Winter

[Hang11]

5 foot offshore, water temps well into single digits, 3 degrees air temp, with the odd bit of hail & sleet.

Really really trying to get it together and go for a few waves, but a fat one and a day in front of the fire seems like a much more tempting option today.

[drowningbitbybit]

20C (water and air), suns out, 3-4ft - yes, winter is hell.

[Hang11]

20C (water and air), suns out, 3-4ft - yes, winter is hell.

hahaha. I'm over in Sydney for a couple of days later this month, will bring my sun block and some boardies.

On the positive side, I've just been into the city and picked up my season pass for the ski fields, less than 5 weeks till the mountains open and it's been puking snow up there for the last few days.

[Hang11]

Sumner Bar looking pretty sweet this morning, there were a couple of guys towing in.







I'm gonna get all the spider webs off my 5/4, find my hood, boots and gloves, and go for a surf this afternoon. It's good enough to die of hypothermia for.

[Hang11]

[garbarrage]

much as the fatty and the fire sounds good.... get out there for the love of god!
this is all we've been getting over here for the last few weekends. starting to crack up.....
http://www.strandhillsurfcam.com/surfcam_enlarge.htm

[surfmom68]

Only surfed in the winter myself! So its sounding like you need to get out there. Personally, its not a good session unless I'm changing in the carpark at Shoreham Harbour in the hail at 2C.

[Hang11]

Only surfed in the winter myself! So its sounding like you need to get out there. Personally, its not a good session unless I'm changing in the carpark at Shoreham Harbour in the hail at 2C.

I'm from Shoreham originally, surfed there year round since I was a kid, trust me, the harbour on a cold day is nothing like a big southerly blast straight off the Antarctic.

[garbarrage]

don't matter how cold it is.... if i could have waves like that every day, filling my wetty with ice cubes would be a small price to pay!

[Beachbumhippie]

don't matter how cold it is.... if i could have waves like that every day, filling my wetty with ice cubes would be a small price to pay!

Second that

[joem]

stop being a wuss and get out iv been surfing in colder weather in nasty blown out and small waves

[RJD]

Heh I missed all those waves, man its hard work getting into you winter gear after a long hot summer....

[Grinder]

Sumner eh? Never heard of the place... You Kiwis are secretive ba$t4rd$. Can't wait to towel you up att the SCG this week in the Centenary Test. Don't really like the game but any excuse to beat NZ!
But seriously, those pics are great and after our dribbly start to May (on the surfcoast..-Bells etc), I'd love to jump on a plane. Any recommendations for airlines that are longboard friendly?

[Hang11]

Any recommendations for airlines that are longboard friendly?

British Airways. Sumner is about 100km south of London in the UK

Seriously, don't fly over the Tasman to surf Sumner, it's shite 99% of the time, with the odd moment of okayishness,

Head to Mahia, Gisborne or Taranaki on the north island, or Kaikoura or the West Coast or Dunedin for some cold South Island waves, but you can mix it up with some snow time for the next few months if you do head south.