It used to be that, when one envisioned the postcard perfect ideal of a surf trip, the stereotypical qualities included warm water, palm trees, and piña coladas.
Translation: somewhere tropical.
And while that white-sand-beach, crystal clear water breaking over a reef filled with fish inkling of the “perfect surf trip” still exists, many traveling surfers are turning to the exact opposite – cold water, thick wetsuits, even snow instead of bleached white sand.
Enter Jamie O’Brien, and a surf trip to Japan. Although the Land of the Rising Sun is home to some of those aforementioned tropical, warm water beaches, the northern part of the country gets cold, snowy, quite frigid even.
“We are about to surf the coldest wave in the world,” JOB says (claims) before paddling out amidst icy mountains. “We are in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s going to be crazy.”
Valid?
Although ocean conditions obviously fluctuate, and this clip appears to be recent although obviously at least a few days old, the current water temperature in Hokkaido (according to SeaTemperature.info) is 4.6° Celsius (40° Fahrenheit).
The go on to say: “February average water temperature in Hokkaido is 3.3°C (37°F), the minimum temperature is 0.2°C (32.36°F, and the maximum is 6°C (42.8°F).”
That’s pretty damn cold.
But what’s…the coldest? Here’s the Guinness Book of World Records:
“The coldest temperature ever recorded for liquid seawater was observed in May 2010 by a team of scientists from Norway. Under an Antarctic glacier, a temperature of −2.6°C (27.3°F) was recorded. Ultra-cold water like this forms when sea ice grows. The water used to form the ice cannot hold salt in its matrix (it melts out like sprinkling salt on snow), and thus increasingly salty water sinks below the forming ice. As it collects at the bottom of hollows in the seabed, the salty water becomes colder and colder as the salt prevents it from turning it to ice. Antarctica is surrounded by a deep layer of this ultra-cold water, which is known as the Antarctic Bottom Water.”
No waves underneath a glacier, though.
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.