Surfing Waves

it looks like the waves are gonna be good tomorrow only problem is its going to be pouring all weekend is it ok to still go surfing in the rain?

If you go surfing in the rain you are going to get wet!
Seriously though, light rain is not problem and can often glass off the surf Can be very nice and can thin out the crowd who don't want to get wet.
Urban run off is a problem ,every dog poo and all the gunk is coming right at you.
In California the arroyos flash flood and Malibu and Rincon have serious septic tank overflow putting famous people's s.....t into the surf. Don't know about Florida though.
Also if the water is murky there is the greater possibility that sharks are browsing for a feed

Run off can be a serious problem in some places, especially where storm drains run straight into the sea.
I do love the atmosphere of being out when the rain gets heavy though.

as long as there are no lightnings...!

It's also pretty radical being in the surf in a hail storm with golf ball sized stones, you have to hold the board over your head and tread water to stop from really getting hit and you can hear each dent you are getting on the bottom of your board. And you end up with bleeding knuckles

No one here from what is written has really surfed in the rain – Surfing in the rain washes your eyes out and keeps you sharp as hell as the waves look bigger than they really are. It’s totally awesome to surf in the rain when it's calm and glassy and even when the feather and the rain smack you in the face like acupuncture!

esonscar wrote:No one here from what is written has really surfed in the rain – Surfing in the rain washes your eyes out and keeps you sharp as hell as the waves look bigger than they really are. It’s totally awesome to surf in the rain when it's calm and glassy and even when the feather and the rain smack you in the face like acupuncture!

WRONG and RIGHT , I've surfed in the rain plenty of times and it certainly be a great feeling with all the joys you describe, but the first flush from urban drains can have all the other stuff.

On reading the posts correctly it looks like Surf patrol and I have surfed in the rain but I wonder whether we put longboarder4lyfe off, hope not.

Heres an interesting 2 pence... In my experience rain slows general windspeeds down and lowers chop so you can actually have a better surf that you think with that effect.

I would deffo agree on the whole wash out problem from land drains if you are near an urban area. Or rural for that matter as you get effluent, slurry etc run off from agricultural lands. We're talking major rain events for the rural effect tho.

You wouldnt believe the rain I surfed in this morning... absolutely stunning, like nothing else Ive ever surfed in. And, yes, the rubbish onshore conditions briefly glassed off

I also think it depends on how stormy it gets after all. Light rain is not a problem, it even makes surfing easier because the other people will leave the place soon and you have more space! But to be honest I try to avoid rain I prefer sunny weather all the time! But when I have no other option..

surfing in the rain is not really an issue, aside from the runoff thing. as mentioned it can glass off the waves a little.

Changing in the rain on the other hand is sh!t,....... better to stay in the sea til it stops.

surfing in hail hurts... each tiny ball of ice hits your face like mini ice daggers. Now snow! Nothing beats sitting in the water watching snow flurries come down..

surfmom68 wrote:Now snow! Nothing beats sitting in the water watching snow flurries come down..

Everything beats surfing in the snow... that's why I moved

Besides the run-off problem, the main reason I don't like surfing in the rain is getting dressed in the rain, then driving home soaking wet. I also hate catching a wave and having the rain pelt me in the eyes.

I've gotten to know some of the spots so if it's scattered showers I have my spots I trust.

Surfing in the rain is not bad. Make sure the waters are safe and go for it if they are

Great topic! Surfing in the rain feels fantasic! In the winter here sometimes the rain can heat u up as the water is warmer than the air, whiich makes the rain quiet welcome. And in the summer, when its super hot, a nice rain cools ya down. I don't think much about sewage runoff or murky shark infested. Waters, as that would make me want to get out

Use to swim and body board in the ocean when it was raining all the time. However, I noticed I did get the flu more often, not because it was cold... but probably because what the run-off contained. Depends where you live.
(Huntington Beach was closed for most of a summer one year because the bacteria levels were too high.)

Check the reports:
http://ph.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/ ... grades.cfm

However, it is really fun to be out there in the rain....and it sounds like it makes for better surfing conditions.

I personaly couldnt care what the weather is. if the surf is good and its not blowing a gail force and no lightning. then im off to the beach to get in the sea. Im sure that if i where to live by the sea then it might change my view might change. but ive got to make the most of surfing when i can. its just tooooooo good.

I've enjoyed surfing in the rain, but then again I live in a place where run-off is not an issue. The only thing that stops me is that the rain is often accompanied by onshore wind and choppy, disorganized surf, so there's not so much incentive to go out.

I'm with surferdude_scarborough, it's the getting changed that's the real problem.