Surfing. Not exactly the first sport that pops into mind when thinking of Iceland, a land known for being cold. But, as an island in the middle of the North Atlantic, the storms that ravage the area are also known to bring some impressive waves. Surfing in Iceland requires a lot of heart (literally, you better have good circulation to brave the freezing water!), a thick wetsuit and a little bit of luck. Oh yeah, and a good 4×4 vehicle is handy to reach many of the surf breaks. Luckily Lagoon has many to choose from, with roof racks to hold the boards!
Surf breaks are like hidden treasure, but information on the various breaks, including wave and wind conditions is available on www.magicseaweed.com. Some breaks are close to major highways and/or towns, while other more remote breaks require a little more work to get to. Make sure to bring a warm wetsuit (5mm full length is recommended) as the water ranges from 3-4 degrees Celsius in the winter up to 12 degrees in the late summer. Waves are more consistent in the winter, but a lack of daylight and freezing temperatures mean spring and summer are a better time to visit.
Quickly donning wetsuits then running from the rental car to the surf, duck diving under the first few waves is shocking, if not downright numbing. Diving under too many waves in a row brings on a splitting case of brain freeze. Pushing past the break, the lineup is empty. Welcome to Iceland. Despite the thick wetsuit the water still feels cold. Everything feels cold. The waves roll in and the session is on. Paddling hard is the only way to stay warm, yet it still feels cold. After about 45 minutes the feeling of cold abruptly stops. Hypothermia is fast approaching. Rushing out of the water, scrambling to remove wetsuits, it’s all about being fast and efficient. Gear stowed, heater on full blast, it’s a good thing the local swimming pool is not far away.
Relaxing in the hot tub, the tingling sensation as the extremities warm up, life feels perfect. Arctic surfing. Yep, it’s worth the suffering.
- After a good and cold surfing session