Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
I'm amazed at just how cold it can get here at times. Even shooting photos this week from the land, the wind chill seemed to go straight through me. My fingers froze, my bones chilled – I actually believe it would have been warmer to have been surfing.
I surfed Aramoana on Sunday (sorry, no photos), and waiting for the set waves was a bad strategy in that cold wind and cold water. I was grizzling about it, while my daughter Taya and my new intern, Taira, hung on the inside, where there were more waves, and kept moving the whole time – a much better decision.
On the way back Taira, who is a writer interning at NZ Surf Journal, told me that where he lives in Maine, USA, the water temperature plummets to about 4°C and the air temperature drops to -30°C. He doesn't surf on those days, but has surfed in -10°C air temps! On those days his hair and eyelashes freeze. To make matters worse swell season in the Gulf of Maine is at its best through winter. It starts snowing there in December and stops snowing in March. He tells me he hopes to do some exploratory trips to Nova Scotia, which is even colder.
By contrast, he finds the Dunedin climate far more tropical – proven by his choice of footwear for winter surf trips: jandals. He's hoping we'll get a sea level snow storm soon in Dunedin so he can enjoy a proper wintery surf.
He's a little bit mad – I can see why Dunedin has won him over.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Want to read some of Taira's work in NZ Surf Journal? Check out his story on the incredible talent that is Jack Tyro. Or delve into his story on WSL kicking Trestles into touch and replacing it with a finals day at ... one of our favourite waves ever. And, if you're in the market for a new wetsuit then this O'Neill Hyperfreak Fire review might help you decide.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: