VB Water Temps

maybe. hopefully the forecast holds up. 3/2 maybe if you got gloves, booties, and depending on air temp, a hood. You wont be in long though. ive been wearing a 4/3 for about 3 weeks now. (i have holes in it though haha)

 

The air-temp is suppose to be 60 on Friday during the day ... so you may do just fine, at least for two hours. I don't think you could stay in 3+ hours though, but I guess that depends on you tolerance to the cold (I know couldn't with a 3/2).

 

I've had to quit winter surfing. It's the only time I could get some 1st st time away from the crowds. I got surfer ear really bad. My head closes up for a few days after going out in the cold. I've had Docs offer to drill them out but, I don't trust them, they're only "practicing" medicine. I used to wear 4/3 with built in hood. boots gloves and socks.

 

4'3 hood boots. Water is freezing.

 

ima do a 4/3 boots and gloves. 60 degree temps fri and light winds, should be able to do it hoodless. looks like its gonna be delwwwwicious friday

 

Scheduled to have my right ear drilled on December 19, and the left ear drilled a few weeks later. 90% blockage due to surfers ear, intermittent loss of hearing for about the past five years. The surgery is low risk, but i won't be surfing between mid december and mid march, most likely due to the surgery and recovery. For those of you saying things like, "i can get away without a hood" in the 50-55 degree water, be aware that there are potential consequences to prolonged exposure of your ears to cold water and wind. Hood systems in the 1980s - early 1990s sucked, most 5 mm wetsuits were hoodless and i remember rarely bothering with one back then.

 

What kind of earplugs can you yet to prevent surfers ear

 

In 01 we quit our jobs to move to CR. The week before I left I got a physical. As an after thought, right before I left the Docs office, I had him look in my ear because it felt damp. He said I had tumors ion my head. So he sent me to a ENT doc 2 days before my flight out. He looked in my ear and said, "you surf right?" Then he told me I had surfer ear. He then took a long needle and touched me where I've never been touched before. He poked my SE a couple of times to show me it was hard. He broke the skin. When I got to CR my ear was infected. it finally burst under the tropical heat. The ENT doc suggested making a solution half alcohol and half vinegar, used an eye dropper to put 2 drops in each ear before and after a surf.

 

I already have advanced surfer's ear so prevention is no longer an option, but the doctors i have seen have told me that they think the two primary causes are:

excessive exposure to cold water in the ears.
excessive exposure to cold air and wind in the ears while surfing.

I didn't like Doc's Pro Plugs, which are popular among a lot of people, so I use Macks silicone putty plugs to keep the water out. I pretty much wear them year round every time i surf.

I also wear a bonnet hood, skull cap (whatever you want to call it) to keep my head and ears warm now that air and water temps are below 55. I've got an O'Neill hood that i like a lot. Obviously built in hooded wetsuit once it gets a bit colder.

These two practices seem to keep the cold water out, which is helping reduce the symptoms of having surfers ear which are 1) loss of hearing 2) infections both due to the water never draining out.

 

Hey Mitchell,
Ouch! sorry to hear about the surgeries, good luck and wishing you a full recovery. Make sure to get a few good meals beforehand, chewing may be difficult with the ear(s) packed with gauze
I have had both ears drilled (left one around 97-98 right one was done a few years later about 2001)I was out of the water for 6-8 weeks with each one.
Definitely good advice about using hoods, surfer’s ear can be prevented (or at least minimized). I started surfing in 77 and probably never had a hood until about 87, by then the damage was pretty far along. I use them now, would prefer not to have to have my ears reamed again.
Good luck
Jim

 

Sounds absolutely terrible

 

Friday looks like great weather. However, Saturday and Sunday the air will be like winter especially for dawn patrol. Could get away with a 3/2, boots, gloves, maybe hood Friday but the rest will be chilly.

 

Thanks...i plan to have some cold beers on hand for the painful chewing, no surfing phase of recovery.

 

Friday needs to get here now!!! So stoked!! marathon session is gonna happen

 

good luck with the surgery, Mitchell.

I guess i should wear my hood more often, even though i hate wearing it, definitely don't want to have to go through surgery. Thanks for making others aware of the problem.

 

not that it's always accurate, or accurate in every area, but i've found the water temps posted in regions on this site, or at least near me are usually close enough. maybe give or take a degree or two.

 

yea swellinfo also seems more accurate with the with the winds than surfline as well. granted i live 2 blocks from the beach so i get to check my self but still its pretty good

 

Swellinfo is my go to but I always cross check with Surfline for a visual. Pretty accurate forcasts. Thanks guys! This weekends water wasnt bad but the air on Saturday and more N winds didnt help. Friday was amazing!