When the temperature drops and the skies turn a familiar slate gray, it’s hard to summon the enthusiasm to face the freezing water. There is a real temptation to store your wing foiling gear and wait for spring. But if like me, after a week off the water you are suffering winging withdrawal symptoms, you don’t have to let the weather win!
Welcome to “Winging Through Winter,” a short series of article dedicated to keeping you foiling all year long. This first installment will focus on the benefits and limitations of successful cold-weather sessions. We’ll cover the benefits of “foiling through the freeze,” tips on managing your energy in the cold, and advice on recognising limitations.
I will touch upon must-have cold weather gear, to be expanded upon in future in depth gear reviews.
It’s too cold – why bother?
Why bother? is a key question that every winter wing foiler faces. The photo opposite, taken after an hour alone on the lake with air and water temperatures hovering around 4C, is my answer. I may be chilled, but the grin is genuine and the fun has far outweighed the initial discomfort.
The key benefits of battling the freeze are both psychological and practical:
- The mood lifter. You will thank yourself afterwards (trust me). I’m always more positive after a session in winter. I may be cold, but I will always feel my mood lifted by having been out in the fresh air doing something I love. In gloomy climates these boosts to your spirits in winter are invaluable. Bank the feeling of satisfaction after a session and use it to persuade yourself out next time.
- Solitude and Space. The water will be less crowded. If you like to have space to yourself there will be more of it. If you do find yourself as the lone winger, be aware of safety considerations. If there is safety cover (like in my spot) make sure they know you are going out and have some method of communications with you.
- Avoid the Spring Slump. You maintain and improve muscle memory and endurance to avoid the frustration of a new learning curve in spring. You’ll be up and running while “the hibernators” will be re-finding their feet and shaking off the rust.
- Maintain Foiling Fitness. Continuing to foil maintains your sport-specific fitness, which has its own unique blend of core strength and balance demands. It also provides additional motivation to stick to other fitness goals throughout the darker, more sedentary months.
Understanding limits – setting expectations and managing safety
Once you convince yourself to go, the next step is managing the session itself. Wing foiling in cold weather places additional, stresses on you. Understanding the issues and managing these constraints is important to ensure cold sessions are safe and enjoyable throughout.
Define your personal Ice Point – When does the fun stop?
Everyone has a limit as to how cold, rainy, or windy it gets before a session is simply not enjoyable. It is important to understand yours and be prepared to abort a planned session if necessary.
- Know Your Limit: My own lower limit is an air temperature of 4C. Below this point, I find the relentless wind chill makes me too cold even in my thick winter wetsuit. This lead to shivering, loss of strength and dexterity and the need to come in after a very short (~15 minute) session. Your limit might be different, but understanding where that temperature line is, will help you know whether going out is feasible or not.
Limits are there to be tested, but wisely. If you are trying to explore your cold limit for the first time or you are trying out new gear, you might go out when it is colder than you have tried before. Firstly check yourself on shore, if you are already tense and shivering there is no shame in saying “not today”. If you do go out, consciously aim for a mental checkpoint each fifteen minutes of the session, check in on yourself and consider how cold and tired you are getting to avoid the cold fatigue trap (see below).
Set realistic expectations
When it is cold, your body is continuously burning energy just to maintain core temperature. This means your reserves deplete faster than in summer, even if you don’t feel like you’re working harder.
- Plan Shorter Sessions: Recognize that you will tire more quickly. When the temperature is low, I generally expect to be out for a maximum of an hour.
- Polish existing skills: Enjoy being on the water and have fun. This is the day for cruising and maintaining skill, not for pushing new tricks that lead to multiple falls. This winter I will stop working on my rudimentary tacking skills and use my trusted gybe technique to transition.
The spiral of suffering: avoid the cold fatigue trap
Monitoring yourself becomes even more critical in winter than in summer. It is always better to come in with a little “gas left in the tank” than to find yourself struggling to get back to shore.
Beyond simple energy loss, cold conditions actively sabotage your performance by impacting coordination and dexterity. This happens for two key physiological reasons:
- The cold reduces blood supply to muscles (in particular extremities like hands and feet).
- Cold slows down nerve transmission so the instruction you are sending to complete a hand swap on the wing or switch feet on the board is physically taking longer to arrive.
At a certain point tiredness and coldness will cause you to fall in more frequently, this causes you to get colder still leading to more falls in a downward spiral. Avoid this by listening to your body and coming ashore while you still have the energy to ride well.
Essential Logistics for Winter – Key Pre and Post Session Tips
Battling the elements doesn’t just happen on the water; it starts the moment you arrive and continues after you’ve packed away your gear. Thoughtful preparation and an efficient session routine maximise your time on the water and the enjoyment of that time.
Set up and break down fast and warm.
The time spent changing and rigging in cold conditions will cost you precious body heat. Speed, planning and preparation are vital.
Pre Session:
- Overdress to arrive: Arrive wearing warm layers and remember that you lose most body heat through your head. A warm hood or hat is a must.
- Suiting up suitably: Getting into and out of your wetsuit in a freezing car park is another good way to lose precious body heat. If you live close enough to your spot consider suiting up at home and driving up in your gear (use a robe or seat covers to protect the car). If driving home in your suit isn’t an option, find a club with warm changing facilities and hot showers.
- Rigging with Purpose: Now is not the time for leisurely chats with other foilers. Every minute standing around in cold air chips away at your core temperature. 1) Decide what gear (foil/wing) you are using before you leave home. 2) Pre-assemble some components (e.g. front foil, fuselage and stabiliser) if possible. 3) Use time saving tools like an electric air pump so you can assemble the foil and inflate the wing in parallel.
Post session – the immediate warm up protocol.
- Act fast: As soon as you step off the water get an insulated over robe and hood/hat on as fast as possible. The windchill on a wet wetsuit is immense.
- The cost of delay: I learned this the hard way: after one wintery session I started my gear break down in just my wetsuit only to find that my hands became so numb that I couldn’t grip properly to undo the bolts of my foil assembly. I had to warm up in the car for 20 minutes before I could pack away.
- Have a hot drink available. Having a hot drink immediately after you finish is surprisingly effective at raising your core temperature. If your spot has no cafe, bring a flask.
Your Cold-Weather Cocoon: Why a Robe is Non-Negotiable
As the above tips illustrate, a dedicated waterproof and insulated changing robe (I recommend Dryrobe) moves from a luxury to an absolute essential:
- Instant Insulation: These robes provide warmth and wind protection over your wetsuit, immediately halting the process of your wetsuit leeching body heat away to the cold air.
- Protects the car: Wearing a robe over your wetsuit enables you to drive home whilst still suited up without soaking your car seats.
- Comfort and Dignity: If you must change in the car park, a robe offers privacy and comfort, making the cold-weather change far less miserable.
The Frozen Gear Trap: Battling Perpetually Wet Gear
When you do get home and have warmed up, you need a process for drying gear to extend the life of your kit and to lay the foundations of your next session.
- Readiness for another winter session: Putting on a cold wet wetsuit is a special kind of misery – enough to deter even the most dedicated foiler.
- Avoiding damage: Leaving wet gear hanging in an unheated space means it stays damp for days, or worse, freezes solid. Freezing is terrible for neoprene.
- Prolong the life of your kit: Proper drying extends the life of your expensive winter gear by preventing mould, mildew, and premature material degradation.
How you dry your kit will depend on the facilities you have available.
- Warm air circulation: Your gear will dry best hung up on a wide hanger with warm air circulating. A warm bathroom, a boiler room or utility room may be suitable. Consider a small, portable fan to aid air circulation and a bucket or tray to catch drips.
- A wetsuit dryer is a good investment: If you want to avoid moans from your partner about “smelly wetsuits dripping everywhere” (or simply want the fastest turnaround) a good wetsuit dryer is a worthwhile investment. I will discuss the options I looked at and the one I bought in a follow up article.
Essential gear for winging in winter
To wing through the winter you will need to have suitable gear.
If you live somewhere with a large temperature change between summer and winter, you will need specific gear, including:
A Heavy-Duty Suit: A thick winter wetsuit (at minimum 5 mm in the body) with an integrated hood or a full drysuit.
Warm boots: High-quality neoprene boots/shoes to keep your feet warm without losing the feel of the board. More detail on that here.
Gloves. In my view, gloves or mitts are needed (though some die-hards will disagree on hand coverings). More detail here.
Buying specific gear for winter is expensive, so you need to be sure you are motivated enough to foil through the freeze.There are a number of questions to consider
- Wet suit versus dry suit ?
- Which suit do I need?
- What kind of gloves are warm but allow the hands to function?
- What boots to get how much does extra insulation compromise feel?
- What accessories are essential?
In future articles in this series, we will dive more deeply into these questions and I will share my perspective on gear that I use. If you want to be notified when new articles are published please subscribe. If you have your own top tips for surviving winter please comment below.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to pretend that I prefer Winging in Winter, it’s not as much fun as on a warm sunny summer’s day. But it is still better than the alternative … not winging.
If you want some inspiration then this video of Gwen Le Tutor winging in an Idaho winter should motivate you. I bet it’s not as cold as that where you are! Come on lets Go-Wingfoil.