While many people picture surfing as sunny Californian beaches and palm trees, we know the sport can offer so much more. As such, there are many benefits to cold water surfing, including emptier beaches and bigger swells (the UK offers some of the largest and cleanest winter swells in Europe). Spending time on bigger swells will make you a better surfer and will improve your level of fitness. Billabong’s absolute warmest wetsuit, this beast of a suit is perfect for when water temperatures start to get seriously low. Give yourself the rest and peace you deserve as you escape the winter season on this surf camp in Santa Teresa. This getaway is more than about riding the waves; it is about immersing yourself in the surf lifestyle. We’ve put together a handy table to see all the new ways wetsuit companies are trying to keep you warm in the water. Advancement

We also recommend wearing a hooded vest, especially if you own a wetsuit without a head, like this one.You can counteract this by being prepared. Train the mind and body for winter surfing. Understand that the hold downs might feel more intense, but in reality, it is likely to be partly mind games. And, make sure you don’t push your physical limits. With the body working harder to keep the temperature up, you will tire faster. Think of winter sessions as short bursts of wonderful icy waves where quality surpasses quantity.

It’s important to not be cold before you get into the sea, it’s harder to stay warm when you are already cold. When you immerse yourself in cold water, your body’s natural instinct is to reduce the blood flow to your skin and extremities. Finally I always bring a flask of a hot drink with me in the winter. Great for warming you up and also makes for a sociable post-surf moment with fellow surfers.’ Cold water surfing is well worth the effort Having used an Xcel Axis myself you do have slightly less flexibility than more expensive options but the bottom line is you can’t save money without sacrificing something. If your feet are freezing and your friends are not, it's not because they have tougher feet than you, it's all down to the wetsuit.

Don’t get cold before you start

Avoid changing huddled behind the open car door or behind a towel, as this won’t offer wind protection. Not every winter swell will present perfectly peeling ocean mountains rolling into shore. There will still be plenty of small days where surfing seems off the schedule. The important thing is not to waste the smaller days by sitting on the beach waiting for giants. So, if you want to make the most of your wetsuit’s abilities, stay active in the water whenever you can. How Wetsuits Have Evolved To Keep You Warmer

Flexibility is handled by their Ultra Stretch IR, stretchy neoprene that’s not going to slow you down through manoeuvres on the wave. This means wetsuits can range anywhere from 1mm up to 10mm for custom scuba diving wetsuits. For surfing, you’ll still get up to the 6mm range for surfing frozen coasts like Norway or Ireland in the depths of winter. Proper fit It may be the most expensive option, but because the life expectancy of a wetsuit is based on how much it is used, each suit will last you much longer (providing you clean and store them properly!), so the cost balances out over time. Medium budget At Boardshop we also offer a totally unique extra that you won’t find anywhere else, when you buy from us you get a 2 year with every adult wetsuit!Small winter days can deliver punchy, fast-moving waves that are ideal for getting speed into your turns and improving your own ability as a surfer. These are the days to cut your teeth in preparation for the bigger swells. Less psychologically challenging, but still powerful enough to surpass much of what summer delivers, the small winter swell is a perfectly primed training ground. Before entering the water, pour warm water down your wetsuit. Pouring hot water down the front and sleeves, means that layer gets trapped and your body will use less of its own heat. How do you surf in the winter? The sleepy fishing village of Caleta de Famara on Lanzarote’s north coast lives for and from water sports, be it surfing, kitesurfing, SUP or kayaking. Here, Playa de Famara welcomes beginners and intermediate surfers on afamily surf & yoga retreat. Sri Lanka has two distinct surfing seasons. The west coast gets clean and reliable waves during the dry season, between November and April. The west coast fires up between May and October.You can surf on the south coast of Sri Lanka all year round, as it benefits from whichever swell hits either coast. The water temperatureaverages around81ºF (27ºC), and there are over 330 days of sunshine a year.