Accident at Kite Beach, Bloubergstrand, South Africa

[Toby]

16 degrees is cold!

[markymarc]

Haha...

You kite all year round in Brasil and Egypt Toby, but for us from NL/Northern Europe 16 Celsius is pretty okayish! A friend of mine was last year in Capetown and he kited in 4/3 3/2 shorty which is cold, imho..

Cheers

[Toby]

True...but even back in my times in Germany with 16 I never even thought of a shorty.

Maybe I am not tough enough

[Peter_Frank]

Hi Marc - we have been there often, and going in 2 weeks again

It is mostly for sun protection you see full sleeved suits - but yes, the water is a bit cold, but because of the warm air you dont need much usually.

That said, if you have to swim and drift for a long time, you would like some suits yes.

A 3/2 full suit is more than sufficient.

Many uses shorty's or short sleeved or short legged.

A few are in shorts but with a neo top then.

Others use their "old" and cold (because of the age of the suits, and if they are often cold even when warm) 5/3 full suits.

Extremely individual, you can use anything actually, down there

Peter

[Onda]

I´ve been in CPT before Christmas.
Used a cheap "Euro-Style" short-leged 3 mm ("Overknee"). Which was fine one day. The other day I froze my ass off...
Problem in Cape Town is the so-called upwelling of cold water from deep sea levels to the surface, which is caused by strong and persistent off-shore winds (like the Southeaster). You can have 16-18 °C water temp one day. And some days later it can be 10 °C or lower. And vice versa.
So better bring a long sleeved 3 mm instead of anything "cut off" My experience.

[Hugh2]

Agree with Peter and Onda, Mark, it can be cold water if the SEaster blows for a couple of days like right now, but I routinely see guys in suits cut at the knees. Personally I like a 4/3 full suit.

For those coming to Cape Town, you need to realize the SEaster does not blow all the time, we can get several days with nothing in Table Bay, so then either be a tourist, or check where the wind has gone. Typically the system will move east, so you can go to Struisbaai, or Witsand, or Stillbaai, if the forecasts there are easterly, all about 4 hours east, best with a stay over for a night. Or if a strong SW is forecast at Hermanus, it is excellent too, and those places are all warm water.

[Hugh2]

Oh, and today was excellent, see below, two long downwinders on 7m with strapless board and then TT, only shame was small waves. I was toast by the end and barely hanging on to my 7m at Haakgat in late afternoon. And tomorrow the swells will be big, around 4m, woohoo!

When I got back to Kitebeach around 7PM, there were only a few guys still out on small kites. To my surprise one was on a foil kite, not sure what size, and he got a couple huge floaty jumps, including one where his helicopter loop at the end took him back up again for a bit.

[markymarc]

Thanks a lot for your swift replies guys! This helps a lot.
Hopefully the friendly atmosphere continues when I will be in Capetown over a week or so
Guess it will be pretty crowded though, but I definitely look forward to it!
@Hugh2: you are a die-hard man! Rrrespect!

[cor]

A 3/2 full suit is more than sufficient.

I disagree with this statement and I am not a guy who feels cold easily, but when the upwelling from deep sea levels hits CT, I am freezing my ass off in a 3/2. It can be enough for some days, yes, but if you want to be on the safe side, I would recommend a 4/3 or 5/3.

[wrogu]

I kited in 5/4 ION winter wetsuit in CT in January 2 years ago. It was fine ! I kite in the same wetsuit in winter with no problems (0-5C).

It was not too hot on the water The thing is that in CT that water is a lot colder than air. You want to pump your kite and set lines without wetsuit or with upper part taken off. While you are on the water it cools you prety well. And in case you have to swim back or bodydrag to the board (and it happens in CT even for the pros in straps) its a lot comfier in a thick suit.