How To Enjoy Cold-Water Surfing

While surfing is generally considered a warm water sport, temperature need not dictate your enjoyment of the ocean. In fact, if you can brave the elements encased in rubber, you’d stand a much better chance of scoring uncrowded perfection. The only problem is staying mobile and not freezing your appendages to the point where pop-ups become just that, a problem.  

What follows is a short list of tips on how to stay warm, happy, and respected in a cold-water line-up. Whether you're in extreme northern latitudes or suiting up for a cold day at your local, we all do a few things to keep the blood flowing. While pre-surf stretching, jumping jacks and constant paddling are some of the most common things, think of this list as the small things that, when added up, make a big difference.  

Buy the good stuff 

Don’t skim on cheap wetsuits. Thick suits may be a pain to put on and will work your shoulders better than any masseuse, but they also keep you in the water, which is what this is all about. 

Change elsewhere

If you want to avoid having your soul leave your body when you remove your clothes in a frigid parking lot, consider putting your wetsuit on elsewhere. Your house, if you must. You can also try to do it in your car if you don’t mind the awkward shuffle. A post-session shower with your suit on can work wonders in bringing the body back to life. You may have to salt-dog in in the car, however. 

Bring a mat

Changing in and out of a suit when it's frigid is arguably the worst part of the cold water surfing experience. You can stave off the chill by standing on a changing pad, fake grass or a towel. Basically, anything that isn’t asphalt, snow or ice. I had one friend you changed in ATM bays.