In the winter, I use a drysuit exclusively. Under the suit, I wear several layers of insulation under for warmth. Depending on the temperature, I may wear fleece under my drysuit. Thicker fleece tends to be too bulky, but sometimes that’s a trade-off I’m willing to take.

The winter surfers on the Great Lakes wear 5/4 full-body wetsuits with neoprene gloves and full headgear. I would think that I’d want something similar for +34 F temperatures if I was going to use neoprene in the winter. I’d also use a drytop instead of a spray jacket. The key is to dress for the water temperature. I don’t think a 3mm neoprene pants or farmer john would cut it. That’s much like wearing a ski jacket and fleece and falling through the ice while skiing, it just isn’t designed for those conditions. For a controlled test of your gear, head into a couple of feet of 34 F water with a buddy dressed in layers of insulation and a drysuit and lay in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. See if you can function afterwards. Have medical personal standing by.

Take some time to watch all the videos over at Cold Water Boot Camp. They’re eye opening.