I guess this is kind of an I'm bored topic, but I'm really curious. What do you guys do to train in the off season. How cold do you ride in? Water temp and air temp. I only have a wetsuit and its pretty cold. I'm a desert baby. Well anyways how do you work out, diet, ect? Thanks in advance
acanswers

Work out 3 times 2 hours a week and just bought a VersaClimber for cardio and booze fat burn.
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Hi acan!
Well..... down here we practice by the 40 degree rule. If temps fall to 39 or lower.... skis stay home. Same crosstraining done in the winter as during the riding season. Biking, rollerblading, swimming upstream, wrist curls with 10 lbs. As far as diet...see-food diet!! I eat everything I see! LOL! But eat plenty of bananas and brocolli for potassium to avoid muscle cramps. Vitamins are ok but there's nothing better than plenty of real veggies in your diet. Oh, and move to a third floor apartment!! Lots of exercise going on now!

Sorry, skipped the temp question, being from France, low 50s in the air and high 50s in the water make it with a Slippery Matrix wetsuit, under that, a thiker wetsuit does the job down to 50 air and low 30s air temp.
11

extend the season - get a dry suit

Your advise is a good way to die 11, a wetsuit in 50 degree water will buy you an hour if you capsise, maybe 2 if high 50s, when riding in cold water you should suit up for the worst of conditions not the best, anything below 50 degree water is dry suit weather, you'll be toasty warm and a **** of a lot more comfortable than in a wet suit, specially a thick one, in addition to being quite safe if "the worse" was to happen.

The fact that you usually are in the water for a minute or less at a time doesn't mean the gear will be sufficient, gear is not for comfort or fashion, it is for safety first.

I've been doing it for 18 years (windsurf+PWCs) and I'm still here, I guess that's because I suffer more from heat than from cold, I can snow ski wearing a T Shirt and a sweater at 30° F, but I suffered big time with today's 88° wearing a shirt in SoCal.
I guess my heat sensor is jammed and forgets to turn on the limp mode
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[ 11-22-2002: Message edited by: 11 ]

God forbid you have a misshap off shore 11, I'd hate to be the last person you think of. Just keep this in mind, what you feel and what affects your life are not necessarily the same. Waiting to feel thirsty in order to drink water means you are allowing yourself to be dehidrated. Would you wait for your car to be out of fuel before you stop at a gas station?

acanswers ..... dont you ride year round in Havasu?? I ride alot of local lake & ocean in the winter. I go to Havasu every year between X-Mas & New Year & in January.... I really have never been in un-ridable conditions in Havasu except for anytime there had been a storm with major winds......... I love Havasu in the winter!!!!!

This winter, to build more muscle, and lose weight, I am swimming in an indoor pool M-W-F, ride stationary bike t-th, leg weight training Mon nights, chest/arms tues, back shoulders thur, and soon will be snow boarding sat/sun. After I lose the right amount of weight, I'll drop the stationary bike and add more weight training on those days...

I have a dry suit - this year we started riding Mar 31st after snowboarding 2 days before. water and air temps were in the low 40s. Last day of riding this year was 10 Nov - racing in the snow - temps in the 30s, water temps slightly higher in the high 40s.

Wet wetsuits get cold from the wind chill. If you're in the water, it actually feels warmer initially but you can lose a lot of body heat quickly if the water is cold enough.

1/4 inch wetsuits will protect you down to about 50 degrees. Below that you should use a dry suit. I used to teach scuba diving and have tried using a wetsuit in 43 deg water. it was not fun, and we stayed less than 10 minutes.

While I tend to agree with Mario somewhat, everything is about risk management. For example, if you're riding a stand up that will not support your entire body out of the water if the engine stops, you should wear the most protection for the worst case scenario. If though, you're riding a 3 seater on a flat lake, the chances of you not being able to climb back on your ski are very small so less protection is needed.

Well,
I guess there's a little misunderstanding, a Slippery wetsuit is ok down to 50/55°F in the water, under that, we used to wear O'Neil/Neil Pryde/Billabong 10mm (almost 1/2 inch) windsurf wetsuits, with a Jersey inside layer and that were so tight, water almost didn't sneak in them, 10 minutes minimum to fit it on, and you have to use sunscreen/vaseline and a buddy to close the zip, sometimes up to 15 minutes to remove it.
I certainly wouldn't ride with a 1/4 inch thick wetsuit in 35° water.
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Donuts.... Lot's of donuts.

dont shave the hair on your back. good inslation