Review: While for windsurfers and kitesurfers While wetsuits have established themselves as all-round suits for the winter for years, the requirements for SUP are usually not comparable and conventional windsurfing suits are usually unsuitable. This is because windsurfing involves regular washes and the endurance demands are much lower. Wetsuits, whether smooth on the outside or coated with fabric, are 100% durable.not breathable.
For winter paddling trips or training sessions on the other hand, you usually go on the board dry and come back exactly the same. Breathability is one of the most important functions for this. Nevertheless, the clothing in the"Case of a case" still provide sufficient warmth even after several dips - sometimes in water as cold as 4 degrees in winter.
The breakthrough came after many attempts with neoprene, running and cycling clothing with the first drysuit made of breathable material that was not cut close to the body. Suddenly the combination we needed was there: freedom of movement, breathability, plus waterproof seals on the neck, arms and legs and a waterproof zip. Combined with thick surf shoes, paddling became a completely new experience, even at zero degrees and in the sunshine. The freedom of movement was significantly better than in any wetsuit and the stifling feeling when the heat builds up during fast paddling gave way to a feeling as if the whole body could suddenly breathe. Even in the race the suit proved its worth straight away. Instead of collapsing in neoprene, you can push yourself to the limit in a breathable, wide garment, almost like wearing shorts in summer. My conclusion: Below 15 degrees water and 15 degrees air temperature, such a suit is now almost a "must" in flat water. Winter offers some of the best paddling and training days imaginable - especially when the sun is shining - warm and safe in a dry suit, even in sub-zero temperatures.
Safety tips for the winter:
Lightweight, suppleand very pleasant to the touch - these are the first haptic impressions of the material used when unpacking. The pack size is minimal and the suit feels light as a feather, even on the body.
Dressing is wonderfulThe latex cuffs on the arms and legs fit snugly but not too tightly. Compared to neoprene, you are ready to go twice as quickly. You don't have to squeeze yourself in, the zip is easy to operate.
The neck finish lThe Velcro fastening is easy to adjust and the width at the waist can be fixed so that the suit hardly flutters and fits as snugly as possible.
All seamsare secured on the inside with tape, and the overall finish is very neat, as we know it from high-quality functional clothing in other outdoor sports.
Our test person,Sonja Duschek has been a race paddler from the very beginning and knows what is particularly important when training in winter. She has tested the breathable dry suit for us for the first time.Starboard Allstar SUP Suit The freedom of movement is simply many times better than with a wetsuit. You hardly feel that you're wearing a drysuit. I found the cuffs very comfortable. But the best thing is that you don't feel as cramped as in a wetsuit. You can really put your foot down in the suit. Of course you sweat in it, but you can feel that the suit lets out steam. Without underwear, however, it was immediately quite fresh in the water, so you should wear something underneath in cold water. This is the best SUP clothing I've tried so far."
sup-mag: What can the new suit do that neoprene can't? Flo Brunner:The material used is windproof, waterproof and breathable. This creates a pleasant climate that keeps perspiration to a minimum. We call the material "Clima Core" which, in addition to the aforementioned properties, is also extremely stretchy. This makes it far superior to neoprene in terms of its overall properties, especially for stand-up paddling.
What kind of material is used?It is a so-called three-layer material. An extremely stretchy and robust outer fabric is welded together with a stretchy membrane and a soft inner lining to form a single layer. The material is comparable to the materials used for modern outdoor and ski touring jackets.
For which SUP applications is the suit suitable and for which not?The suit is suitable for all flat water and white water applications. It is certainly only suitable to a limited extent in the waves, as great importance was attached to comfort during construction, but the neck seal is not 100% waterproof and therefore less suitable for rough washing. However, there is also a 100% dry suit that is also suitable for windsurfers and kitesurfers. This dry suit is a product that we will also be launching on the market this year.
In what temperature range do you see the application?As already mentioned, the three-layer material is windproof and waterproof, but offers hardly any thermal insulation. You can wear different layers underneath, depending on use and temperature. This means it can be used in a very wide temperature range. This certainly ranges from double-digit plus to double-digit minus degrees. What do you recommend as underwear? We have developed the so-called "Weather Adaptive Layering System", i.e. various items of base layer underwear through to items with thermal insulation. But of course, underwear as we know it from winter sports also works. It's nothing new there either, but it's certainly a completely new approach for water sports.
What happens if a repair is necessary? Can the material be patched?A small repair kit is supplied with each suit. This allows you to easily glue smaller holes yourself. Similar to mending a bicycle inner tube. Larger repairs can be carried out promptly by the manufacturer in Croatia. The suit is a 100% European product. We are also proud of this.
Until now, such suits have primarily been available on the market from one brand. Now you are launching a product of this type, the result of a co-operation. How much Starboard is now in the suit?Svein Rasmussen and Wolfgang Leeb reached an agreement last year to start the project and gave Starboard the opportunity not to start from scratch. At a certain point, however, the Starboard design team took over all the development work in collaboration with me and the producer in Croatia in order to be able to realise both an independent product and series production for men and women. We went our own way and set new standards in terms of comfort and fit.
How are the suits priced?The Allstar SUP Suit costs 699 euros for men and women and is available in two colour combinations and five standard sizes.
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf