Winter SUS - how to keep your head warm?

[Board Stiff]

Starting to think ahead about how I can keep SUSing through the winter in NH this year. I'm not very good, so frequent plunging in and out of the water is the norm for me. The last couple years I've given up by early December, but this year I'm hoping to overcome some of the winter gear hassles that have frustrated me and stick it out. I figured out last spring that wearing liner socks under my boots makes it much easier to slip them off after a session, and I'm hoping that thinner gloves will keep me warm enough while allowing me to grip the paddle comfortably and get them off my hands easier after a session.

The next piece I need to figure out is how to keep my head warmer. I've been wearing a 5/3 hooded vest over a 4/3 wetsuit but still find the resulting ice cream headache whenever I go under to be brutal. Is there any kind of hood or hat or face mask that other northern SUSers find helpful for curbing the ice cream headache in the winter? Or is it just an unavoidable consequence of cold water SUS?

[SUP Boston]

The next piece I need to figure out is how to keep my head warmer. I've been wearing a 5/3 hooded vest over a 4/3 wetsuit but still find the resulting ice cream headache whenever I go under to be brutal. Is there any kind of hood or hat or face mask that other northern SUSers find helpful for curbing the ice cream headache in the winter? Or is it just an unavoidable consequence of cold water SUS?

Since you're already using a 5/3 hood, there's not much else I can think of to wear... I assume its a full face hood and not one of those beanies. You can try putting Vaseline on the exposed areas of your face... it doesn't keep you "warm" but helps with the wind blowing on a wet face.

[komsup]

In CT, sunny SA, we're nowhere near as cold as you but I surf a lot & our summer water temps go to 10^C & are regularly at 12-14^C. I find if you get the fit right then chicken vest UNDER fullsuit makes a big difference. Depending on how heavily you're getting smashed (& how often) then consider beanie UNDER chicken vest hoodie.  Vaseline smeared thick also helps with wind chill on face. But that applies to our "cold" water in our summer, take with a  pinch of salt

[coldsup]

I'm not sure how cold you water gets and air temp. Where I am the water gets down to 6 or 5 degrees and air temp often lower than freezing. Very common to be walking over ice, snow and all the usual stuff. I am toasty in a 6mm hooded wetsuit, 3mm gloves and 7mm boots. All my gear tends to be Xcel - best cold water suits around IMHO. Can also put on a thermal rash vest under too.

[Board Stiff]

Looks like water temps bottom out around mid 30s F at the end of February. Air temps can drop well below freezing, with wind chills significantly lower.

I've got a pretty good Xcel 4/3 wetsuit, taped seams and all. Tried a couple different thicker ones but found them too difficult to get in and especially out of. I wear my Neosport XSPAN 5/3 hooded vest over it, because I found that I get too much water flushing into the suit when I wore it underneath.

I'm planning to add some ear plugs this winter, which may help by at least keeping the cold water from flushing straight through my empty skull!  If that's not enough, maybe I'll try additional layering, like a beanie under the hood and/or a heated rashguard under the suit to keep my core temp up.

Thanks for the advice!

[UKRiverSurfers]

Fleece lining under your wetsuit hood!