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Balloon legs in wetsuit while kiting

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Created by Triggerhappy > 9 months ago, 5 Apr 2012
Triggerhappy
WA, 174 posts
5 Apr 2012 4:26PM
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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.

radman4
678 posts
5 Apr 2012 4:34PM
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Velcro ankle straps mate ,same thing happens on my mystic and its an absolute pain in the butt,the mystic has drains built into the leg so it comes out but your riding around with a couple of elephant legs for a while till it drains.

62Davo
NSW, 93 posts
5 Apr 2012 6:39PM
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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!

the walks
WA, 448 posts
5 Apr 2012 4:42PM
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the flying objects wettie comes standard with straps

Freddofrog
WA, 522 posts
5 Apr 2012 5:16PM
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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?

husa
VIC, 84 posts
5 Apr 2012 7:37PM
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Hi there "Pop-i", legs
I've experienced this with several wetsuits over the years, both kiting and windsurfing. Solution for me has been keeping a roll of electrical tape in the van and making a single lap around each ankle just before I head out. It does help also to have a couple of drain holes just above where you plan on taping. This is easy to make, but I wouldn't contemplate this unless the suit has a sealed seam inside and out, otherwise a rip will easily develop.
Another way around this if you don't mind wearing ankle high booties, just have them overlapping your wetty.
Good luck

Lambie
QLD, 742 posts
5 Apr 2012 8:14PM
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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!!

dafunk
QLD, 561 posts
5 Apr 2012 8:59PM
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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 .

siny
NSW, 287 posts
5 Apr 2012 9:01PM
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Just heat up a knife with a flame and melt a couple of 10 mm slots 100 mm up from bottom drains easily

brady
TAS, 455 posts
6 Apr 2012 6:14AM
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booties and the tucked-in look.

Works well unless you wee in your wettie

Freddofrog
WA, 522 posts
6 Apr 2012 10:45AM
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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

Big eeeZeee
NSW, 1100 posts
6 Apr 2012 1:28PM
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search.

Triggerhappy
WA, 174 posts
6 Apr 2012 12:17PM
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Thx for input chaps. Will go and get some velco straps and try the electrical tape as well, will see which comes out best.

eppo
WA, 9793 posts
6 Apr 2012 4:14PM
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Try flicking the wetsuit up at the bottom. For some reason though only one leg drains, farq me if I can work that one out??

funkyllama
TAS, 308 posts
7 Apr 2012 2:28AM
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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.

Skid
QLD, 1499 posts
8 Apr 2012 2:35PM
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Go the cankles!

hamburglar
ACT, 2174 posts
8 Apr 2012 10:36PM
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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

bobajob
QLD, 1535 posts
8 Apr 2012 11:25PM
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Whats a wettie?

9 Apr 2012 12:37AM
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Buy a pair of these, or make something like them, works a treat.
www.kitepower.com.au/

Sir V
QLD, 490 posts
9 Apr 2012 12:49PM
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siny said...

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


Hey guys, I did this.. a little hole punch, three holes on the inside of each leg. Then melted the edges with a match so they wouldn't fray. Water gets in, water get,s out - easy and no need to do up any straps, circulation problems, etc.

My 2c, hope it works for you.

V, peace and nothing but wind up your wetsuit

Sir V
QLD, 490 posts
9 Apr 2012 12:50PM
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bobajob said...

Whats a wettie?


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

suface2air
QLD, 701 posts
9 Apr 2012 1:36PM
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just grab a soldering iron and do above . makes holes and melts it at the same time to stop fraying

Murf1
WA, 256 posts
9 Apr 2012 9:33PM
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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
51 posts
10 Apr 2012 3:10AM
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Sir V said...

bobajob said...

Whats a wettie?


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


Barbie, sunnies, etc... Aussie for wetsuit

windangoesoff
NSW, 280 posts
10 Apr 2012 9:27AM
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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.

pearl
NSW, 984 posts
12 Apr 2012 7:51AM
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I was talking to Don who owns XXX wetsuits about this the other day. He believes a bad fitting wetsuit is mostly the problem. It may fit you well in the upper body but not on the legs. Most prone to suffering balloon legs are shorter large people who have skinny legs. (ie they have to wear a large wetsuit that bags or roll at the leg because of length). Docking them to length and having a tight fit above your ankles helps. Suits fit differently when heavy and wet compared to change room; stretching in legs. It doesn't matter which brand. I've tried the ankle straps and they are are a pain if any water enters your suit form the top; you end up with a worse problem. XXX are doing a 3/4 leg steamer for me specifically for kiting. I think there are other 3/4 leg steamers on the market as well, but they are up there in price and hard to source in Oz.

Sir V
QLD, 490 posts
12 Apr 2012 3:58PM
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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 ...

Aseela
WA, 168 posts
12 Apr 2012 2:36PM
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Hope you have solved this one. I have the same problem in the winter. The soldering iron holes sound the best idea to me!

Triggerhappy said...

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.




Triggerhappy
WA, 174 posts
12 Apr 2012 4:54PM
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Well now i have some solutions to try but where is the frigging wind. I am pulling my hair out with boredom.



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"Balloon legs in wetsuit while kiting" started by Triggerhappy