Winter is coming, and chilly surf sessions await.
Braving the cold brings many benefits: a blizzard ridden beach is most likely to be devoid of other surfers. Plus, ordering these bits now means you’ll be ready for the wintery months ahead of time, and be on call for any autumn icy morning dawnies.
Hello empty line ups.
Neoprene will save you, especially if you go for a hooded and a zipperless suit to prevent icy water flushing through.
Although you’ll look like a sleek condom, a hood keeps your head warm and reduces blustery wind whistling through your ears.
Opt for a quick drying suit, and ideally, go for the best 5mm/6mm wetsuit you can afford.
You’ll thank yourself in the line up when you’ve got a toasty torso.
Your extremities are always the first to go, and once you’ve lost the feeling in your feet, the session is over.
A pop-up is like moving lumps of leaden ice onto your board.
Invest in a pair of booties to keep riding regardless.
These cozy mittens are perfect to keep paws toasty enough to keep paddling onto icy slabs.
They’ll regulate your body temperature, whilst you regulate the line-up.
Prevent against surfers ear (an agonising abnormal bone growth in the ear as a result of too much exposure to cold air and water) by investing in a decent pair of plugs.
Surf Ears are a good option: protecting your ears without affecting hearing or balance.
The wind and cold weather cause cracks, so load up your lips with a slathering of moisture.
There is nothing sultry about a pair of cracked lips – and your other half will thank you later.
Harraw balms are cruelty free, vegan, contain SPF to stop any winter sun sizzling your lips (it’s out there!) and they smell so damn good.
If you’re a surf nerd, a nifty surf watch is best for stats: rack up your wave count, track your top speed/distance and check the tides.
Don’t fancy splashing out?
Opt for something more simple, if only to answer the most common question in the line up – “what time is it?”
As the wind knives into you in the car park, you’ll be thanking the towelling gods if you’ve got a poncho to shimmy and shake out of your wetsuit, whilst still retaining a semblance of modesty.
Don this tropical printed robe, to evoke summer vibes (even if it’s freezing out).
Post-surf, peel off the wet rubber suit and engulf yourself in a toasty down jacket.
Big Agnes do a beauty. This one is made with Down-Tek, a sustainably-sourced down that’s made water resistant by re-introducing the down’s own lipids in nano-form.
Plus, the outer shell is wind and water resistant – perfect for loading surf boards onto the roof on blustery dawn patrols.
There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve got a hot brew in the car when you’re freezing in the line up.
Passenger plant a tree with every order, and their flasks are designed for hot and cold use.
Plus, you’ll help reduce the amount of plastic bottles consumed if you plump for using it as a regular water bottle too.
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Armed with these goodies, you can (most importantly) stay in the line up for longer.
Best of all, is the comforting thought as you plunge into an icy duck dive or shiver your way back to the car is that hot mug of tea, just waiting.
Empty waves and steaming cups of tea? Winter waves can be pure bliss.
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