Ultimate Guide to Neoprene Gloves & Boots for Cold Water

When it comes to cold water activities, your hands and feet are the first things that start to get cold. In this video we go over all the factors and features to consider when selecting the best neoprene gloves and booties for cold water temperatures.

Let us know your recommendations and sport in the comments!

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[kevinbradley]

7mm xcel drylock booties. I Pour warm water out when done kiting. Feet warmth never an issue. Hands are another story and you nailed it-- all gloves seem to be a compromise at best. The warmer the glove, the worse the dexterity

[peterbeisel]

When trying to "sqeeze" a little more warmth out of your exisitng neoprene gear, I've found using an extra double sided velcro straps around critical areas like wrists and calves helps keep the water out, or at least reduces how much it collects, especially if your wetsuit is just a little too big!

[bradycarlson]

I love my solite 8mm custom booties. They are worth every penny. I also rock the 5mm mystic lobster glove. And the 7mm Xcel drylock mitten when it’s really cold. All great products for kiting. Great video!

[RobinBenton]

I have found a 2mm neoprene sock under your boot really helps keep the warmth in. A 2mm sock and a 3mm boot are warmer than a 6mm boot.

[KiteMikePEI]

Great content as always. One hack that I found very useful is to duck tape the overlaps between the wetsuit and the booties and mitts/gloves. This further reduces the entry of cold water and helps you stay warm. I use 4mm high-top booties in near freezing water temperatures and have had no issue. A full-face hoodie is also a must. A Neo-tuque just won't cut it. (For our American friends who just experienced a blast of winter down south, a tuque is a Bennie.)

[canolando]

I started learning in December and was so excited i didn't let the cold bother me, just a 3mil suit and thin booties no gloves all thru the winter.😁

[michaeljones]

Thank you for the video, I would like to see more videos about whether to use drysuit or wetsuit

[williamhenault]

Neoprene socks make a huge difference. Velcro Straps ($5.00 Canadian Tire) to cinch down the wetsuit over the boot tops works surprisingly well :)

[mikemiller]

One thing to mention about gloves - over or under suit. I would say it really depends on riding style/ability, e.g. often falling with a hand forward will leak more water into suit in case of sleeve over glove. Also some gloves have a velcro. Otherwise sleeve over glove makes more sense, since water will not drain from suit right into glove.

[nicolasboudet]

As you mentioned the key point is to be able to get out your booties by yourself at the end of the session. I am not very flexible, and thought sometimes that I will go back home attached with my booties and my wetsuit...🥴
But I can guarantee that it is not such an issue this year, as I am spending winter in the French Caribbean’s 😜😎

[hindssites]

I kite through the winter in Vancouver in temperatures approaching zero degrees. I also have a medical condition where my hands can get painfully super cold even in the summer on a cold lake so it is really hard for me to find a glove that works. I discovered that if you wear thick wool socks in a bootie that will make a huge difference without having to buy a winter bootie. However if you want a bootie that will keep your feet warm, the 7mm bootie by Bare will leave you smiling. The 5mm "Omni Red" five finger glove by Bare is also great. However it was not designed for kite boarding so they will not last long. Also your hands get tired gripping the bar the first few sessions but after that they soften up. I think mine lasted about 30 sessions before one developed a hole. The lobster gloves have good reviews but the company that sells these gloves sold out so that wasn't an option to buy for the winter. The problem with a strap on the bootie is that it is just another thing that kite lines love to wrap themselves around. I always cut them off. I bought a 7 mm Bare wetsuit on black Friday for $300 and love it. Was never cold in it and it did not feel constrictive in any way. They are nothing like a Neil Pryde for fit, but for a winter suit for $300 I was happy. Love your videos!!!!

[wolf-walker]

I use 6mm gloves for winter kayaking. They're curved but still limit dexterity. My 6mm wetsuit has inner cuffs that seal it into my booties and gloves. It's toasty but down gear inside my dry suit is lighter and more flexible with same toast-factor☺

[dougdemonde]

Thanks! Great video and advice on boots and gloves. I have Atan Hot Mistral 6mm and 3mm boots and I like the “barefoot” feeling. I may be brainwashed to think that because they advertise “Barefoot” as their unique selling point (USP). Would need to do a blind taste test to really know.

[slappysurf]

Surprised you guys didn't talk about arm pump, maybe flysurfer bar pressure is just that light.
My personal go to in the cold is NP 5 mm lobster claws and Xcel drylock 7 mm booties, the drylock keep my feet dry which helps a lot with cold. Once it gets to around 14 degC I switch to the NP 2 mm open palm mitts.

[kites-bikes]

i will stick with my neopren socks together with 3mm boots. If its really cold i will just combine both, for spring i will go socks only and still have a very close "barefoot" feeling. Just need to be careful to not walk on stones or otherwise they will rip

[jakobnilsson]

Great vid, but from my experience gloves and shoes that are lose tend to feel a lot warmer due to better blood flow. Also when on the beach in between sessions and your fingers are getting all stiff and swollen it's not easy to put the gloves back on and they will feel a lot tighter. Would totally recommend sizing up rather that down on gloves especially

[clement]

I had hoped you would cover open palm gloves. I have heard some people who say they can keep warm on fingers better with open palm than with normal gloves🙏

[andrewp]

Excellent video as always! For me after 10 years struggling of cold and sometimes ice water kitesurfing, I find the solution for myself. Now I use Dx Shel Waterproof Winter Warm Gloves it very similar to Gore-Tex. And also I heard that it is really warm to use gloves for a triathlon. Do you ever try?

[lantos]

You haven't mentioned another option which is open palm gloves. 2-5 mm thickness, very flexible and easy to manover with it. If you fall in the water you can remove the cold water easily and your fingers get warm again within a few minutes. I love them.

[antonkettner]

Hey, great Video like always! I personally disagree with one trick though, to put the booties and gloves underneath the wetsuit. When I do that splashing water from my board is getting inside my wetsuit all the time. If you have a trick to prevent that I would love to know, but maybe that is just board specific...