Wetsuit mania.
I have been surfing much, lately. The San Diego-adjacent air a humid 80 degrees (Fahrenheit), the water very warm and perpetual swell in the ideal 2-4ft range. I’ll paddle out in the morning, I’ll paddle out in the evening, I’ll paddle out in trunks only, not even experiencing the slightest shiver when first touching toe in the cooking Pacific.
I didn’t realize how cooking it actually is until a dear forwarded me an Instagram post revealing:
Southern California ocean temperatures should not be this warm: a sea-surface reading of 80.2°F was recorded at 2 pm on August 28, less than 10 miles off San Onofre Beach in northern San Diego County, as a severe marine heatwave across SoCal coastal waters fuels historically humid conditions this week.
Weird and wonderful and yet, every time I paddle out, I’m in the trunk-only minority. There are many jackets, many short-legged/long-armed springers, a plurality of full wetsuits. And I am utterly baffled as I float already too hot basically naked.
I understand the sun protection bit and don’t even internally criticize those in wide-brimmed surf hats but neoprene? In 80.2° waters?
I cannot actually figure out what is going on. Do Southern California surfers treat wetsuits like security blankies, needing the little squeeze in order to perform multi-staged pop-ups? Do they love the aesthetic? Is neoprene a proven vitamin?
Are you currently surfing in Southern California in some form of a wetsuit?
Please explain it to me.