Ok so i finally sucummed to buying a wetsuit for the first time in 8 years of kiting and bought a xcel drylock. On the pond this morning water shoots up the legs and collects as i kite along. Any good ideas how to prevent this or drain the water are most welcome, short of cutting the bottoms off or not wearing the thing. It is the only place water gets in an other wise completely dry suit.

Agree totally, velcro straps are the go. I got some about 40mm wide and havn't looked back since. Nothing worse than carrying an extra 5kg in each leg!

maybe try rolling the bottom of the legs up one turn? when my wettie rolls inwards it collects water so maybe the opposite might work?

I agree with the velcro business ! - I got some wide ( maybe 40mm?) velcro from spotlight and did the sewing machine thing so that I have joined a length of the fuzz to the hook stuff so that it can wrap around your ankle and make sure that some of the hook stuff locks onto your wetsuit ( maybe an inch?) that way it holds the velcro cuff inplace.
As a heads up - if you do it up too tight ur toes turn blue and the water cant escape either! too loose and it just doesnt seem to work all that well .

Turning the bottom of the wetsuit up and adding the velcro cuff is a very good strategy - elephant legs just aint cool!

As I said I have made my own and at bugger all expense but I noticed on ebay that there is a guy selling exactly this bit of anti elephant legs bit of gear!

Once you get the velcro "tension" right you will still get some water up ur leg but it will drain out (unlike the inverted cuff situation) - its important to understand that you arn't trying to make the leg of your wetsuit water tight! the velcro cuff aims to keep the leg bottom draining.

I hope that makes sense!!

Just heat up a knife with a flame and melt a couple of 10 mm slots 100 mm up from bottom drains easily

brady said...

booties and the tucked-in look.

Works well unless you wee in your wettie

but it so keeps yours tootsies nice and toasty warm in winter

Thx for input chaps. Will go and get some velco straps and try the electrical tape as well, will see which comes out best.

Triggerhappy said...

Thx for input chaps. Will go and get some velco straps and try the electrical tape as well, will see which comes out best.

Had a 'windsurf conversion' done on my ripcurl wettie for kiting a few years back. All they did was sew on seat belts with velcro. Works a treat. Am sure you could do the same thing with seatbelt from a wreckers and velcro off something. No holes in the wetty but would need them if you were getting flushed.

dafunk said...

I get this allthe time in both my suits , the long one aint too bad , but the short one fills my upper leg completly and feels\looks real bad . have seen product on gaybay for ankles , but a short wakeboard style suit idea would be the go imo . adjustable straps .

wettie in Queensland ?????

ok 4 stingers, not something you want up your wettie leg

Buy a pair of these, or make something like them, works a treat.
www.kitepower.com.au/

bobajob said...

Whats a wettie?

ehehehe, my question too...[}:)]

I used a hole punch - 3-4 mm diameter, and punched each wettie leg x 3, at 4cm intervals up to 12cm height above the achillies

works a treat, no chill, no more jelly legs

flipper231BA said...

Sir V said...

bobajob said...

Whats a wettie?

ehehehe, my question too...[}:)]

Barbie, sunnies, etc... Aussie for wetsuit

flipper ... they were meaning that they live in queensland where the water is always warm .... therefore they have no need for a wetsuit.

windangoesoff said...

flipper231BA said...

Sir V said...

bobajob said...

Whats a wettie?

ehehehe, my question too...[}:)]

Barbie, sunnies, etc... Aussie for wetsuit

flipper ... they were meaning that they live in queensland where the water is always warm .... therefore they have no need for a wetsuit.

Yep you got it ...

Well now i have some solutions to try but where is the frigging wind. I am pulling my hair out with boredom.