October is surf month in Tofino
Temperature down but surf’s up: cold water surfing some of the best waves you’ll ride all yearAs the seasons change, surfers flock to Tofino, B.C. to enjoy some of the best cold water surfing anywhere on the planet.
To make the most of hitting the waves off Long Beach, here are a few suggestions that are sure to benefit first-time visitors to Vancouver Island as well as those who’ve become familiar faces at Tofino resorts.
Cold water surfing requires the right gear but equally important is the right attitude, notes Realwatersports.com. The website’s top seven tips for cold water surfing says your best bet for enjoying the experience is to get amped up by the thought of “no crowds, thick winter swells and howling offshores.”
 |
 |
If your head space is good to go, make sure you have a good hooded wetsuit, gloves and boots to keep away the chills while you’re getting your thrills.
It’s best to get dressed indoors or in the car if possible and make sure your suit fits – thicker suits needed for cold water don’t stretch out as much as thinner suits that many people wear as tight as possible in summer. The heavier material will make paddling harder than it has to be if you’re fighting the suit as well as the waves.
Another trick, courtesy of sf.racked.com, is to pour hot water into your suit before putting it on. This saves you from expending your body heat on warming up cold neoprene.
Be patient with your first few sessions. The routine of getting dressed gets easier the more you do it.
Also, make sure to air out your gear when you’re done. No need to suffer through stinky equipment when you’re psyching yourself up to get outside in the cold.
Finally, if it’s in your budget, use a bigger board than you would for summer surfing. The extra size will accommodate for the added weight of your cold-water wetsuit and make it easier to get to your feet.
Serious surfers know that the colder the weather the better the surf can be so buying a board just for winter makes sense.
Stay safe
Of course, you need to make sure you respect Mother Nature and take the necessary steps to stay safe.
If you’re not sure whether cold water surfing is for you, check out these tips from Surfingmedicine.com and stay out longer – safely:
- Know your limits, get out of the water when you are starting to get cold, leg cramps or can’t feel your fingers.
- Stay in shape. Paddling in a 6mm wetsuit is exhausting. If you are not surfing regularly in the winter, stay in shape by hitting the pool.
- Get a good wetsuit without holes. One little hole will render a wetsuit much less effective.
- Get hot before getting in the water. Crank the heat in the car, drink warm sugary fluids, try not to get out of the car for too long while checking the surf.
- Warm up some Gatorade and drink this on the way to the surf.
- Stay active in the water. Our bodies generate more heat while paddling than sitting.
- Keep your car keys accessible. You learn the hard way that your hands don’t work well when they are cold and you don’t have the dexterity to get out your car key from a zany wetsuit key holder and open your car door.
- A Thermos of warm water poured over your head after a sesh is almost as cathartic as peeing in your wetsuit.
If you can’t wait for the cold water season to arrive, check out these links from experienced cold water surfers :
