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Cold Water Surfing

Winter surfing for some select boarders and a few stray polar bears

Dec 31, 2006

Cold water surfing can mean fewer crowds and better waves for properly equipped surfers

Tow-in Surfing isn't the only extreme form of the sport out there. Many surfers are finding that with proper equipment, areas and seasons not previously explored are becoming available to them. Advantages include less competition for the best rides and access to waves not found in other regions.

Technology has made it possible for surfers to haunt the beaches of Yakutat, Alaska and points even further west and north. Wetsuit knowledge has advanced greatly in recent years. Suits are definitely more user friendly, easier to don, and offer better protection from the elements. A suit with a neoprene fabric thickness of 5mm in the body and using 4mm in the arms and legs is a recommended minimum weight for a cold water wetsuit.

The dry suits used by many kayakers and divers do not perform well for surfing. Many of the techniques and safety concerns addressed in the article on Cold Water Boating Safety can apply to cold water surfing. One well know wetsuit manufacture is Billabong. Surfline offers a webpage detailing the many winter wetsuits available in the marketplace. Icy Waves Surf Shop of Yakutat, Alaska bills its location as the Far North Shore. Started in 1999, Icy Waves has seen the popularity of Yakutat surfing soar with its worldwide visitors.

As one Alaskan surf shop says of cold water surfing, "Euphoria! The first stage of hypothermia".

The copyright of the article Cold Water Surfing in Boating & Sailing is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Cold Water Surfing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.