cold water and balls

[tubgirlkid]

ok, this is my first post on the internet about surfing, it's kinda random, but here goes..

i am going surfing for the first time for a couple of weeks, (southern brazil, going to be around 15-17 degrees) i am planning on wearing a 4/3 wetsuit but have one worry..

long time ago i used to go (well, attempt..) wind surfing in the north carolina area of usa (cape hatteras sound) my dad would take me the last week of october.

and, it was freaking cold, it was at least 10 years ago now but i remember the one year it was freezing, don't know the exact temperature, but i'm assuming it was colder than 16 degrees.. anyways, maybe it was because i was in a wetsuit that was a little to large for me, but either way, i remember a couple of times, i got so cold that my balls would get so small and tight that they were sucked up into my body cavaty. it hurt like hell, because i couldn't move my legs right without squishing them.

well, i'm worried it will happen again .. any advice ? i know it's random but i'm very surprised to have not found any other writings about this on the internet.. and, also, don't bash me for being a pussy because 16 is not cold.. i'm from canada.. and well aware that some brave souls manage to surf the great lakes and west coast in 0-5 degree water hah. anywways, any help would be appreciated.

[billie_morini]

tubgirlkid,
Not sure if this is a prank or not, but won't make fun and will provide a practiced suggestion. Do what I do in cold water. I wear the following items under my 4/3 wetsuit.
1) swimmer's jock like SAFETGARD brand
2) thermal shorts like O'Neils 8 oz. Thermo Shorts

You didn't inquire about upper body, but I also will wear the following item under my 4/3 wetsuit on really cold or windy days.
1) lycra body guard sleeveless shirt having little turtle neck collar (my favorite one was made by Jobbeedu and sold as Ron Jon brand)

I can't take a lot of sun and to keep my head warm, but not overly warm, I wear the following on my head.
1) O'Neil 8 oz. Ozone Hood with the brim removed (easy to cut & pull thread to remove. This is a very lightweight & thin hood. I don't like thick hoods)

Lastly, I don't like surfing with gloves. I like to feel the cold water and I've also noticed when holding rail and catching wave that gloves make for uneven and increased resistance to forward motion.

[jaffa1949]

It's a serious question, so some interesting advise and information.
since you are ten years older this is less likely to be a problem like before!
often testicles tend to go into the body from where they were launched in foetal development under extreme cold, back into the cavity of the body, hence the joke "The water was so cold I got two lumps in my throat".
In adolescence and before this can also happen spontaneously and sometimes a testicle will not descend into its proper position.
As you pass into maturity hopefully things are larger than they were and the support muscles ligaments are also developed so this is less likely.
All Billy's suggestions are good but some normal cold shrinkage will still occur our body does everything it can to keep a standard level of temperature so that sperm is produced normally. In hot weather there is the Chinese temperature control of One Hung Low, but both do!
A good fitting wetsuit is also answer. If it does happen again and it concerns you talk to your doctor.

Finally an interesting fact in an eastern martial art discipline one of the ways the warrior would frighten his enemy was to wear a uniform with no crutch in adoption the initial poses of a fight he would use muscular control to draw his testicles inside his body.
Scary but true

[Jimi]

it's the cremaster muscle doin its job! An ancient protective muscle mechanism to save your jewells from damage! Retract, and protect!

[pmcaero]

damn if that happened to me I would get a huge ache I bet, them boys are large and hang low like pimps.

[parrysurf]

Wow never heard of "turtle ball syndrome" before...I grew up in so cal guess the water water doesn't get cold enough to cause total retraction....just the normal shrinkage!



...I couldn't resist

[Wherry]

I surf in the UK in 13C - 14C and wear a 3/2 wetsuit an i have no worries about "turtle ball syndrome"

[tubgirlkid]

hey, it's been awhile since the trip, but i thought i'd post.. because.. well, i hate when i'm searching for something like this on google, and i read about it.. but i never hear about what happened after the fact ??

so, i went, it was usually around 16 degrees, had a 3/2, and a speedo under it, and nothing else, and, i had no problems. could stay out for hours, every day, and only ever had to come in when my arms were too tired. i think it might have happened once, but it was nowhere as bad as i remembered it. and i was having too much fun to care. but thinking back, i definitely should have consulted with a doctor.. i was 11 or 12 or so, and too embarassed/ashamed to tell anyone about it. it was horrible, and my left nut hurt for like 2 months afterwords. i think it got semi-torsioned.. it was bad. i was probably really close to permanently losing one of my nuts. so if this happens to anyone else swallow your pride and go see a doc.

and dang, I have to say, surfing is way harder than i ever imagined. it takes so much strength, endurance, and strategy. just getting past the break was an accomplishment, let alone catching a wave.. 1 second too early.. 1 second too late... no good. but i loved it. i can't wait to go again.

[leonard]

I have been doing polar plunges for years and one trick that has helped me deal with the discomfort of cold & ice water is to snap a rubber band around my balls.

This helps keep my balls from retracting eliminating that discomfort and also helps desensitize the nerves around and leading to my balls , which helps lessen sensation and the discomfort of extreme cold temperatures.
All you need is a rubber band, one on the thick side that fits snugly around your balls (you want it tight & snug but not to tight to cause any pain).

Note, installing and removing the rubber band can be tricky since it can pull on body hair which is uncomfortable to say the lease especially if hairs get knotted in the band, so slowly and carefully install & remove the rubber band.
Since installing & removing the rubber band alone involves doing so without being able to view your balls fully (especially from behind), it would be a bonus if you have a partner who can install and remove the band for you who can get a better view and avoid pulling hairs when doing so.

This trick has worked well for me to help to a degree my balls better tolerate the discomfort of cold & ice water, so I hope maybe it can help others.

[BoMan]

Do what I do in cold water. I wear the following items under my 4/3 wetsuit...

Following your advice, I'm going up the coast to Casper Cove for some cold water longboarding! My 4/3 wetsuit works great in Marin county water but feels cold when I get up to Mendocino and sometimes in the winter.

I was planning to get a 5/4 but hadn't considered the option of adding layers under the 4/3. What do you think?

[Lebowski]

I'm not sure if Leonard is joking!

I've had ball retraction before when I'm really cold. Always the left one for some reason! The simple answer is to make sure you have a decent wetsuit of the correct thickness.

[oldmansurfer]

Make sure you don't use very tight rubber bands or you might learn a new word Elastration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastration

[leonard]

I'm not sure if Leonard is joking!

I've had ball retraction before when I'm really cold. Always the left one for some reason! The simple answer is to make sure you have a decent wetsuit of the correct thickness.

I know the rubber band technique may sound odd but my posting is no joke, it has helped me through the years better tolerate cold & icy water, so just thought Id share my technique.
Its is not a 100% solution , so one should not depend on the rubber band technique to help protect ones balls from the discomfort of cold & ice water alone, but it does help to a degree lessen the discomfort ( at least it does for me) and its even more effective when supplemented with other methods that help protect & shield your balls from cold & ice water like wearing a wet suit etc.

[leonard]

Make sure you don't use very tight rubber bands or you might learn a new word Elastration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastration

LOL...Good advice !