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.
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Water is 61 degrees at my local in NorCal. Dudes are still in hoods and booties.
Bogs please take of that back of yours as you only have one and my manual labor days paid my way through college and also saved me big money while remodeling my various homes. But now the discs between S1/L5, L3/L4, L2/L3 and C3/4 are telling me that I should have taken better care of those joints. Yet popping up on a longboard is an effort well worth the pain in my 60s bro!
As a member of the brimmed(not wide from Dakine) surf hat club, I realize it isn’t cool, nor attractive while screaming boomer weakness, but my dermatologist’s directive to protect the skin on my ears and ever-thinning skull reigns supreme. As for that wildly warm water, I found myself unzipping my shorty a few weeks ago due to overheating, not caused by blood pressure medication but the warmth of the sun and water.
I know this weekend’s surfing will be done in shorts and a rash guard to appease the BG overlords.
Local Douchebag Shocked That People Have Different Temperature Preferences
Spent my euro summer mostly offline and using boardshorts most time, bar the odd dawn patrol. Quick under-1h in and outs under the sun, perfectly manageable. Portugal, where you generally need a 3/2 upwards.
A few thing board shorts come second – overall flex, ball-sac management for us bio males, and drawstring knot friction.
I’d posit the obvious – climate change is screwing up sheico’s surfing longterm business plans.
With you on this one chas , wetsuit mania is a thing. Most people believe its part of the game having to wrap up in rubber. You can’t do it if you’re not properly equipped etc – cue surfline man’s technical/ equipment craze.
I love some artistic foreground, but between this and the Haz EAST, I think we’ve found the limit of what the filmmakers can get away with before it becomes distracting.
It’s exactly that. A minimum amount of frames with all four wheels on the ground, body english be dammed, before cutting away from the inevitable step-off or slam. Baker Skateboards “Baker 2G” and “Baker 3” are still excellent media in spite of this
I find the slightly below-the-knee 21″ length to be both functional and stylish departure from the middle-of-the-road 19″ that always end up a bit too tight around the meaty part of the leg or the 17″ that end up flashing a bit too much of my blinding white thigh at times. It’s the 22-24″ range i find puzzling – it makes the shorter guys look like dwarves and I have distinct memories them catching on my knees as I’d pop up.
bahahaahahaha
SE rare swell, swung in under the islands.
Lit the town up
Ridiculous
sadly no
I’d love to be there with you for a day, scribbling!
Because whiteboy/girl dreads are fake, and an obvious reflection of the lowly desperate character of the complete fuckwits who get them done.
Similar to the type of people the English call ‘tossers’ and ‘bell-ends’.
The Australians would describe as ‘flogs’ and ‘melts’.
NZers would label ‘wankers’ and ‘dickheads’.
And Americans name ‘douche-bags’ and ‘jackasses’ etc etc etc.
Just fake as fuck bullshit artists who’re trying to be something they obviously aren’t.
Like if Chas (or me) got a 7’10” Lopez pintail and stood on the Pipeline sand for photos before taking it home to hang on the wall and tell friends about being a bigwave tube-king.
Quite simple really.
Not dissimilar to wearing a fake Rolex…
I got some fake Ralph Lauren shirts when I was in Kuala Lumpur.
A well-made film. I watched it again a few months ago.
Found it hard to believe that the crew was still no longer welcome on the NS, as Brutus told us this week, but I’m in no position to say otherwise.
Sounds hot!! Na mate Mini is sill feeling crook as and still has a high temperature bless her. Being bored and cooped up is never a good thing for me and a morning tally is very appealing right now!!
In other news one of me posts about wetties disappeared and I have no idea why?
Watching Days of Thunder on cable. 1990 Nicole Kidman was truly something else. Majestic.
It came out today that Days of Thunder 2 to start filming soon; after the success of Top Gun 2.
Hollywood: “Rinse and repeat. $$$”.
Edit: DR might agree that 1990 Cary Elwes had a firm, yet supple, jawline.
Edit 2: apparently Don Simpson’s cocaine usage, on set, while producing Days of Thunder is pure legend in Hollywood.
whole thing felt very same same.
even the Oz reefs they continually go too are overplayed.
yep- always been way colder than Bali when I’ve been there.
Why did you roll in hay, didn’t it make you feel itchy?!
Yes. Everyone is saying he’s the wisest.
A photo of his uncle
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Oooooh that’s exciting, what’s his name?