Winter Waves Are Upon Us
By Jud Bushkar
Surf was pretty good in mid-November, with chest-high set waves for several afternoons. The days were warm and a haze hung over the ocean due to the temperature difference between the air and cooler water. The southwest wind was predominant and the waves cleaned up nicely on the falling tide. There were plenty of pitching barrels, and open faces could be found on the well-groomed sets at the Washout.
By Thanksgiving, however, summer was officially over. This morning it is about forty-five degrees with a northeast wind of twenty knots. Nobody is out on the beach. The only people moving around on the island are being walked by their dogs. Yes, they are spying on you again. The nice lady with the pomeranian is a CIA operative and the tall man with the black lab works for JP Morgan. He is not a bank employee. He works for the 164-year old bank founder from Connecticut.
The water temperature has dipped into the high 50s. It is now time for cold wax. Use it on your surfboard.
Speaking of surfboards, I got a new one from Ricky Carroll. It has a rounded nose and tail and more bottom curve or rocker than a typical fish-style surfboard. With a ride that looks this good, I expect to show up on the front of Wheaties boxes within a month. Surfers talk about equipment more than any sport that comes to mind. Friends ask what board you were riding to gauge your opinion of the days conditions. Bringing a thin-tailed shortboard reminiscent of a potato chip out on a small day shows optimism bordering on hubris. On the other hand, riding a longboard built for knee-high mush on a good day shows low expectations.
This differs from most sports. A golfer does not bring one set of clubs when he expects to play badly or thinks the rough will be high at James Island Municipal. Professional baseball players are known to use bats with their exact custom specifications for years without change. One reason surfing lends itself to a flexible outfitting approach is that the ocean is never exactly the same two days in a row. Having more than one board in your quiver makes you feel prepared for whatever you find on a particular day.
This time of year, everyone is in fullsuits and some people are also choosing to wear neoprene boots. A good wetsuit will cost at least $139.95 and you can spend over $600 if you try hard enough. Insist on a double blind-stitched, glued, and sealed suit to avoid cold water flushing. To test a suit, inflate an arm. A good suit will hold air. The right suit for you will be extremely tight and fit like a second skin.
Now that you know how to pick a suit, there are no excuses for staying out of the water. The best thing about surfing in the winter is thinner lineups. You should be one of the people in that lineup. Take it light, my friends.
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