too many THERMAL layers under your dry suit just sink into the water for a few minutes to cool down. Itll never happen though once you figure out proper layering

what is proper layering under a drysuit?

scklandl wrote:jeans and a t-shirt under a dry suit?! WTF


overheating:
if you screwed up and put on too many THERMAL layers under your dry suit just sink into the water for a few minutes to cool down. Itll never happen though once you figure out proper layering

depends on how hot you run and water/ air temps

but get one of each of the following and use them in conjuction with each other
silk top/bottom long underwear (keeps things from stinking up)
100 weight microfleece top and bottom
300 weight microfleece top and bottom