Whether this is due to the milder climate, better neos or peer pressure remains to be seen. One thing is certain: Winter surfers used to be exotic, but today you are rarely alone at popular spots, even when temperatures are just above freezing. Everyone has to find out for themselves what their personal pain threshold is for wingsurfing in winter. We would always recommend slowly approaching cold temperatures and slowly exploring your personal limits.
Find out now how you can best prepare for your next winter session and which equipment can help you to make your winter wings not only more comfortable but also safer.
1. preparation is key
Would you go skiing in jeans and trainers? Probably not! Then you should also recognise wingsurfing in winter for what it is: a winter sport. So wrap up warm so that you're not completely frozen by the time you get to the water.
Ski underwear, snowboard trousers or complete overalls (e.g. the Leknes Suit from Helly Hansen) cause the first beads of sweat to appear on your forehead when you inflate the wing - which is exactly how it should be. On the other hand, if you're already chattering your teeth when you turn the Neo over, you can go straight home again. If you also have a pot of hot tea in your luggage, you're well prepared.
2. wingsurfing in winter - keep warm with the onion principle
Many water sports enthusiasts complain of cold hands in winter. The real problem, however, is that the body supplies less blood to the extremities when it is cold in order to keep the body core with its vital organs at the best possible temperature.
Conversely, this means that if you manage to keep your core cosy and warm, your hands and feet will automatically be warmer too. The tried and tested onion principle for clothing is therefore also recommended for wingsurfing in winter. A full winter neo with six millimetres of neoprene and an integrated bonnet is essential. If necessary, you can then add thin neoprene underlayers (e.g. from Ascan) upgrade. Impact protection waistcoats are also a good tip: these provide additional insulation for the upper body, hardly restrict freedom of movement and also offer additional protection in the event of hard crashes or contact with the foil. Read on to find out which waistcoats are available and what you should look out for HERE.
3. the right spot
If you want to get out on the water in winter, you should choose your spot carefully. So ask yourself the question in advance: "Can I reach land again on this spot within 15 minutes under my own power if something breaks?" In areas with offshore winds, this can usually only be denied. Anyone who injures themselves or damages their equipment here will inevitably drift away from the shore and can quickly find themselves in a critical situation.
Therefore, when wingsurfing in winter, choose your starting point so that the wind is diagonally onshore ("side onshore") or even fully onshore ("onshore") arrives there. This way, you will automatically be driven back to shore in an emergency. Also: talk to like-minded people and choose spots where you are not alone on the water.
4. wingsurfing in winter - behaviour in emergency situations
In winter, minor mishaps - which would be nothing to worry about in summer - can cause major problems. If you injure yourself or damage the equipment to such an extent that you can no longer return to the shore surfing, the clock ticks quickly in cold temperatures. How long you can stand it depends not only on the temperature but also on your clothing, constitution and fitness level. "Sooner or later, however, the same processes start for everyone"Wolfgang Klauss, a surfing emergency doctor, knows cold temperatures from his own experience as a Baltic Sea surfer: "When it's cold, the body tries to minimise heat loss and blood flow to the extremities is reduced. This also massively impairs coordination, making even simple movements difficult. To slow down this process, the following applies in an emergency: If possible, get out of the water immediately and sit or lie down on a board. Lying in the water cools you down much faster than lying in the air, regardless of whether the air is colder than the water.
Separating from the material, on the other hand, is an absolute no-go. If possible, paddle towards the shore (HERE there are tips for paddling). If this is not possible, stay with the board and draw attention to yourself with an emergency signal. This is valid worldwide: stretch your arms out to the side and cross your arms over your head.
5. double bottom - Savety Tools
There are now several tools that can be worth their weight in gold in an emergency. The simplest is certainly a waterproof smartphone case (e.g. from Aquapack), which allows you to take an (old) phone with you on the water. The touchscreen can also be operated through the cover. If you have now saved the number of the emergency number and the sea rescuers, you can organise help for yourself or other surfers. In Germany, for example, the number +49-(0)421-536870 should be the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) should be stored in every water sports enthusiast's mobile phone.
It is particularly useful to use the emergency app "Safe TRX" installed on the smartphone. This allows an emergency call to be sent with just one click, which arrives directly at the DGzRS centre in Bremen and also transmits the GPS coordinates of the sender. This saves rescuers valuable time, especially when wingsurfing in winter - provided you are not drifting outside the mobile phone provider's network coverage.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf