Winter isn’t the time you’d expect many people to be surfing, and much less in Canada which has some of the fiercest winters. For two Toronto based surfers however winter is the best time to don their neoprene suits and head out with their boards to ride the waves.
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Temperatures can be sub-zero, but Mark Karvonen, Walter Tuokkola and Geoff Johnson claim that the fall/winter season produces the best swells. Padded with 6/5/4 mm wetsuits, 7 mm booties, and 5 to 7 mm mitts, these guys are out on the waves while the rest of the town is huddled indoors. It’s not that they don’t surf in summer — it’s just that the waves are “better in winter.” (Huh?!)
Daredevil as it may seem, it’s clearly not for everyone. Geoff warns that anyone who wants to venture out into the waters during winter to slowly acclimatize themselves to the weather, and have strong surfing and swimming abilities.
A healthy dose of mental illness evidently doesn’t hurt either.