Max Muller

An unseasonably warm tail-end of the year has been a fantastic boost for the U.K’s watersports industry. More folks than ever have chosen to extend their summer fun a little, getting out in the waves for a chilly season of cold weather surfing, kayaking, sailing and canoeing.

The Right Gear

The U.K can be a capricious climate at the best of times. Although heaps of happy surfers and watersports enthusiasts are heading out this winter, it’s still essential to take sensible steps against the freezing temperatures of the North Sea and U.K coastal waters. Issues such as hypothermia are common in the U.K throughout the year, making the right neoprene rubber watersports gear a matter of safety as well as comfort.

Neoprene and the U.K Climate

Foam rubbers like neoprene really come into their own in such conditions. 5mm wetsuits are designed for use in colder weather. The rule of thumb tends to be that in temperatures below 9°C a minimum of a 5mm wetsuit with boots (hood and gloves optional) is required. Less than 6°C calls for 6mm+ neoprene with a hood, boots and gloves. There are currently a lot of summer 3mm wetsuits on sale, but safe use dictates they’re best saved for temperatures of 15°C+ Investing in the wrong thickness for the seasonal U.K seas can be fatal.

Although southern spots like Devon and Cornwall can boast unseasonably warm waters of 11-13°C, it’s essential to plan for the worst, especially in changeable conditions so readily associated with U.K weather.