Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
How much easier is winter these days? Remember when your wetsuit leaked within a few surfs (usually right in the crotch) and the seams chewed great hideous sea ulcery rashes into your shoulders and under your arms? I've been testing a new wetsuit from Billabong that has a material called graphene in it (won a Nobel Prize apparently). It's so warm that I haven't even located my booties or hood yet. It's been the best Billabong wetsuit I have ever tried and kind of makes a statement about where the surf industry is heading – it has finally evolved to creating technically high-performing gear and prioritising this over well-placed labels.
The downside of having decent cold water wetsuit technology coming on stream is that a lot of surfers are discovering how good it is – the cold blasts that used to thin the lineups through winter just aren't doing that anymore. In fact, I don't think our lineups have ever been so busy for this time of year.
The next few months will be telling as winter's true bite starts to clench, but, if I can, I won't be donning booties or a hood until the last possible moment.
Lot's of rain this week and more swell looming. Check the forecast right here.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We've been busy over at NZ Surf Journal. Check out our interview with Surfing NZ's Ben Kennings as we ask them some tough questions. Then we feature young rising star Leia Millar to see what makes her tick and where she's headed. Enjoy!
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: