Wetsuits for Bay Area SUP adventures

Courtesy of Ohana SUP star Jeff Henise

Wetsuits!!!!! I like this topic.

So many models to choose from! In general full suits range from $150 - $600 new. What you get as they get more expensive: lighter weight/more flexible material, a design with less leaks that is warmer (example: taped/glued/stich-less seams, water tight zippers or smaller or no zipper at all).

It must fit tight for max warmth, but the tradeoff it that is harder to get on and off, and some folks prefer a loose fit, less restrictive, cooler feel. I think rather than a specific brand getting something that fits you well is more important, and some of the features that are less desirable for max warm in the water (like a long back zipper) can be advantages in paddle boarding allowing you to cool off a bit if you get too warm.

In general I don't think one needs the top shelf stuff for paddle boarding since you aren't sitting in the water, but there are some exceptions described below.

Flexibility is worth something especially on thicker suits as they can feel a bit like springs are attached to your arms and can be a little annoying at first. Looser fit although cooler can feel less restrictive, and generally more expensive lighter/more flexible neoprene can be nice.

Here is what I run.

Level I

Two piece thin (1-2mm) neoprene leggings and top. Works well for colder windy days where you don't fall in the water or fall in little. Also good for leisure paddling where you don’t generate much heat. For the bodega bay race a few weeks ago the air was so cold I raced in this, but generally this is too hot for hard effort like that. Also two piece are nice because you don't have to wear both pieces. Often I tie the top around my waist to throw on if it gets chilly. I find keeping the core warm works better than just the legs for me. But there are options.

Examples:

NRS Hydroskin Pants 0.5mm

NRS Hydroskin Shirt

Level 2

A thin full wetsuit (like a 3/2). Good for most paddle surfing, falling in more often, and colder foggy windy days. There are some options here too. The older/cheaper back zipper style can be handy because you can pull the zipper down to cool off if you get too hot, although the back zip will leak more in the water. I recently got a 3/2 zipper-less, with fully glued seams. It fits tight light a glove, pretty much doesn't leak at all, is very flexible, and pretty toasty for a 3/2! This works great for more casual surf days where you spend more time on the board then water. Probably also great for most in-the-bay downwind and stuff like that.

Example: O'Neill Hyperfreak Comp 3/2

Level 2.5

Somewhere between level 2 and 3 is the 4/3 wetsuit avail with hood or no hood, back zipper, front zipper, no zipper (being cooler to warmer in that order). I have never owned one of these but many people surf in them here year round and like less bulk/restriction then a full on 5/4. The 4/3 is very popular.

Level 3

Max warmth: 5/4 hooded. Here is where buying the best starts to make more sense. Cheap loose leaky 5/4 wetsuits can still be cold in cold water! Use for anything in the open ocean (year round really) where more time is spent in the water, also windy cold days on the bay where you want to be nice and cozy. Winter wind some falling in is NO PROBLEM at all! You can pull the hood down if you get two hot too. I use this for pretty much anything in colder 49-62 oF water year round. These can also add a decent amount of buoyancy. This is also what you want for safety if you may be stuck in cold water in an emergency, like crossing the bay, open ocean down wind, heavy durf days, ect. Being immersed for 4 hours or more is no problem at all for a good 5/4 suit.

I have run the models (below). The oneill is a very light flexable material, and the excel is thick heavy and indestructible, both are very warm! in fact I was a bit too warm at ocean beach yesterday with the hood down doing sup surf with hard paddling. BUT no complaints! Being a little warm is generally better then feeling cold, and you can always pull the neck open and flush some water through if you get too hot.

O'Neill Psycho Tech 5/4 Hooded

Xcel Drylock 5/4 Hooded

Booties!

A good pair of 3 or 5mm booties can be used year round and my feet never feel too hot. I have even worn 5mm booties in 75 degree water in Costa Rica since I don't like stepping on a lot of things in the ocean bare foot, and never felt uncomfortable! I love them even for summer paddles if you have to walk around on rocks/mud and stuff like that and carry your board. Pair these with any set up above.

Xcel 5mm Booties

Gloves and Hoods

There are also gloves and hoods that can be paired with anything. I have no experience with gloves and free hoods, only wetsuits with built in hoods. For some reason my hands never feel cold, and by the time I feel like I need the hood It is time to put on the 5/4 hooded anyway! But here are more options to play with!

The next level

Although they exist I don't really know anyone that run a suit thicker than 5mm in our area for surfing type activities...

Ohana Paddle Club member spotlight: Nourhan Refaat

Nourhan Refaat (Nour), comes to us from Giza, Egypt. Her name, Nour, means light, she describes herself as a lifelong learner, hard worker, a team player, and outgoing caring person.  She personifies these traits through her life work of empowering women and youth in Egypt.  Nour started volunteering in her community at age 15, and went on to spend 5 years working for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as “Save the Children,” “The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),” and the “American University in Cairo (AUC).”  Her areas of focus are Women Empowerment, Education and Refugee Issues.  She graduated from AUC with degrees in English and Psychology and received a Lazard Leadership Fellowship.

Nour has witnessed many stories of women who face violence in their daily life bases, including loss of life because of gender-based violence. She has taken on personal responsibility for helping better the lives of Egyptian women through her social initiatives, professional work, and knowledge mainstreaming.  She has been working long, hard hours toward her goals.

Two years ago, during COVID-19, Nour was having an extremely tough time in her life, working particularly hard for nine months on a project to empower Egyptian youth. She wanted to start focusing on her mental health and well-being. She knew that she was fascinated with water sports and tried various types.  She then borrowed a friend’s inflatable stand-up paddle board and found her passion!

Nour had a huge challenge ahead of her.  There are less than 6 female paddleboarders in Egypt.  She had no one to teach her how to stand on the board or how to paddle.  She was completely self taught.  She had to be patient with herself and push ahead.  She was using all borrowed equipment and was paddling on the Nile River, which has limited access to its banks, and no bathroom or changing facilities.  She was the only paddler on the water.  But she progressed quickly.

After two months of training, Nour joined Egypt’s cup competition and won a gold medal. She then joined other competitions and won even more medals!  She says the journey was not easy. Taking the first step and being a woman in a brand new sport in a country that not only has no support for that kind of sport, but doesn’t even have paddle boarding equipment for sale is very hard!  And it is even harder for a young woman in a country that does not support women participating in most sports.  

One year ago, she applied for the Community Solutions Program for the Change Makers, which is an exchange program between the U.S.A and Egypt. After going through many application screenings and many interviews. She was chosen from 8500 applicants from all over the world. She is the youngest Egyptian in this program and the only one who focuses on sports for development and empowerment of women.  This how Nour ended up in San Francisco.

When Nour arrived in San Francisco, she had no contacts in the SUP World.  She got on the internet and looked up paddleboard shops in the area.  She ended up taking a bus to 101Surf Sports in San Rafael, not even knowing much about the shop, and showed up to ask about paddling with them.  At that point in time, Nour had never even touched a hard paddleboard.  Fortunately, David Wells, the owner, took a personal interest in working with her, as well as introducing her to Jen Fuller and Mike Wang.  She has been receiving extensive training from David and Jen and now will also be paddling with Mike’s Paddle.

We are all helping to prepare and support Nour to be ready for the upcoming 2022 ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship in Puerto Rico this October. Nour traveled 7,447 miles between Cairo and San Francisco to gain new skills. She will l be the first Egyptian, African and Arab woman in all history to paddle with the international surfing associations in the U.S.A.