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Why I Go Cold Water Surfing

   March 11th, 2016   Posted In: Articles   Tags:

Remember when you were a kid on Christmas Eve and felt excited about waking up the next morning to see what Santa left for you under the tree? That’s me every time a big swell approaches our coast. I lay awake all night with the excitement and curiosity of what will unfold the next morning. It reminds me of how much I love cold water surfing.

Raven Lundry Cold Water Surfing

                                      Raven Lundy Getting Some Tunnel Time

It was on all the news stations and they were calling it Jonas. A massive low-pressure system spinning with almost hurricane strength winds across the country. I laid awake with anticipation and excitement hoping Santa would leave me some wrapped up boxes to ride in the morning. As the storm peeled off our coast overnight, the weather deteriorated and the ocean turned to a giant washing machine with giant balls of white water smashing around. This was the kind of present I was hoping for.

As the sun crested the horizon, it was a crisp 20 degrees out but the 40 mph winds made the temperature dive into the single digits. No one was around. It was both paradise and perfection. Those are the moments of surfing that I live and breathe for. I couldn’t get my cold water wetsuit, boots, and gloves on fast enough. My wax on my board was frozen like a sheet of ice. Oh well, worry about that later. Paddling out through the massive walls of white water was breathtaking. Similar to the feeling of drinking a slurpee too fast on a hot day. But this was cold, excitement, and fear all mixed into one.

I rode several waves that day. There is no feeling like being inside of a giant wave. The darkness, the sound it makes, and the energy it puts out. To me, it’s the ultimate high in life. It’s why I keep surfing and why I love surfing in cold water. When my body started shutting down I headed home and dreamt for the next week about the memories made.

Date: Jan 16, 2016

Location: Somewhere in Delmarva

Water Temp: 38 degrees

Air Temp: 42 degrees

Wetsuit for Cold Water: 5/4mm Billabong Xero Furnace Wetsuit

Boots: 7mm Billabong XERO Furnace Boots

Gloves: 5mm Billabong XERO Furnace Gloves

raven-surfing-in-cold-water-delmarvaraven-lundy-billabong-cold-water-wetsuit

Raven Lundy is an East Coast marketing rep for Team Billabong. He started surfing at age 6, and worked the California coastline until relocating to the East at 12. Raven is passionate about seeking out, and finding secret spots up and down the Mid-Atlantic. He's a huge advocate of the outdoors and life outside.

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