Yesterday I duck dived a wave and something really strange happened; it felt somewhat like I had created an air bubble around my face as I duck dived because I didn't feel the bite of cold water on my face/forehead even after reaching the surface. Maybe my hood visor helped somehow? Does anyone change their approach to duck diving in the winter to avoid / minimize the brain freeze? The only thing I really do to adjust to cold water is better time my paddle outs and try to avoid duck diving all together.
You should just walk out on the jetty and dive in after a set. Dont ever duck dive in winter your head will explode for sure!
Well it's never blocked sun from my eyes and I do deflect water from my face when going head first through a wave... Lol.
yep, try to keep your head tucked in more and you'll get less water inside your hood. A flushed hood is no good...
I completely change my game plan in the winter, its all about avoiding the duck dive. I have come to master the technique of waiting till last minute, busting through the lip with my head turned back towards shore, least water penetration! Its always funny watching guys do the craziest manuevers to avoid going under.
LOL, I saw a guy last winter dive over and half way down I guess he realized it was january, full on belly flop was FN hilarious!!!
i have one of those hoods built into a rashguard but the part that is sopposed to be tucked underneath the wetsuit is too short and the hood always comes untucked making me look like an idiot because the neck of my hood is on the outside of my wetsuit
bodyboardNJ: Hey brother. The neck of the hood on the attached rash guard/hood is actually supposed to go over the neck ofthe wetsuit. You might try folding it up when you are putting on your wetsuit, and then cinching the neck good and tight, and then folding it down over the neck of the wetsuit. Works for me! Aloha!
Be patient, wait for a lull, then paddle your brains out. If you get have to get under one, turn your head to the side or keep it tucked in as stated before.
Ha well I guess I needed someone to say this because all my life I thought it was there primarily as a sun visor.
if the water is in the low 40's i pretty much won't go out if the sessions gonna require a lot of duck diving. i remember paddling out once on a good head high day and went under the first set wave and thought 'damn that hurt.' then the second was like, 'okay i think i killed some brain cells' and then the third i thought my head would implode. as the fourth wall of water approached i just turned around and let it push me in while my brains dripped out of ears. it's weird though. 42 degrees is sorta my cutoff point for duck diving. 43 not so bad, 41 and lower is like death. i swear, one degree makes a big difference for me.
Oh the visor is so key. I even trim it to make it just right. I lower my head more in winter to trap air under the visor and blow bubbles out of my nose on the way up to protect my face from cold so I can stay down longer and get under bigger swells. That way I make it through and have to duck dive less. I've even put my visor against the deck of my board and trapped air between the deck and my face. It lets me stay down enough to get under waves and not dragged back with out freaking from the cold being under longer. Really only works so much though.
Neoprene face mask with the hood on. Keeps your cheeks warm and makes you look like a ninja or an idiot. Depends on how you look at it.
There is a certain angle you tilt your head and it helps alot with the visor deflecting it. I dont know how i do it exactly but if you surf in the cold enough you will definately find out haha.
definately tuck your head down toward your board. The visor really helps keep your face clear of water. paddle around the wave rather than through the set. Choose smaller days to winter surf so your on top more. putting vascaline on your face also helps and creates a nice seal between your skin and the hoodie. I just purchase the new quick dry vested hoodie from Rip Curl! Wow is it nice and warm and fits the face great!!!!!!!
wait... you can do that?? That sounds like a bad idea, I have never seen anyone do that. It sounds dangerous
