Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

In my November Boardshorts thread I realized that a number of you are WAY better at cold water riding than I have ever been. The older I get of course the less I wanted to brave the cold but with a slip 5 minutes from the office now our crew has decided they want to brave the water this winter.

We all purchased some O'neill 3/2 suits. I have access to all the O'neill products but even at cost a drysuit is still a few hundred bucks. If the crew decides to ride a bunch I will probably order one but until then I figured a cheaper wetsuit would be fine.

What are your tips?

Cooler with warm water - to warm up hands and feet? Or pour down suit?
One of those surf changing hoodies?
Blankets?
Do you surf off the platform in cold weather or dock start?
Do you ride multiple sets?

This could all change as soon as one of us drops into lake Austin in Jan and realizes how cold lake Austin really gets.

Our rule is 100 degrees, combined water and air temp. Below that, it’s too cold to ride.

A bag dry suit is great. I think mine is the boost. You can wear sweats or tights under it for insulation. Burp it out the neck when you get in the water. If the water is really cold, you can rest your feet on the board to keep them out of the water.

If you are really hard up to ride, take a cooler on the boat full of hot water to warm hands and feet.


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3 outlet heater was one of the best upgrades we've done. we used it a few time this past week! we will take a run hop back in the boat and put the heater tube under the towel.

I never really liked wearing a wetsuit, because I think my mobility is restricted. I mostly wakeboard. I have always used a long sleeve shirt type. Do you have recommendations on what wetsuit that gives you the most mobility?


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Im not a pro in that department. My mobility issues are with my 47 year old body so it is not the suit that is holding me back..

I have heard good things about the Psycho suit by Oneill.

Thanks for recommendation. I am thinking I may only have a couple more years to hit it hard, so I want to go big as often as I can while the falls are still somewhat bearable.


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Drysuit, scuba gloves, surf booties and enjoy!

I will surf in the cold, but don't like to wakeboard. It's hard to hold the handle with the thick gloves, and if you fall, it sucks a lot more on the wakeboard in the cold than a surf board. Plus the people in the boat are happy because you are only going 11... not 23mph.

Ed, if you have a 3/2 full suit with taped and sealed seams that's all you'll ever need in Austin. In fact, you should be getting warm in it. I wear a 3/2 long sleeve chest zip shorty and I'm fine. I still have an O'Neill dry suit and I start burning up in it after 5 min.

You know, I've seen this magic "100 rule" for the last 25yrs I've been wakeboarding/wakesurfing. Someone explain how 50 air and 50 water is comfortable or "doable". How about 60 air, 40 water or 45 air, 55 water? Do these temps sound fun to anyone? The logic is not there for me and I can take cold well.

Where I ride, our water doesn't get above 70...typically takes til July to hit that. So, we suck it up and start enjoying the ride as soon as we can. Typically water is 48-52 when we start the season. Dry suit for sure. Once the water is 60, if the air temp is decent, I use a wetsuit.
Once the water is 65, heater top or just the vest.

It just depends on what you are used to. Heater in the boat helps a lot, as well as lots of extra towels!

I have only had a dry suit for the last 3 seasons. We used to just tough it out....in crappy shorty wetsuits, then eventually, a full suit.

At our polar bear event the first Sat in December, air was low 40's, water was high 30's. Crushed the 100 degree rule and had a blast doing it. If you have the right gear, its quite enjoyable still.

Just look at the guys who surf (not behind the boat) Lake Superior all winter!