Spring is probably the toughest season for paddlers, warm sunny days combined with water that is barely above freezing make it hard to get clothing right.
If you are one of those paddlers that paddle year-round in running gear or gym clothing then skip past this, I always (well, nearly always) paddle prepared for immersion and, here in my bit of SW Sweden, that means drysuits in the winter and a tricky choice in Spring.
In previous years my drysuit has been gainfully employed until April, then there is a brief spell in neoprene long-johns before shorts and bare feet at the end of May, the feet stay bare until October if I am lucky. Then a month or so back in neoprene before the drysuit comes out again. And 7mm boots.
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| Drysuit, spring SW Sweden |
This year has seen a change in my wardrobe and as a result a more comfortable paddling experience. The Vaikobi VCold Hydroflex top.
SUP My Race Supporters
At this point I want to thank the supporters of SUP My Race, their donations enabled me to get this top and, as you will see I am glad I got it. Thank you, paddlers!
Vaikobi V Cold Hydroflex Top
Starting with the description from Vaikobi, bear in mind they are based in Australia and their definition of ‘cold’ is a little different to mine!
“Powerful, lightweight protection in cool to cold conditions”
Vaikobi’s website is very good and they helpfully supply definitions for use, and this top sits between freezing and warm, we can translate that to … Spring!
All the details from Vaikobi
There are several bullet points on the site that describe the top, and the V Cold range in general, hydrophobic coating, hollow yarn to keep you warm, soft fleecy neck, underarm mesh, long back and flat lock stitching. Here is the link but, it might work for long as this is the older version of the HydroFlex top. If the new verison interests you then here's the link for that, in Cyan.
Repeating information from a website is all well and good but you’re reading this because you want to know if it works… and the short answer is yes.
Fit and construction
The fit is, athletic. Which is exactly what Vaikobi are aiming for as they state on the website - "... should be close fit to the body"
The size chart from Vaikobi is accurate, I am 193 (and a half) cm tall, 98kg and in the right light might be called muscular, or bulky if you are less tactful. According to Vaikobi that makes me an XXL which is the size I ordered, despite being XL or even a plain L for many other brands. In the real world, the XXL fits me quite well, the arms are only just long enough for me but the torso length is good for SUP and the fit around my chest is OK.
The material is indeed soft and feels very comfortable against the skin, the seams are very flat and I have experienced no rubbing or discomfort in the 75km I have paddled so far. The arms are just long enough, a little longer would be nicer but, when paddling they do not rise up the forearm and keep me nice and warm. In very cold conditions I was concerned that the mesh underarm area would not work but that has not been the case, I have not noticed any cold areas.
On the water
My first outing in it was a Booth Training session at +2 degrees at my training lake, there was ice on the water, and, once I had warmed up I didn’t think about the top once. I have continued to use it as Spring has warmed up and it has been OK to use at +11, this is quite an impressive temperature range for one top.
One confession, I have not fallen in, so far, and I have not jumped in while wearing this top. You could argue that makes this review less useful but … there is a good reason I have not tested it this way. There is no seal at the waist, neck or wrists so if I fall water will, immediately, contact my skin. And that will be cold! Doing that will not test this top or the material it is made from. Instead, I have got the top wet while paddling, putting my arms in the water, splashing my chest when kneeling on the board and sweating, a lot of sweat! And I have remained warm when the top has been soaked.
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| Typical Spring Conditions in SW Sweden, +4 degrees air temp. |
Remarkably the top has kept me warm during cool down and when packing up after training, by the end of a session it is wet yet retains heat well, that hollow yarn doing its job. I have stayed warm in the Hydroflex top long after I have stopped paddling.
I have paired the Hydroflex top with a pair of Vaikobi Flexforce 1,5mm pants, these are not designed for the temperatures I am using them but they are more than warm enough for me and the extra layers on the shins protect my lower legs from water splash when training. The high cut waist on these pants does an excellent job of keeping vital organs protected from the cold. The colour is their only weakness, they highlight sweat in an unfortunate way!
Performance Tests
This top will not make you a faster paddler. However, wearing clothing that works well in the conditions you are paddling will mean you are more comfortable and when we are comfortable we often paddle faster. Just before putting this blog together, I did my first 5km time trial of the year, using SUP My Race rules. I was nearly 40 seconds faster than my March 2024 time when I was using a drysuit despite doing less training this year than I had done at this point last year. Temperature management is hard in cold conditions and while drysuits are brilliant for winter paddling they struggle with strenuous workouts.
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| My fourth fastest 5km, completed on VCold water. |
Care and washing
The washing instructions are the one area where this top doesn’t work so well for me, so I have ignored them. I do not have time (or patience!) to handwash individual items of clothing so this has been chucked into the washing machine with my other training stuff and washed at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle with a detergent for delicate clothing. This should, I believe, replicate a vigorous handwash, or that is what I choose to believe.
Nine washes so far and it looks like new, the fabric still behaves as it did the first time I used it. Incidentally, I have used the same washing regime for the Vaikobi pants for some time and they are still fine.
You should follow the manufacturer's instructions for care of any garment and not take laundry advice from strangers on the internet.
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| Vaikobi Hydroflex - Lab tested in Sweden |
Conclusion
The V Cold Hydroflex top from Vaikobi works as described on the Vaikobi website. The fit is accurate and the suggested temperatures for use seem reasonable for this paddler, I am normally quite a warm person so I can use the top in lower temps than others yet I will still be warm.
Using the Hydroflex top has enabled me to put my drysuit away several weeks earlier than I did the year before and that has meant I can paddle harder in more comfort, I can get on with training sessions without worrying about overheating in a drysuit.
Updated Design And Colours
I have the older style version of the Hydroflex top, there is a new one available from Vaikobi that comes in a range of colours but misses the large Vaikobi logo from the arm. I like the logo, it differentiates the top from cheaper alternatives so if you prefer to be more subtle with your clothing when paddling maybe the updated version would be better for you. My decision was actually based on cost, I found my top in the clearance section of a webshop in Sweden.