Surfing Week No 14 - Cool April and the Polar Vortex
Surfing lessons from 4 to 10 April 2022 - link for pictures on the bottom of the page So many times on this blog we write about the weather, and this entry is no exception. Surfing is an outdoor activity, therefore we can feel all sorts of weather conditions, the wind, the sun, the temperature. AND waves are created by weather phenomena, specifically wind on the open sea.
This winter the effects of climate change could be felt in Crete a great deal. A weaker jetstream can not contain the polar vortex in it's place and it's swirls pushes colder climate to some places, while sucking warmer and dry temperatures in other places. It was the coldest and wettest winter in Crete in decades.
Thus it takes longer for the water and outside temperatures to heat up. The snow coverage on the white mountains is still thick. This April is indeed on the cooler side.
When the waves are calling, the temperatures do not bother us surfers. We do the best we can in order to stay warm, if needed double up the wet-suit.
On 8 April our lesson took place on the Kalo Surf Reef, a point break. Our participants learned how to move around a reef surf spot, how to spot and paddle into the wave.
The second lesson of the week took place on 10 April at the beach break of Falassarna. The sun was shining and evened out the cooler water. On the beach break we learn how to catch wave with the push & jump method and to ride it no matter in what body position. Catching a moving wave is the most crucial part in surfing - everything else depends on this very first step!
8 April 2022 Reef Surfing in Crete
