Airport Today 12-8-09

Nak · Tue Dec 08, 09 5:46 pm **Airport Today 12-8-09**

Met Mark at RR for a possible session there; too much ice to cross for me. Shocked

Ended up going to the airport for a quick session. Nice steady 15 mph winds, water was almost buttery. The only problem was my new gloves. I bought 'em in Lincoln city in August; they really looked like they'd be the shit in cold weather. Excels... Well, they were shit. Evil or Very Mad

Within two minutes my hands were completely numb. It was a bitch trying to hang on to the bar when it was icing up & I couldn't even feel how tight I was gripping it. I rode for a short while then called it a day. The rest of me was toasty warm, but my hands made me pay for wearing shitty gloves. Sat in my car and cursed up a storm as feeling came back into my hands. Shocked

Very painful. Oh well.

Thanks tons to the guy who gave me a launch, he was a kiter just out for a walk. Dude, if you read this, thanks again! Thumb's Up

Unfortunately I forgot your name during the deep freeze. Rolling Eyes

Rollo Tomasi · Since 17 Mar 2005 983 Posts Attractive

dude, you're hard core. glad you thawed

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Life Member of Team FR

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

fingers are good for all sorts of stuff, glad you still got em!

chanson · Since 31 Jan 2006 1874 Posts WISCONSIN Chimey

Nice,

Next time u need to pull a man vs wild and do the windmill with one arm at a time...get the blood back to the tips....been saving me.

Might look strange on the water, but I doubt there's too many concerned kiters out there withya

Tony · Since 28 Aug 2006 940 Posts Portland Opinionated

Mike,

U my friend, is hardcore.....Shit, it is frigid outside....
Def. have to have a nice set of gloves.
That stinging painfull feeling sucks....

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2627 Posts The 503 METAL

I can't kite in gloves over 3 mil. cause they're too thick for gripping. And anything less is not enough if the air temp is under 40F because you don't get enough water time before your hands go numb.

But thumb for the valiant effort..

Thumb's Up

Pepi · Tue Dec 08, 09 8:24 pm

seriously?????? Really???????
Mike, I am not even half the man you are. I bow down in your honor, or in your fridgedness.

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

That getting-the-feeling-back-in-the-hands pain is terrible! had it only a handful of times during the winter fern ridge sessions. Way to go for it man, winter kiteboarding adds a serious element of badass Thumb's Up

unless you head south for it...

Mark · Tue Dec 08, 09 9:58 pm

Nak you are the ICEMAN. Too bad Rooster was so sketchy. Would have made very cool pics.

Borrow the crampons from the ice climbers.......

Nak · Wed Dec 09, 09 12:28 am

Thanks for the props guys, but really all I did was kite in light winds on a cold day. Very Happy

If I could find some good high tech gloves, a day like today would be a walk in the park. The ice climbers are the definitive bad asses!

I wish to hell Atan would make some gloves with the same materials as their "Hot Mistral" booties. My feet were toasty warm today! A big thumbs up again for these booties. Warm and unparalleled feel. Try these and you'll never wear neoprene booties again. Thumb's Up

I give the Xcel "Drylock" gloves an unacceptable rating. My hands were completely numb within two minutes, and they weren't even wet yet! The search goes on for warm, comfy, gloves.

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

Nak · Wed Dec 09, 09 1:30 am

I ordered mine from a dealer in the UK. I tried to find them here, but nobody has them in the US that I could find.

I have the "Hot Mistral" which is the 6.5 . The "Mistral" is 3.0 . Even as thick as they are, they feel better than 3mm neoprene. It feels like you're wearing a sock. They kind of vacuum suck onto your feet, so they don't move when you're wearing them. There's no slop in the feel. The only negative is that I don't think they would be as durable as some other booties on rock or reef. I wear sandals with them when I hike in to the beach.

bwd · Since 04 Aug 2007 385 Posts Obsessed

Being on the east coast, I don't know your water temps this time of year, but one thing I've done that really worked is surgical gloves under sailing gloves.
This kept my hands tolerably warm in in 42 degree water/45 degree air for about 3 hours.
The key is the cuff -you need gloves with a longer cuff that goes partway up the forearm under the wetsuit -not exam gloves or painter's gloves with a short cuff.
I was surprised how well it worked, and I think the reason is 2 fold: first it's completely wind and waterpoof, second the warm water from inside the wetsuit seeps down into the glove, warming the fingers.
Might not work for everyone or every glove, but it worked really well for me.
Could be worth trying out....

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

thats interesting idea - though I think the standard 1.5 mil gloves work fine for anything 40 degrees or warmer - the 30s? or 20s Shocked

think Slither nailed it - anything thicker than 1.5mil your hands get fatigued - maybe a kayak specific glove that is pre-bent for grabbing a paddle (we would run glacial runoff with no issues - maybe the 1.5s inside a set of pogies attached to the bar)

http://www.gearfetch.com/shop/index.php?cPath=17_87&gclid=CKW0ydfdyZ4CFShGagodBSuasA

chanson · Since 31 Jan 2006 1874 Posts WISCONSIN Chimey

yep..

I got mine here: the mystery kayak gloves..
http://www.kitescoop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5010

they actualy work pretty damn good. Viento on Wed....fine for about an hour.
Ponds on sunday....good for about an hour too....

super thin..but they have windskin on the entire outside....so makes up for it.
They make a thicker pair too, that I was looking at.

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 614 Posts pdx Addicted

jake, what size glove did you opt for??