Cold weather surfing

[mitraveler]

So some crazy friends of my go surfing even when it's cold outside. It was crazy to hear their tales of surfing in Michigan in December when it was snowing. What kind of equipment do you need to do that? Have you gone surfing on a cold day? Would you?

[pou723]

I've done cold surfing before in northern California with a bunch of friends but I personally wont be doing it again in a hurry! Saying this, the good thing was the lack of crowds and better waves but you really have to have the right equipment to be doing cold surfing. I would recommend a suit with a neoprene fabric thickness of 5mm in the body and using 4mm in the arms and legs for a cold water wetsuit.

[cussoman]

surfing in winter is great because of the lack of crowds but keeping warm is very important. You have to get the thickest suits possible...don't try to save your pocket by purchasing a wetsuit that's too thin. Ask around what locals are wearing and certainly take their advice.

Eating root vegetables a few hours before surfing also helps, believe it or not, to keep you warm. Also, bring dry clothes to change into when you come out of the water.

[cincinnatikid]

Northern California and the Oregon coast are famous for cold weather surfing...FYI...beware of the Great Whites!!!

[heysee]

surfing is among the very best things in my life and even though Swedish surf is rarely epic and we don't boast the waves California and Australia do, it's a still great when it happens. We Swedish surfers have to learn how to read the wind and weather ourselves to figure out if the waves will be breaking along the Swedish coast.

[MaryLane]

Are they nuts?? You're freeze to death surfing in the cold weather.. Although that's funny.. lol!

[mitraveler]

Yes, my friends are rather nuts! But they do take precautions to bundle up. They have some really amazing wetsuits that can keep int eh body heat.