Winter Surfing: How Long Do you Last?

Last swell i was out in a 4 3 mutant for like 4 hours and was fine... gotta get new gloves though

 

i start shivering anytime i wait more than 10 minutes for a wave, but i warm back up after riding. i can usually survive around two hours (give or take 15 minutes), but it eventually gets to me

 

when its down in the 30s, what percentage would you say you are at as far as your surfing goes?

Meaning, 100% would mean that you feel just as good as in the summer.

I mean, with 5 mil of rubber, gloves, boots and the actual air temp, what percentage would you say you are at? I just see winter videos from back home and some guys just look super uncomfortable in the thick rubber.

 

Longest I have ever stayed out was 4 hours and I got out becuase it got dark I probally could have gone for another hour.

 

U think i'll still be able to get by with a 4-3 cause i got a feeling im gonna freeze to death this weekend

 

i would HIGHLY doubt that you'll be able to get away w/ a 4/3 this weekend...nj water temp is now reading 39 & that's a good 3-4 degrees colder than new year's day, when i was freezing in my 4/3 w/ 3 mil gloves & 5 mil boots. my body was ok, but the back of my neck (i only have a cap, not a full hood) & limbs were cold. u
nless the predicted swell get a bit bigger, i'll prob. be rocking the 5/4 & the same boots & gloves this weekend.

when properly attired, i usually last between 90min-2 hours in the dead of winter (& i'm completely THRASHED at that point), but when the water's warmer, i'll be out for 3-4. i even pulled a 5hr session in panama this summer...never been so dehydrated in my life, i think!

percentage of ability-wise, i'd say i'm down to about 75% wearing a thicker suit (4/3 or 5/4), & a lot of that is b/c of my job. i'm a teacher & taking graduate courses, so my surf time is severely curtailed during the school year, esp. after daylight savings ends. in a 3/2, tho, i feel just fine...100% for sure.

 

I last 2 - 3 hours but have gone as long as 5 hours on a warm day with good medium sized waves. I think my best surfing is in the spring/fall in a 3/2. For some reason I don't surf all that well in just trunks, a bit of rubber gives me confidence .

 

on a nice day i can surf for 6-7 hours... As long as i stay hydrated, and take a few short breaks to warm up in my car and eat something.

Thats only if the air temps are reasonable though... if the water is high 30's and and the air is below freezing, then i'll only be able to stay warm for 2-4 hours. Two hours if i'm just sitting around waiting for sets, 4 hours if i'm moving around alot and keeping warm.

 

I actually hate surfing in board shorts, and prefer surfing in a good 3/2

 

love boardshorts. other than my chest getting slightly rashed (dont own rashguard), i love the free feeling and it makes me feel awesome cause i love warm weather/water

 

It all depends on air temp!! If the air temp is 60 degrees right now, you're sure as hell going to last much longer than when it's 25 degrees.

 

I was born in the tropics and use to luke warm water. So my tolerance for cold water is slim/none I have a 4/3 Psycho 3mm hood 3mm claws 5mm booties when the waves are pumping I can usually stay out for 1-1 1/2 hours as long as I keep moving. If its BS I leave as soon as I start to shiver. which is like 25 minutes after hitting the water

 

my favorite suit is my 2mm ss fullsuit but in these temps, I'm good for about 3 hours IF its sunny out. With clouds, 2 hours tops.

 

I rock a billabong solution gold 4/3 with fleece lining and a polypropylene shirt underneath and I can stay out, even in sub-40 degree water, for about 3 or 4 hours depending on how sunny or windy it is. Fleece lining and the shirt make a 4/3 soooo much warmer. Also, a nice hood, 7mm boots and 5mm gloves are essential. My feet stay hot through the dead of winter, which is so key since that's where the surfer and the board meet...

 

Damn, thats some heavy duty equipment. Does that take away a lot of mobility all layered up like that?

I mean, I wear a 4/3 our here most of the year just cause I get cold quick, but in the summer when it hits the 70s and I go to boardies, I feel like I have 50% better mobility. Its crazy. And I have a really flexible, very thin quicksilver 4 mil. So, I was just curious how much mobility etc. that kind of setup takes away with 25 degree air and 35 degree water going.

Like I said, I never surfed really in the winter back in MD as a kid. I was all summer/fall. Im just trying to wrap my head around this now that all the equipment is so sick these days. People can surf in ice water.

 

I get tired faster than I get cold, because I only get to surf once or twice week - if there are waves. The cold probably does sap my energy, but I only actually start to shiver if I'm waiting for waves for a while.

 

I used to be able to go for hours on end... probably almost 5 hours if it was fun enough. I remember always bein like <<Why do they say "tough it out"? It's so easy because I don't get cold.>> All of that changed when I noticed holes in my booties. Not to mention that the booties are only 5mm so my feet get sooooo cold.

But besides my feet, my gear is golden. A bit raggedy but if I had brand new 7mm boots then I'd probably be able to be in for a loooooooooong time. I usually dont count the hours though because the time always passes really fast.

 

ive heard of people wearing two 3/2s throught the whole winter. does that work and wouldnt it be hard to move?