Bootie & Glove Review

Wetsuit Booties-red=favorite

• Okespor 2mm- Average quality spring/fall bootie.


• Pro Limit 2mm- Average quality spring/fall bootie.


• Billabong SG 7mm- My favorite Winter bootie. Split toe, fleece lined, comfortable. Keeps my toes warm down to 32 temp. No toe jamming problems. This is the warmest bootie I've found. Lasts several seasons. Winter.


• O'Neill Round Toe 7mm- Good boot. Keeps my toes warm down to 32 temp if I duct tape the top of the boot to my drysuit so no water infiltrates. My toes can get jammed painfully into the front of these, guess it's not a perfect fit. Lasts 1 season. Spring, Fall, Winter.


• Neopsort Hi Top 7mm zipper entry- This is the best zipper entry bootie I've found so far. It has a velcro tab to keep zipper zipped. Mediocre quality zipper though.


• O'Neill FX-5 Firewall 5mm zipper entry- I would like this boot for a zip bootie, good quality zipper, but it has no velcro tab to keep the zipper from unzipping during the session, too frustrating.
  
  

Good Wetsuit Gloves-

• 2mm Palmless Mitts- I cut the palm out of standard 2mm Neil Pryde Mitts. I can put my hand out completely or pull it in. Excellent grip of course, but only good for taking the wind chill off, late Spring, early Fall.


• Glacier Glove 2mm standard- Very flexible, soft, great grip, external wrist seal, lasts 1 season. Spring & Fall.


• Glacier Glove 2mm Fleece Lined- Very flexible, soft, great grip, external wrist seal, lasts 1 season. Can't really see fleece lining. It may be a fraction thicker & warmer than the standard version. Spring & Fall.


• Level Six 2mm Neoprene Mitt- Very flexible, good grip, nose wipe panel, no seal or wrist strap. These mitts are surprisingly warm for how thin they are. These are the only neoprene mitt I've found to come in size XXL. I think the roomy size makes the mitt less restrictive. It also leaves enough room for wearing Thinsulate glove liners to add a little more warmth. Lasts 1 season.


• Body Glove, 3mm Claw- Very flexible, somewhat soft, o.k. grip, lasts 2 seasons. I can pull my forefinger and thumb into the mitt part to warm them up. Not much warmer than than Level Six 2mm mitts and more restrictive but claw is nice.


• O'neill 3mm- Very flexible, soft, great grip, nice internal wrist seal, lasts 1 season. Not as warm or flexible as Level Six 2mm mitts.


• O'neill 5mm- Very flexible, soft, great grip, nice internal wrist seal, lasts 1 season. No warmer than Level Six 2mm mitts.

• Ion/NP Surf 3 Finger 5mm- Very flexible, soft, great grip, nice external wrist seal, lasts 1 season. Feels thinner than 5mm. This is warm enough for most people for extreme cold but I need the 6mm Hyperflex mitts when it gets under about 35 or 40. I buy the XL, just big enough to pull my thumb and finger in to warm up. Expensive.

• Henderson Hyperflex 6mm Oven Mitt--Less flexible than the above. A little hard to get on and off but they work. Very warm and I can still hold onto the bar. This is the first really thick mitten I've found that works. I only had slight numbness in 29 F and I could warm up my hand by pulling my thumb in while kiting. Should last a few seasons.

O.K. to Bad Wetsuit Gloves-

• Dakine Cold Water Mitt- Nylon palm has little grip and little warmth. I found these gloves useless.


• Excel, Infiniti 3mm- Flexible, not as soft, not very grippy but usable. Will probably last 2 seasons.


• Body Glove, Vapor Lock, 3mm- Somewhat restrictive, not very soft for 3mm, not very grippy but usable, barely.


• Rip Curl, F-Bomb 5MM- Very thick, rigid, too restrictive. Not usable.


• O'Neill, 5mm Mitt- Very restrictive, inflexible, too rigid. Barely usable.


• Excel, Infiniti 7mm Mitt- Thick and restrictive but more flexible than O'Neill 5mm mitt, not very grippy but usable.