Early season clothing reccomendations

I am in NH and the ponds/lakes are finally opening up. I want to get out soon and I am looking for recommendations for warm safe clothing for this early in the season.

I was thinking a wetsuit and boots but what about gloves? Maybe there are better options.

TIA,
Eric

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84 14T Redline #67 Blue Hawaii faded but still working!
82 Yellow hull16 '81 Boomer nationals 20.9 on GPS
83 White hull 16 No sails "Clean and Purty Now!"
87 White hull no sails no tramp

Lots of discussions to search here regarding dangerous water+air temps, evaporative cooling, hypothermia, prolonged immersion, and recommended gear. I expect you'll conclude that you need a drysuit!

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

I went out for my first sail of the year today. I wore my 3/2 mm wetsuit and boots. I was plenty warm even when standing in the water to put up and down the sails.

The temp was ~ 60F sunny and the wind report was saying 5 mph on the live map. I got to the lake and it was actually 10-15 steady with MUCH higher gusts. Whitecaps in the middle of the lake. I was humming Literally.. dam plastic rudders! I almost got pitch-poled 4-5 times and saved it each time. Amazing how you can bury the bow up to the front crossbar and still save it!

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84 14T Redline #67 Blue Hawaii faded but still working!
82 Yellow hull16 '81 Boomer nationals 20.9 on GPS
83 White hull 16 No sails "Clean and Purty Now!"
87 White hull no sails no tramp

A1cnc, I used to live in NH but recently moved to Clearwater, FL. What lake were you sailing on? Is all of the ice totally gone?

I live near the mass border in the southeastern part of NH. I sail on Lake attitash in mass because you don't have to register a sailboat in mass and it is the biggest lake in my area with a good ramp and area to set up your boat.

I can't speak for the northern lakes but where I am all the ice is gone.

I bet you can sail year round if you wanted down there.

I was eyeing an iceboat this winter.

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84 14T Redline #67 Blue Hawaii faded but still working!
82 Yellow hull16 '81 Boomer nationals 20.9 on GPS
83 White hull 16 No sails "Clean and Purty Now!"
87 White hull no sails no tramp

I used to sail on Lake Potanipo in Brookline, NH. Not much room to set up there though unless it’s early or late season when the beach is closed. Then you can launch at the ramp and pull it over to the beach and set up. I sailed at Squam lake too once. Squam lake is beautiful, but that’s a weekend I’d like to forget. We camped on an island but there was zero wind. Lots of paddling that weekend.
Yes you could sail year round here, but would need a light wetsuit because the water did get down to around 60 degrees this winter. TimH16 that is on the forum sails here too and I follow his formula on when to go out. He says if the water temperature and the air temperature add up to 130 or over then he goes sailing. Many days this past winter were over 130.

If I used that formula I wouldn't get to sail until probably mid to late june!

I figure if there is wind and sun and the air temp is 65+ I am good to go with a wetsuit. I used to surf and I surfed once when the air temp was -15F and the water temp was ~36F So I might be a bit cooky!

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84 14T Redline #67 Blue Hawaii faded but still working!
82 Yellow hull16 '81 Boomer nationals 20.9 on GPS
83 White hull 16 No sails "Clean and Purty Now!"
87 White hull no sails no tramp

Yeah mid June is usually when I started up there. I guess I am a fair weather sailor. I was going to get a wetsuit to extend my season up there, but then we ended up moving.

i sail on lake superior which is lucky to break 60 in august.... and early season is in the 30's. I use a 5/4 wet suit. you could also use a dry suit which I know a lot of sailors will opt for (personally I fear a leak in one of those, not an issue in a wetty). I have boots and gloves (you can also buy hoods). The winter surfers (the dudes literally going out there with ice chunks floating around them) use full wet suits with boots, gloves and hoods. i believe 6 or 7mm and they can stay in 32-33deg water in below freezing air temps for long periods of time.

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2014 T2
past: 1974 H14

I used to be one of those "winter surfer". I surfed during a blizzard one time It was Epic! Last one in the water with double overhead surf.

So far this year I have found a 3/2 with just boots has been good. In fact I was sweating by the end of the sail and was tempted to jump in the lake to cool off after! Air temp was ~ 60-65f water temp MAYBE 40

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84 14T Redline #67 Blue Hawaii faded but still working!
82 Yellow hull16 '81 Boomer nationals 20.9 on GPS
83 White hull 16 No sails "Clean and Purty Now!"
87 White hull no sails no tramp