That depends entirely on how strong the wind is.
A good 25 - 30 knots will entice me out on the coldest of days.

Have you got snow ?
I need to check the moutain reports.

One of my best memories is skiing in the morning and windsurfing in the afternoon in brilliant winter sunshine.

For winter surfing I really like getting out in the 4/3 wettie with integrated hood and booties on a really foul day. It's amazing being in such a hostile environment but being wamr and comfortable. If it's sleeting a bit then you can tilt your head so the visor of the hood shields your face.

I carry a 5 litre contained of hot water wrapped in a towel so I can wash myself down with hot water then head for home for a glass of red in front of the fire.

It takes me too freaking long to get to the snow.
We have given up going in Australia, but dedicate ourselves to going to CAnada every year.
Next booked trip is Whistler again in FEb.
That's not to say that a big dump would not entice us in OZ, but it would have to be a metre or more.
I live right on the Qld/NSW border, so 10 hrs drive to Sydney, then 6 hours or so to Jindy.
I'm told that the Victorian fields are actually a smidgen closer, so we might even do that sometime.
Trouble is, once you ski the big mountains of BC, everything else is too small.

Gorgo is right. I love being out in an incredibly hostile environment, snuggled up i snow gear.
I don't mind getting cold sailing, if the wind is worth it.
Not much on offer here at present though, just dead and dreary.

Last winter a friend and I foolishly tried to sailed a June day on Lake Burley-Griffen in Canberra, where the overnight lows in winter routinely dip below freezing.

I got out from shore probably two hundred metres and realised we'd overestimated the wind, so I tried to get the lumpen stumps of my frozen feet to execute a slow gybe and muffed the end. I fell into the water and as soon as my head went under I got an instant ice-cream headache. Plodding back to shore I packed up and went home.

But now back in SA, you can sail all year around...some years back I sailed 50 weekends of the year here. As long as the wind is up, I find the exercise will raise my body-temperature and keep me warm in a 4/3; after about fifteen minutes, the extremities thaw out and I can feel my toes again. I guess there might be danger if you injure yourself and have to limp home, but I rarely sail alone.

KenHo said...

It takes me too freaking long to get to the snow.
We have given up going in Australia, but dedicate ourselves to going to CAnada every year.
Next booked trip is Whistler again in FEb.
That's not to say that a big dump would not entice us in OZ, but it would have to be a metre or more.
I live right on the Qld/NSW border, so 10 hrs drive to Sydney, then 6 hours or so to Jindy.
I'm told that the Victorian fields are actually a smidgen closer, so we might even do that sometime.
Trouble is, once you ski the big mountains of BC, everything else is too small.

Gorgo is right. I love being out in an incredibly hostile environment, snuggled up i snow gear.
I don't mind getting cold sailing, if the wind is worth it.
Not much on offer here at present though, just dead and dreary.

Lucky bugger! I used to go to Charlottes every year for XCD spring day trips onto the crags etc. I was getting sick of the same old 2 .15 hr boring slog every year up to the top to start a run but I've been too crook to go for the last 6 years so i think I'd be just happy to be able to get there again. My mates have been skiing overseas + have new gear etc so I don't think I''ll be able to keep up with them.. assuming I can remember how to turn. Grr.. they used to have to keep up with me..

If I need a wettie then it's too cold, and no I'm not being a smart arse, I really hate the cold
Atm it's 26 here

Went out in 4 degrees water temp, with the win-chill factor bringing it under 0 quite a bit over the UK winter. Actually no problem in a 5/4, and everything covered except for the face. The right gear for it makes all the difference, but it aint cheap.

Tomorrow will be a sailing day for me. Here's a precis of the BOM forecast just issued:-

Warning Summary at issue time: Small Boat Alert for Wednesday afternoon.

A cold front currently moving through Victoria will move through southern NSW on Wednesday, bringing a few showers, chiefly along the ranges to the west and south of the ACT where they are likely to fall as snow.

Forecast for Wednesday: Dry with cloudy periods for Canberra, chance of a few snow showers about the Brindabella ranges. Moderate to fresh westerly winds.

Min -3 Max 9

Winds on Lake: Westerly around 10 km/h increasing to 20-30 knots in the afternoon.

Sounds cold, but it's really quite OK if you have the right wetsuit, in my case an Ion 5/4 semi-dry suit.

PS: Does this make you feel nostalgic, Trousers?

didnt go sailing but jumps in the car this morning turn on the wipers and ..nothing .. the water was frozen .. had to use a stick to save my hands

nick0 said...

didnt go sailing but jumps in the car this morning turn on the wipers and ..nothing .. the water was frozen .. had to use a stick to save my hands

I was watching the NW pick up but talked myself out of it..

KenHo said...

Next booked trip is Whistler again in FEb.

Hey Ken, you spelled Blackcomb wrong...

Agree with a couple of others... its never to cold in Australia! Try the UK winter, thats cold! Although when you bash yourself about (which I do a lot) its pretty easy to numb the pain and keep going.

That reminds me, one of the warmers sessions in the uk I thought I would go without the mittens, as my hands were getting cold and numb I made the mistake of bitting one just to make sure it wasn't frozen, man that hurt! Probably my brain was frozen.

Been In Sydney this week, maybe I will catch a bit of wind tomorrow afternoon.

Bristol said...

Tomorrow will be a sailing day for me. Here's a precis of the BOM forecast just issued:-

Warning Summary at issue time: Small Boat Alert for Wednesday afternoon.

Bristol, I'll be home for that one...Have you GPS ready.

Back on the topic, I've sailed all year round in Canberra and as long as I have the right gear(wetsuit 3/2 and a hood) It's ok. I thought Canberra would be as cold as things got...But I was wrong. I've just moved up to Jindabyne at the base of the snowy mountains and have just found a new degree of cold, Overnight temps have been below minus 10 and we've had snow falls in the town itself. The wind whips through Jindabyne quite strong and was to good to pass up the other day, I rigged my 4.7 and 95l and went for my first and last blast of the winter in Jindabyne. It was bloody freezing to say the least, I lasted for 20 mins before I could no longer feel anything, A fisherman was telling me his fish finder showed the water temp to be 6 degrees, He also said I was mad and that this lake has claimed many lives.....I changed out of my wetsuit and by the time I went to throw it into the van it had frozen solid, The wind chill can take the smile of your face real quick....They tell me it will be late october before the lake is warm enough to swim in. I look forward to sailing Lake Jindabyne in the summer It may be a hidden gem, My first sail there saw me launching of wind chop that was up to 1/2 mast high, It could be our own Hood River....I'll let you guys know.