Surfing in winter is sometimes a bit of a survival exercise against the elements. I battled it with my 10-year-old yesterday.
We got to Aramoana, checked the surf, which was pumping for anyone under 50kg. Then we got changed just as a southerly front hit. I had the car parked the wrong way and copped a direct hit of icy rain and wind just as we were getting into our wetsuits ... that were still wet from the rain the night before.
To make matters worse Keo struggles a bit getting into his winter wetsuit. What I can do in less than two minutes, takes him about seven to complete. There's lots of grunting and groaning and unwittingly flashing his bits to the other surfers in the crowded carpark, then some contortionist movements and finally an audible pop and he's done. Then we tackle the hood – that's like a car tyre giving birth to a wet mop. Lot's of doubt, moments of despair and then disbelief when it finally happens.
Once that is on he's on to the booties – the pinnacle of all surf-related challenges. At least three minutes per foot and torture to watch – way more frustrating than watching Donald Trump lead his country through these tough times. Doing all this in the freezing cold, while it's raining and blowing hard straight into your face ... that's tough.
Then we surfed in mostly sunshine between the squalls. Lots of waves and grom memories crammed into a couple of hours of winter goodness. There was a happy place out there in those waves.
His shoulders gave way before the cold set in, but true to form we ended up getting changed again in biting, squally rain. Miserable. The pain only eased slightly by four hot water bottles and a thermos of hot soup. Yes, we could do winter surfing smarter. But there is something to be said for the endorphins that flow after some degree of winter surfing adversity.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We're stoked to be able to present on NZ Surf Journal an insight into one of New Zealand's best ever surfers, innovators and leaders in the surfing world: the late great Allan Byrne. Clive Neeson's 20-minute film, The Allan Byrne Story features exclusive interviews with the master himself as he discusses his surfing life and innovation. Grab a cuppa and enjoy ...
Proudly supported by:
