Tops Tips for Warm Winter Surfing
It’s getting too damn cold to cope with the summer suit anymore without a trip in the air ambulance afterwards. Here’s some tips from the guys at Adventure Cornwall on how to stay warm in the surf. It can be done!
1. Get the right gear! It seems like the obvious answer, but a good Winter wetsuit with taped seams. Front zip wetsuits are very popular now as they have more of a glove-like fit round your neck and less chance of water flushing down your back. You’d be thinking of something like a 5/3mm ratio for surfing in Cornwall. Good gloves, boots and hood are essential too. Not only does the hood make ice-cream headaches more bearable after that first duck dive, but they seem to keep your brain functioning at a sensible level too.
I like a 1mm rash vest under my suit too, but that’s only because I seem to be cold from October through till about June. Depends on your body type really and whether you’re a hot person or a cold one! With all the above, you should be pretty toasty. I’ve surfed for an hour or so in all the winter kit and felt like I was surfing in a dry suit. Perfect. You won’t be cold ‘til you start stripping off the suit.
2. Dry your suit indoors overnight. Hope this doesn’t sound like I’m teaching your grandma how to suck eggs, but putting on a frozen suit that’s been hanging up outside all night is the worst. It does require a bit of forethought, something I’m not good at. But you’ll feel smug if you’ve managed not to get caught out and you’re the one changing into a dry suit in the car park
3. The beanie – never underestimate the warmth of a good hat. At this time of year, we’re all used to hat hair so keep that head hot and forget about your barnet.
4. Campervan – this is a huge luxury, but boy, is it worth it! If you get one of these babies, there’s no need to stick a bin bag over the front seats so that you can drive home in a hypothermic state. I admit, there’s something amazing about standing in a hot shower and watching the blood return to your fingers. However, get the heater on in the van, stick on some favourite tunes and the blood will soon start pumping as you battle to get the wetsuit off.
5. This is another one that requires a bit of forethought, a thermos with a hot drink in it too. If you’re not rushing back to the office and can spend a moment relaxing after a surf, then a cup of hot chocolate or tea is the best. This is probably the moment when your skin starts tingling – or itching, depending on how many times you pissed in your suit.
We like the Sola System 5/3 Front Zip Fluid Seam Fullsuit at £159 RRP it isn’t go to break the bank and will keep you warm too.
Another favourite is the Rhino ‘Venom’ 5:3 Front-Zip Wetsuit is £229 RRP. This is a pricier option but we’ve always been happy with the performance of Rhino wetsuits.
With all of the above, the Winter should sail by without losing any fingers or brain cells. We just need one more thing….some bigger swell.
