I’ve seen videos of people surfing in the winter and read articles about it, it’s never explained how they are not dying of hypothermia. It just looks like they are wearing a wet suit. I read that it hypothermia starts below 95 F (35 C), I’m unsure how they are able to hit the water without freezing to death.
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Wet suits usually do the trick, and come in varying thickness. They’re designed to keep you warm by insulating the water within layers of neoprene. Plus you can add booties, gloves, and a hood if you really need to. It’s still cold on your face (seriously, diving under a wave makes your eyes hurt when it’s cold enough) but your overall temperature is more than enough to avoid hypothermia. The waters I surf are usually in the 40s or 50s and I rarely use gloves or a hood.
If you need something even warmer there are also dry suits. Similar principle, but instead of using the water as part of the insulation it keeps your skin dry and the air within the suit is warmer by your body. Think of a wetsuit as blubber and a dry suit as otter fur or waterproof feathers.
Its also worth mentioning the water temperature doesn’t always become coldest in winter. I’m my location that’s spring, the water currents happen to bring up cold water from deeper depths (upwelling)
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