Santa Cruz is famous for cold water surfing. Certainly many other places are as cold or colder, but it is quite chilly hereabouts in the Winter big-wave season. Here's a few tips on staying warm while surfing cold.

First, it's a lot ezr to stay warm then to get warm once chilled. So start out cozy and aim to stay comfortable. Avoid getting chilled, it's hard to get warm again.

Second, your wetsuit is your most important tool. It's gotta fit like a second skin, have seams that don't leak, and be nice and thick for insulation while still being flexible in the arms and shoulders. You outta wear at least a 5/3 in these regions in the Winter. Go see Dion at Heatwave and get a custom suit; you will NOT regret it. Dion will measure your bod in a million (at least) places. The resulting suit will fit better than any off-the-rack suit ever could. He's been making and repairing my suits for years, and they don't come any better. Let him repair the crappy seams in your mass-produced suit, and I guarantee you'll see the difference right away.

Also, dry your suit before a sess. Nothing is more chilling than putting on a wet clammy cold suit in the dawn's early light. Use quality wetsuit accessories to help stay sealed away from the frigid water. Rash guards, gloves, boots, and hoods can really add to your overall warmth. I recommend getting some ScubaPro dive boots at a dive shop. They are superior to any surf boot made. I also use lycra boot socks inside the boots.

Third, your clothes to and from the beach are important. Wear loose, comfortable, fuzzy, layered clothes with a minimum of zippers and buttons. Go for velcro or elastic closures instead, since they'll be ezr to negotiate when your fingers are cold. Don't get chilled on the way to the beach or while checking the waves from the cliff.

Fourth, get a car with a world-class heater. Seriously, I test drive cars and time them from a cold start to when hot air is pumping from the cab heater. Make sure the interior fan can drive a lot of air. Crank up the heat so the car is like a sauna while driving to and from the beach. You can pump calories into your bod with this strategy so the cold doesn't penetrate you so quickly when you first paddle out.

Fifth, a big tall steaming mug of boiling hot tea or coffee is just the thing before and after the sess. This will warm you from the inside out and help you cope with the elements.

Sixth, Use an old plastic jug of some sort (I use an empty bleach container) as a warm shower. Fill it with hot water when you leave home for the beach. Let it ride on the floor of the passenger side, and blast it with hot air from the heater vent. Wrap it in your beach towel and leave it in the car while you surf. After the sess, dump it over your head and down your neck seal, front and back. It'll rinse off the wetsuit, and warm you to the bone.

Lastly, focus on the waves, the fun, the stoke, and the challenge. Don't think about being cold. Be mentally strong, and don't get psyched about the low temps. Gotta get some waves, that's the goal. Only wimps avoid the lineup because of low temps.

CU Out There,

DogMan