Surfladle

 

It does seem that global warming means longer winters for the UK and I guess that will alter what we wear when out to play. In previous years we have been in shorty wetsuits during Easter (really) or at least we’ve no longer worn hoods and mitts, but the last two I seem to recall were not particularly pleasant and the ‘cold’ was still evident into late May (frosts wrecked a lot of fruit harvests last year). So as we may be staying in the freezer for a little while longer, here’s a selection of products that have come through the door this week and will help keep you warm…

 

YAK are principally a canoeist brand but their loose fitting water wear does suit paddleboarders needs just as well. Their Zeus Jacket and Chinook trousers make a perfect option for serious paddlers who plan to be out and about for a while during a day. The jacket and trouser are both waterproof and offer a high level of breathability (no pockets on the Zeus as they can restrict the ‘breathing aspect’ of the garment) so you will stay warm and comfortably ‘dry’, even when paddling hard. As with anything that has a good specification it’s not cheap, but this combo comes out at well under £250.00 (with our locals discount applied you will pay £225.00 and we will look at Price Match as well.. as we do) which nowadays just about gets you a reasonable quality wetsuit. As a point of interest, my first winter wetsuit was £179.00 from Sporting Life and I think that was in 1985. It was a Gul suit in pink, yellow, grey (things were ‘bright’ in those days)  and although it was as stiff as cardboard, I loved that suit… cheers Herbie! . Food for thought and we currently have all sizes in stock, if you would like to have a look and maybe try them on. 

Whilst on the YAK product list, there were a couple of other items that we thought were a good option for SUP and also for all sports where grip with gloves is a concern..

If you think you only need a lower wetsuit to keep your legs warm when paddling, the YAK Step in  Long John / Jane (for guys and girls) could be just the suit you need. It’s made of a true 3mm thick neoprene and will keep you warm enough when the air or water temp are doing their best to put you off! Price is a very reasonable £72.00 and you do get the 10% discount. 

Now the grip issue.. Palmless Mitts are still about the best handwarmer for those who are gripping booms, bars, handles or even paddles, as all of these can create real problems with loss of grip when even the thinnest of gloves are used (Marigolds were the choice for years but they don’t keep your hands warm for long). Yak offer a palmless mitt which has been ‘tuned’ by paddlers for their needs (I think I am right in saying that we passed the concept onto YAK via the Crewsaver Sales Manager quite a few years ago) and a pair comes in at a very reasonable £26.00 and yes,  you do get your 10% discount off of that. 

Talking of palmless Mitts, we also have the Mystic version which has been tuned by kiters and windsurfers, so a pair of these at £32.95 less the 10% should also do the job nicely. The Palmless Mitt is one of those things you wear and maybe think that it’s not working, until you take them off and realise that they most certainly were. They have a real plus over gloves and that is you can flick them off to enable instantly free fingers, to give even better grip when things get a bit gnarly or to carry out those fiddley jobs that gloves would make a nightmare, and usually end up with a glove being lost! Come in and take a look if you have not come across them. 

Last of all in the keep warm dept. , it’s the beanie which is a must for all, as the heat loss from your head is ‘a lot’. Swimmers might like these Mystic Neo versions, which help others see you in the water and luckily for you they are available at last year’s price of £27.95 plus less your 10%. We also have a couple left in Blue if you are an above the water sportsperson , which are £22.95 less the 10%. As I mentioned earlier we will always look at Price Matching, so don’t be scared to ask if you do see them cheaper! 

 

Last item of interest for tonight.. Air Valves. An item that rarely gets the attention it needs. A lot of the new boards, whether Wind, Wing, Kite or solid SUP are now using a plastic Air Valve and some of which are Automatic, which means you do not have to touch the valve at all, even when transporting the board by air, as the valve uses a slither of Gore Tex material to enable the air pressure to alter inside the foam without letting water enter. One small problem is that some of the plastic valves are not Automatic, even though they look very similar. The Fanatic Sky Wing board is one of those, as the majority are fitted with a similar looking valve that is in fact a manual valve, that needs to be opened and closed depending upon air temperature and definitely during air travel! If you don’t, it could delaminate the hull material from the interior foam and that is the board ‘done’. The good news is that you can easily upgrade the air valve if yours is a manual type and the cost of the Gore Tex version (Fanatic)  is only £4.00. Do ask if you would like to know more as you do need to fit the valve correctly.  And now for this weekends weather (shall I bother)..

 

Saturday, The wind will switch to Nor’ West and become a dull’ish 8-15kts. The weather is once again pants, as currently shown to be precipitating all day until around late afternoon. Top Temp of 12°C less rain chill is not my idea of the first day of April but that’s what we are having. Tide is still not helping, as it’s only a 4.5m High at 08.12hrs, which means not a lot of water in the estuary and the tide when out will not leave much sand for the dog walker.

Sunday looks much better but only in the respect of the rain stopping, which to be honest will do!

The wind moves to the Nor’East, which is bound to drop the temperature and the forecast gives it as 9°C before wind chill,  which is the average day temperature for this time of year (that means we should be around 13°C during the day, which we know feels a lot nicer!). Slightly more water around as the tide is a 4.9m and High at 09.12hrs, so the dog and its walker might be happier and those that have purchased the YAK cag and trousers will have enough water in the estuary for a paddle. Winters really do seem to be getting longer! Oh well.. 

 

 

And that is that for this week, apart from mentioning that if anyone in the local Council thinks that it might be a good idea to follow Camber’s Council forward thinking by charging £30.00 a day for the Camber Sands beach car park, they should prepare for an uprising, of French magnitude! Honestly, what will they think of next. 

 

Have a great weekend in Paradise.