Will wearing a hooded vest under a 3/2 with gloves and booties keep me warm enough for the southern nc winter? I can tolerate cold water well, and I am trying to decide between going with a hooded vest or buying a 4/3.
how thick is the vest material 1 mm? Depends on a lot of things specifically, what the air temp and wind speeds are for example. I would say you could get away with it but your safest bet would be to grab a hooded 4/3. I surfed wilmington for 4 winters and i had a 5/4/3 and there were days when I def. needed it and the 5 mil gloves and boots.
Sure enough......Thats what I do. I have a Quicksilver hooded vest under my 3/2 Billabong SGX chest zip. 5mm on my hands and feet. As long as you have a quality suit you should have no problem with water temps into the mid 40's. Anything lower than that I get out my 4/3.
Just surfed for an hour and a half in Delaware in a good taped 3/2, with a long sleeve rash guard and a hooded vest underneath. upper body was fine, legs were cold, hand and feet comfy in 5 mm gloves/ boots. Soft but fun glassy waist/chest high a-frames by the way...not much wind. Just did this so my 5 ml wettie would be bone dry in the morning.
i think you could make it.. here in nj i go all year with a hyperflex cyclone 4/3 back zip with 7mm boots and gloves. it gets chilly but not that bad. air is definitly an issue though
whoa man youd freeze yo ass off in just a 3/2 even with the hooded vest! Dude just get a 4/3 and some booties and if you still cold get yo self a hood.
it depends, I couldn't do it... but if the 3/2 is high end, glued, taped, even zipperless, and you're under 30 years old you could do it. It's that last 20 minutes where you're getting colder and you start miss firing and end up cutting you sess short that makes it worth getting some thicker rubber. I would listen to wallysurfer and go 5/4/3.
