cold water gloves and boots - any advice?

[POACHER]

It's getting to be that time of year again for us to wear the 5mm full suits and protective gear. Water temps are dropping daily. Soon they'll be in the 30's(F) before icing up.

I've been ok using O'neill 3mm gloves and low top booties, but I want something warmer/better.

I've been looking at O'neill's Psycho lobster 5mm glove and Psychofreak 3.5mm split toe booties. However, while searching I've come across Patagonia's wool lined gloves and booties. Pataguchi makes a 7mm merino wool lined lobster glove and 7mm lined boot. My hands and feet are voting YES.

Anyone have experience with the O'neills or Patagonia stuff?

Thanks!

(I'm too cold to use the search function....)

[POACHER]

Move to Florida. - preemptive sarcasm!

[John-B]

West coast of Scotland and we like Atan boots as still give good feel and I like the Mystic dry gloves

[scklandl]

bigger is not better. use the search function, its been debated every winter season since 2002 here

[tony montana]

6 5 4 cskins wired, suit boots, and gloves,long lasting and warm wet suit,TONY

[Séb]

If you can get them,warmest boot I know are the Xcel Drylock 7mm. The Dakine cold mitt are good but not as warm as a 5mm mitt. While a tick boot is not a big problem, a tick mitt or glove is not fun, create pain in the forearm. I use my Dakine 2mm cold mitt as much as I can but when it's too cold I will use Xcel three fingers gloves 5mm. The best part is my Ocean Rodeo Soul Dry suit.

[knot_moving]

very cold water laser sailors almost universally use ACME rubber gloves (basically rubber heavy duty dishwashing or gardening gloves) over some sort of polartec inner liner glove. Keeping the wind off is the key to keeping hands warm.
Not going quite as fast on a laser as kiteboarding, but just as wet most of the time

[knot_moving]

very cold water laser sailors almost universally use ACME rubber gloves (basically rubber heavy duty dishwashing or gardening gloves) over some sort of polartec inner liner glove. Keeping the wind off is the key to keeping hands warm.
Not going quite as fast on a laser as kiteboarding, but just as wet most of the time

[nicor]

I'd like some info on the Patagonia stuff too if anyone has tried. Surfers seem to say the wetsuits are the bomb, but nothing on the gloves or mitts.

I'm tempted to try the lobster mitt, but at 7mm they just seem too thick.

Anyone?

[Peter_Frank]

bigger is not better. use the search function, its been debated every winter season since 2002 here

You and John B is correct.

Bigger (thicker) is not better, it is a matter of technique regarding gloves at least, and one of the biggest mistakes is to wear super thick gloves

Atan Boots will give you the best barefoot feel even in the winther !
Have been using these since the mid 80's in windsurfing, and EVER since.
Have even tried other boots now and then, when the old ones wore out and I was desperate - but they were all crap, seriously

But as Scklandl wrote, try to use the search function regarding this topic

Peter