Damn, it's cold!

Researchers here at Planet Haolewood have concluded that lack of sunshine coupled with copious rain is significantly correlated with decreased surface ocean temperatures. Practical implication: it’s time for a new wet suit.

When I moved to Kauai it was May and I thought it was pretty hot. One of the first things I did was buy a rash guard so I that I wouldn’t get sun burned while surfing. I was so concerned about the heat that I bought a white rash guard instead of black reasoning that it would reflect the suns rays. That first summer I surfed with no wet suit.

By the time winter came along I realized that being too hot while surfing was really not much of a problem. It’s often windy or overcast or both here and I usually go surfing around sunset when it’s cooler. I wanted a wetsuit but I had no desire to revisit the straightjacket like experience I had when I used to surf in Northern California. So I got a sleeveless shorty with an open collar, no arms and no legs below the thigh. I figured I’d wear it during the winter only but I ended up wearing it year round. It served me well until now.

The weather hasn’t been too great lately. The surf is good but a lot of surfing is time spent sitting on your board waiting for a wave. What happens when I get cold surfing is that I stop having fun. When a wave comes I don’t feel motivated to paddle for it which is ironic because not moving around just makes me colder. So yesterday I bought a brand new spring suit with short sleeves and a collar that seals up around my neck. Am I a wimp? Perhaps. It’s as cold as it ever gets in Kauai and many of the surfers around me are wearing nothing but a bathing suit. Still I’d rather be a warm wimp and have more fun surfing than a cold wimp paddling in early because he can’t stop shivering.