The Paddler Magazine issue 73 Late Summer 2023 | Page 18

PADDLER 18

REVIEWS

Rooster Womens Hot Legs www . roostersailing . com By Sancha Myall

I hadn ’ t heard of the company Rooster before , so I did some research , and what I found was impressive . Rooster prides themselves on looking after the stadium in which we all play . They have some really interesting sustainable projects and have made some great changes within their product design and delivery process to be proud of . I was delighted to try their Hot Stuff leggings and blown away by how clever they are .

They have carefully lined the neoprene leggings with an excellent titanium liner in locations of your body ’ s natural hotspots . This technology allows your body ’ s heat to be reflected back into your body instead of escaping out the neoprene , helping to regulate your temperature . They are still soft and stretchy to allow maximum flexibility , and I ’ ve found them extremely comfortable .

You can wear them out paddling on their own , and in the colder months , you can use them as a base layer under your wetsuit to build up extra warmth . This makes them outstanding value , being that they are so versatile you can wear them all year round .

I wore the Hot Stuff leggings for the Trent100 event , where we had lovely sunny weather on day one and cold , wet , windy weather on day two . I wore the same outfit on both days to test the ability of the leggings . Surprisingly , I was at a really comfortable temperature on both days . Even after having an unexpected swim , I didn ’ t get cold .

It ’ s been an absolute pleasure to paddle in leggings instead of the whole suit , allowing me to add a rash vest , bikini or neoprene jacket . It ’ s made getting ready to paddle quicker and getting packed up to go home much easier .

The Hot Legs Rooster leggings are a must for paddlers ; they are comfortable , extremely durable and warm . £ 65.00

Zhik Superthin Bootie https :// www . zhik . com By Sancha Myall

I live on the Jurassic coast , where the beaches are pebbly and extremely uncomfortable to walk on . I ’ ve always been a grin-and-bear-it person when it comes to the pebbles ., I pump up and get to the water as quickly as my pain threshold allows . Since wearing the Zhik booties , I now enjoy walking to the water ; they ’ ve become one of the first things I pack to take with me , whether paddling or just swimming .

I went from wearing booties only in winter or for events which require you to for health and safety reasons , and now wear them on every paddle , river , sea , lake or canal . Zhik states that they have been designed to enhance the barefoot feeling and have certainly achieved this .

Calling the Zhik bootie Lightweight is an understatement . They easily slip on your feet , and no fighting is necessary . The water expels so quickly that you don ’ t get wrinkly feet . The thin sole allows you to still move around your board freely , but somehow , when walking on the ground , they still feel cushioned . Every aspect has been thought about in the design process . They even have a removable inner sole , making it easy to keep them clean . The fabric they ’ re made of is highly breathable , which speeds up the drying process . I could come home , rinse them , and they ’ d be ready the next day .

As a barefoot paddler , I wasn ’ t sure how much I ’ d like them , but I honestly don ’ t think I ’ d return to paddling without them . I have all the benefits of wearing booties without feeling like I ’ m wearing them when moving around my board .

Price £ 84.95