Any other NJ surfers constantly sick in the winter?

Are you familiar with finger aids?

 

Yeah brahhh everytime i get in the water im just so so siiiiiiiccckkkkkkk brahhh

 

thank you for coming to SwellInfo for your medical advise.

post volume is very high right now, so please be patient and your question will be answered in the order it was received

SI medicale staph

 

Almost all township storm sewers along the NJ coast drain into the ocean - so after heavy rain events you'll get a lot of runoff flushed out into the ocean with lots of bacteria and other pollutants. NJDEP actually monitors and test the water along the shore throughout the year but more frequently during the summer. If you look into their website - they provide info on their testing results and locations. I've surfed a lot this winter throughout Monmouth county and have not gotten sick - really it's been years since I've felt bad after a surf in NJ waters. Look at where you go out to see if you have any pipe outfalls. Maybe avoid those spots after heavy rains.

 

I had this issue. Use the search function and you will see various threads with your treatment options.

Netti Pot does wonders for your sinuses. I had recurrent infections after every surf, until I started using that. Warm water, cold water, saline solution, it doesn't matter. Just drain right after every session. It has really helped me a ton.

 

It's been the complete opposite for me, and I've always felt like surfing in cold water (or skiing or other activities when it's cold as fuk) strengthens my immune system. Been on pretty much every swell both this winter and last, and in that time I've gotten two fairly mild colds lasting one day and been perfect otherwise. I know there's a lot of theories out there, both past and recent and spanning a wide variety of cultures, about how cold showers/ice baths/polar bear plunges/rolling around naked in the snow in the middle of a hot tub session strengthen immune systems to the point you never get sick. Not sure if any of these theories have any scientific basis whatsoever, but that shouldn't matter anyway when it comes to SI medical advise. But I've always just convinced myself that cold water surfing is another form of the cold shower/ice bath concept, and assumed that I never get sick partly because of winter surfing (and skiing/snowboarding especially on the really cold days when it's like -30), not in spite of it.

Also, once you're mildly sick, outdoor winter activities are almost definitely going to make it worse. So maybe once you have a lingering illness, if you keep surfing that keeps it from going away? I feel like this could carry over to overall strength of immune system... like if you have a good immune system, work out daily and are in objectively good physical shape, eat fairly healthy, and sleep 8ish hours a night, the extra stress imposed on your body by cold water surfing is just enough to strengthen it further, whereas if your immune system sucks, it overwhelms it completely. I think the water quality around here is fine though (notwithstanding after events like sandy)... pretty sure socal has it a lot worse seeing as how a majority of surfers there won't go out immediately after it rains. Granted, it rains a lot less there, but I do think our water is cleaner here in jersey (though I bet if you surveyed 10 random nonsurfers from the middle of the country everyone would guess that California water is cleaner than NJ). To answer your initial question though, no, I've noticed the exact opposite.

TL;DR maybe lay off of the hookers and meth for a few days and see if that changes the situation.

 

This might be 2 factors . 1 I have noticed that most of my friends that have grommets running around tend to get sick more frequently . If your immune system is trying to fighting off the grommet's fevers and add a cold winter surf session to that . That could make you feel like seagull poo . 2. a friend of mine won't surf anymore because he's sinuses get all messed up after surfing . He has used a nose plug , and tried ear plugs . They kinda of worked for him but was too much of a pain in the arse to wear them surfing . told him to get one of those snorkies the deluxe model . Surfing with a snorkie that would be hilarious , tinted lens , blue tooth tunes playing , walkie talkie mode , go pro mount . It could be the new orange . I bet your noggin would be warmer on those duck dives .

 

Dirtier oceans in our near future drink up!

 

Surf in Nj long enough and your hair will fall out, your fAce will wither, yourballs will sagg and you will get an incurable case of nipple and anus rash... good times!
and yea... try the natty pot, you'll deal with it mobetter.

 

OMG Lmao! Works for me every time! The perfect solution!

 

Think I've been pricked by a hypodermic needle or two.

Dat dirty Jerz wutter!

 

The short answer to your question... no.

Chances are way higher you'll get sick from the ocean in the summer compared to winter.
Chances are way higher you'll get sink from the indoors in the winter compared to the summer.

Surf more.

 

Yea my job depends on my physical status being green ground swell with light offshores on the regg... so I just take a killer hot shower, blow some crazy **** out my nose, take vita c, and netti... jersy is way better than surfing Lynn MA, or revere... it seemed like there was always some sort of bacteria that kept us out of the water up there.

 

finger aids thread

 

back to the op's question.

i could go into some long winded explanation of bacteria and virus in cold vs warm weather but i'm too lazy

bscly, no way you got sick just by surfing in cold ocean water. no way.

 

In all seriousness- get a neti pot to clean out your sinuses

Get this one- works better - https://www.amazon.com/NeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Complete-Sachets/dp/B000RDZFZ0

Trust me- the water is dirty... welcome to jersey