Surfing Waves

Having watched some of the CWC from New Zealand and a recent video of surfers in Minnesota braving a wind chill of just 10 on Lake Superior I wondered what the coldest waters people here have ever surfed? Any idea what air/water temp it was? What was the experience like?

The coldest I've ever gone is the North Sea in November and that was fricking nuts but I have no doubt people here have gone more hardcore. Getting changed that day by the car was like no cold I've ever experienced. Had to lug a lot of whisky afters.

I was back in england from Oz last christmas, and Phil, Kitey and Sara were all trying to get me to go for a surf... it was -2oC daytime air temp and 8oC water.
Well, p!ss right off, my 5mm wetsuit days are done

Coldest I ever surfed was wittering when it was 7oC water, -3oC air... and snowing

These days Im in a steamer the moment the water drops below 20oC...

Well I suppose about 6oc water in Ireland in feb wasnt pleasant even with a 5mm

Some weekend in March, just in the Netherlands :S. The water was 6C, but I wore many neoprene shirts, wetsuit, hood, booties, gloves and some kind of internal heating thing...

(Check my signature )

Coldest I've ever surfed was around 45f, but it never gets above 60f where I'm at really. I've been out in 45f with 30f air temps. It was unbearable in a 3/2 but I've got a Billabong SG5 now and it's nowhere near as bad.

NE Scotland with a air temp of -1C and the sea was a pleasant 4C! happy days

you kunanes ("brothers" in Hawaiian or "brahdahs" in Hawaiian slang) are tough!

4 celcius (water temp) North Sea late Feb. Instant icecream headache the first time my head went under water.

Ouch Ed. What was the warming cure? Whisky, tea or hot bath?

Bet your head was in a right mood with you after that!

Every surf in Winter North East England Love it though...average around 4c water and 0c air? I'm sure anyone else who surfs there can vouch for this

I Chiwawa! OK so my follow up question to you and all others... How the bejesus do you warm up? Bath, whisky, tea or being slapped round the face by a wet kipper?

The coldest place I have surfed was at home in Oregon when we had an arctic blast of cold air drop down from the north. The temp was in the single digits F, and their was snow on the beaches, and a brutal off shore wind, our lake was frozen, and with the wind chill it was below 0. The surf was clean, but it was cold. When you took your gloves off after surfing your hands froze so quick you could not button your pants or use your car key, or do anything that took coordination. If I remember right the locks would also freeze up on the car. Definitely not tropical, but I am thankful it is not always that cold here.

Sounds erm...I would say 'cool' Tony Not sure what out temps are in 'F' but I remember driving back (about 2 hours) from where i live and not being able to feel the brake pedal too well! Oddly enough the other foot was warmer???!

As I have a (baby) motorhome - I warm up by getting in bed, eating and sleeping. But to be honest after surfing I always eat and sleep - whether its freezing cold or blazing hot ... sleeping is one of my favourite things

Did you see this video of Jamie Sterling at Lake Superior http://www.flipflopscity.com/blog/lake-superior-cold-water-surfing/. That looks proper cold but amazing to see wave heights like that on a lake.

My first winter surfing I didn't have a decent wetsuit. (The thing had so many holes it barely made a difference.)
It gets down to 13C around here, and my feet where a weird blue colour when I got out, and I couldn't close my hands, and I had to paddle clawing the water, since I couldn't bring my fingers together. That was pretty crazy.

Handy tip for surfs when air temp is below freezing. Put a bit of salt in the lock of your car/ lockbox. It stops the lock freezing, which could save your life if you are in the middle of nowhere, soaking wet with wind-chill! Saves having to piss on it anyway

i wouldn't have thought of either of those options....