Today

according to most sources, the water down there is currently 54 deg...still definitely in booty range, even if the air was warm

 

Our water temp is 52F, so I would expect yours to be closer to 54 or 55. I don't like wearing booties, but once the water hits 50F I will have to use them. I will never use gloves down here. I also use a 4/3 in winter. I think a warmer core helps cold tolerance when your feet and hands are exposed.

 

Yeah,we got pretty killed today. But lots of the better surfers were getting fun rides on @5' , occasional 6'. Water was about 68, cold for a Floridian

 

Betty, glad you scored but no one likes a braggart. Were there any wores on the beach today? Both Hindu and non.

 

I think a colder cold tolerance helps keep your hands and feet "warm". In other words, keeping your house's thermostat down to 65 (or less) helps you acclimate to winter temps and eases the shock when you get in the water. Surfing more often (or at least dunking yourself in cold water) or doing anything in cold temps without being over clothed, also gets your core down and keeps you acclimated enough to be able to wear less neoprene.

 

Grommet check your local buoy reading for your break at the time of your sesh. That'll give you the stats.

You'd have to try out different thicknesses in different temps and see what is best for you. Temp tolerance seems to be like the pain scale, subjective from one person to the next. I'm a minimalist for neoprene as I'm a furnace. But when I do rubber up, it's a properly fitting Drylock brah.

 

Fort pierce.

Yes Emass, besides me and my girl, there were two beautiful young women in the water. So graceful when they surf.a couple of dozen men were in also, really good surfers. 5-6' waves are too big for our skills,so we had fun on the reformed waves and whitewater

 

Betty, you're doing a good job of overcrowding your break with score reports like that. As for the wave height, do what Larry Bert says and just surf the small part of the big wave on the lower face. Do those other two wahines want to have some fun with reformed badasses in addition to those reformed waves?

 

FP is no secret , believe me

Oh, and good job Swellinfo on calling wave height!magic seaweed totally under called it by a couple of feet.

 

It is hard to find a reliable reading for your area. This is your off-shore buoy: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=41008

That reads temp fairly far out, so you should not expect water at the beach to be that warm. You could just buy a floating thermometer if you were really concerned. Only through experience can you really align your gear with the local water temp reports. Like with me, I know that when Charleston harbor reads 55F, I am usually ok in my 4/3 alone (unless the air temp is below 50). When the harbor is 50, I know my feet can't handle that exposed. Basically, just don't worry about what reading is the most accurate. Find a regularly updated source of water temp and figure out what your body feels like when you are out there.

 

Very true. By my third day out during Christmas week, the water didn't feel quite as bad. It is just difficult for me to get out that more than once a week during winter. Stupid short days!

 

If I had to guess, I would say your buoy is 5-6F warmer than actual coastal temps. However, on the coast, we have a lot of fluctuation. It would be nice if every pier had a small weather station and thermometer in the water.

 

**** the buoy and swellinfo reports and water temp bullcrap. heres your guide.. wear a 4/3 for winter besides the early months. if its cold not gloves or booties, if its really cold gloves or booties? you will know when its really cold , if you cant stand the cold water just throw them on. everybody adapts to cold water differently, if you where boots and gloves in 60 degree chances are you will never be able to climatize your body to the cold water. id say tuff it though unless its really windy.