Cold Water Necessities
Cold Water Surf Gear Australia
A great steamer with frozen feet is still a short session. Booties, gloves and hoods are the unglamorous heroes of winter surfing, and this is where Vissla keeps every one of them.
Reef walkers through to full winter boots, hoods for when the wind swings south, gloves for the mornings that mean it. All of it runs the same limestone-based rubber as the wetsuits it pairs with. Sort the extremities and the rest of winter is just admin.
Wetsuit Booties, Hoods & Gloves Australia
Cold water doesn't get through a good suit. It gets in at the feet, the head and the hands. This collection closes the gaps: split-toe and round-toe booties from 2mm reef walkers to 5mm winter boots, 3mm hoods, and gloves, built across the 7 Seas and High Seas lines with the same limestone-based neoprene as the suits.
What Thickness Do You Need?
- 2mm reef booties: Protection first, warmth second. Rock shelves and reef.
- 3mm split toe: The cool-water standard. Board feel mostly survives.
- 5mm round toe: Full winter. Warmth wins, feel loses. That's the deal and everyone signs it.
- 3mm hood: Pairs with any non-hooded steamer when the wind swings south.
Split toe versus round toe is the great bootie debate: split gives control, round gives warmth. People hold strong opinions about this. They're allowed.
One Pointer
Fit booties snug out of the box. They give a little once wet, and a loose bootie is a cold-water pump. And rinse them after every surf. Please. Everyone within ten metres of your car boot thanks you.
