Surfing Waves

...what can I expect???

I'm in northwest Florida, but here in the winter air temps are about 50's-mid 60's, water temp about 55-60 degrees. A 3 mil wetsuit, and you can surf year round. This is the Gulf Coast, though, Atlantic water temps might be different.

What part of NE florida? We get nice northeaster swells on and off for most of the winter, and if there's no swell, there's usually some wind chop. The water temps get cold enough to wear a 3/2 wetsuit starting in december, you'll probly only need a topper until then, depending on how far north you are.

yeah, I have lived inbetween Jacksonville and St. Augustine for almost 4 years...I am familiar with the air temps and water temps during the winter, I guess my question is what is it like to surf in those type of temps? I mean I am sure it adds alittle more of a danger factor to it, and pry takes away some of the fun too.
I have talked to some people and they said the winter would be a good time to for a beginner to weight train and practice paddling...I will most likely do this, but I definitely would hate to stop surfing for 3 months...

Any other tips for a newb in cold cold winter surf?

vanfossenator wrote:yeah, I have lived inbetween Jacksonville and St. Augustine for almost 4 years...I am familiar with the air temps and water temps during the winter, I guess my question is what is it like to surf in those type of temps? I mean I am sure it adds alittle more of a danger factor to it, and pry takes away some of the fun too.
I have talked to some people and they said the winter would be a good time to for a beginner to weight train and practice paddling...I will most likely do this, but I definitely would hate to stop surfing for 3 months...

Any other tips for a newb in cold cold winter surf?

well.. just surf...
you can atleast try...
when i first started it was around february and i didnt have a wetsuit.. and the water temp was about 40 degrees.. i could only stay in for about 1 hour(a lot of shivering) .. but with a wetsuit you shouldnt have much trouble.. should be able to surf atleast 1 hour

40 degrees for an hour my ass. Dude you will get hypothermia unless you're a polar bear. And water temp doesn't fluctuate that much is SoCal. You get 30 minutes before you are unconscious and 1 to 3 hours till you're dead.

Sorry to be really harsh I think I'm having a rough day or something

I hadnt been around Mazatlan, the place i live at, for a couple of years since i had moved to fulfill my studies and to work for a couple of years, so when i came back i wasnt aware of the temp. changes that this place had experienced. Back in my days you could jump into the water with just your boardshort on. And getting a summersuit wasn´t that necessary.

Last January since i hadnt surfed for a while i decided to start the year by hitting some waves eventhough this last winter was the coldest we have ever had here in Mazatlan Mexico. And the lowest temps we registered where just on those days.
But what the hell i grabbed my summersuit and went inside.
The water was freezing cold but once inside i thought i had gotten used to it.
I was in the water for an hour or so and when i finally came to my senses and decided to come out of the water i was literally freezing to death, i was so numb that i couldn walk straight, i almost fell twice while walking so i decided to jog back to the car in order to gain a little warmt. I locked myself into the car and put the heat on to come back to life.
If that happened in Mazatlan i wouldnt want to find out what could happen up north where you guys live.
Needless to say i bought myself a 3/4 full suit right after that day.

get yourself and good quality, less expensive 3/2 fullsuit and it will work just fine. The only thing that will be cold is your face, however since you are a newB it might take some getting used to surfing in a wetsuit, especially if you don't get a flexible one(talk to the guy at the shop). The waves to tend to be bigger, but i say give it a shot as long as you go out with a couple buddies you should be fine. Plus by the time spring and summer come round you'll be in great paddling condition for sure by then.

tomcat360 wrote:40 degrees for an hour my ass. Dude you will get hypothermia unless you're a polar bear. And water temp doesn't fluctuate that much is SoCal. You get 30 minutes before you are unconscious and 1 to 3 hours till you're dead.

Sorry to be really harsh I think I'm having a rough day or something

ok.. well im sure it gets down below 50.... that im sure of.. or according to surfline.

so maybe im wrong... but pretty recently? that man who survived treading water 18 hours in 70 degree water? with outside temperature at 40? your normal body temp is 98 degrees or something.. 89.6 to set into stage 3 hypothermia.. in 18 hours his body temp did not drop 10 degrees.. That sounds more unreasonable than 40 degree water for an hour... ok.. so lets just say that being submerged in the water 30 min will lead to unconciousness.. but 1 hour... it was mainly 1 hour of paddling and floating around... because i dont submerge myself when there is a surfboard to keep most of myself out of the water .. which should increase my time of conciousness .. there are many instaces where people live for hours while soaked to their skin in rafts. .. i mean titatnic... 31 degrees water.. and some people were very much wet. I'm not referring to the movie .. i mean after an hour.. lifeboat 14 went back and rescued 4 people out of the water.. which only one died.... so.. add on 1 hour .. which they spent in water or partially submerged.. or w.e..... then add on some more hours where they had no heat to warm themselves in ... oh geez.. they shoulda died a couple times over
oh yea.. and getting hypothermia doesnt mean death.... even in severe cases where your temp drops below 90.. you may still only be suffering slurred speach and confusion .........

so... no.. you dont need to be a polar bear to live through it all
but im sure being one would help.. or a penguin

BUT! thats not really the point..
the gulf coast has to be warmer than So Cal.. so since i am still very much alive after 1 hour in winter... im sure he can survive his..

tomcat360 wrote:40 degrees for an hour my ass.

Sorry to be really harsh I think I'm having a rough day or something

Agree and I'm having a good day.

Go get a 3/2 and go surfing when there are waves. Do the same thing in summer when you don't need a wetsuite.

Well it has been almost 5 wks maybe more since I have gone out...it has been driving me crazy!!! In the down time I have been hitting the gym to build better core strength, but I really can't take it anymore...I got online and found a 3/2 at ronjon surf shop online for $80...but I don't know what size would fit me the best...
I am about 165 and I am 6' tall...
Are there any other less expensive wetsuits out there available and durable?

I just cannot stomach spending $200 right now...anybody got any suggestions?

Here is the link to the wetsuit I was looking at...size chart did not show what will fit me...Thanks

http://www.ronjons.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MenuGroup=5&SelectedItem=43&Category=Wetsuits+%26+Rashguards&Page=0&ProductId=1060-0011

expect to have a blast, a day surfing beats a day at the office any day, so just learn to have fun no matter what comes at ya

I checked out the site and it looks like they only have XS...you will probably need a medium/large to large....my friend is about your size and he wears a medium/large rip curl......the ron jon wetsuit isn't the best fitting suit, nor is it the most flexible, but it will keep you warm. You might try checking out some out of season wetsuits online... can get a good one pretty cheap sometimes

Here are some links with some better relatively cheap wetsuits: and the size was medium tal,l not medium large just call the place and ask him which they think will fit better.......

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/PROD/SA343MF

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/PROD/2285

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/PROD/MWFUXF32

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/PROD/777-XC832MB-01

And here is the cheapest on but it's a 2mm shortsleve suit which might work:

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/PROD/777-XC825MB-01

i live in melbourne,fl and the water temp has not droped past 65 all and last week i skined it .waves have pretty good for the last mth some head high sets last week wind swell go on 2nd light or surfline to swells later days slink