Cold Water Sessions

Keeping your mojo through the depths of winter - how do the pros feel about battling the cold?

Over the next few weeks we’ll be talking to various top pros to see what their mindset is like when it comes to cold air and cold water sailing. The depths of winter can offer some of the best sailing conditions of the year for much of Europe, but when faced with rigging up in the cold - and often wet weather - things can look a lot less appealing than when it’s 25 degrees celsius and wall-to-wall sunshine. However, there are several benefits to braving the cold… for example fewer people in the water, meaning spots which are usually rammed full in the summer and now your very own playground, which should translate to more waves and more fun, hopefully. Just being out there battling the elements - when most other people are tucked away indoors - gives a certain sense of achievement and feel good factor whilst being at one with the elements. Sometimes the bizarre looks you get off people at the beach - where they are basically questioning your sanity - is reason enough on its own to go out and face the cold. 

Obviously some precautions need to be taken when battling the winter storms, so things liking making sure you are properly kitted out with a new winter wetsuit, hood, gloves and boots - depending how cold it is - should keep you toasty warm so you can enjoy your sailing, but more importantly keep you safe from the threat of hypothermia should anything go wrong. The usual precautions such as sailing with someone else and letting others know you are going sailing at a certain time, and when you are likely to be back, become even more imperative during the cold winter months, when faced with ferocious storms, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your windsurfing. How do the pros feel about battling the cold?

First up we talked to Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg / SWOX), who is a regular at Cold Hawaii and certainly not one to shy away from the cold. Over to Steffi…

“I just returned from my first ever Maui experience, which was great. Blue water, bikini sailing, cool lifestyle but when I saw the Red Bull Storm Chase Movie on Maui on my last evening I began to get very homesick. I just love winter storms, the rough nature and the empty beaches and water and that we can be part of it. I got out of the airplane and didn’t feel cold at all. Two days after I arrived we went to Denmark and it felt so good to be back in Cold Hawaii again. Perfectly sideshore, nice sized waves and just a few guys out.  If there is wind and waves I need no motivation at all. I just need my 6mm wetsuit, my 7mm booties and my gloves… Lucky me I can sail with the 5mm full gloves and I never get cold. If you are finished with putting on all that stuff you are so warmed up that you can go sailing straight away…”

So what are you waiting for? Get your stuff ready in the car/van so there’s no excuses, you might surprise yourself with how fun a winter session is and you never know you might not even notice the cold once you are out.