A tribute to cold-water surfing

1. New Jersey First, a shout-out to my home turf: the New Jersey shore, more specifically Long Beach Island. There are many more pluses to this part of the mid-Atlantic than MTV allows, but that's cool. We'd rather keep our beaches free of bar fights and tramp stamps and measure a man's strength by the art of his cutback versus the cut of his abs. Check out the new hi-def film Darkfall for more on Jersey surf. Image by Todd Binger

2. Chile Considering the length of its coastline, the brutal water temperatures of the Pacific, and the relatively sparse population, uncrowded line-ups are ripe for the picking in Chile, but only for those not faint of heart. Pictured is the central beach town of Pichilemu, where the year-round temperature hovers around 13˚C/55˚F. Image by Christian Cordova

3. South Africa The Atlantic frigidity running from windswept Cape Town to points west will forever provide the mother of all cold water breaks (unlike those embraced by Durban's Indian Ocean to the east). While the world-class drops at Dungeons bring in international talent, young Saffers need to start somewhere less intimidating. They break them in early to deal with temperatures that range from 10˚C/50˚F to 15˚C/60˚F. Image by Xavi Talleda

4. Northern California South Africa has Dungeons, and the United States has Mavericks. On top of the hair-raising paddle out or the poop-inducing fear when you realize you're in over your head (true stories overheard), try wearing a 5mm suit while avoiding Great Whites and the jagged boulders at the end of the ride. Mavericks helped make surfing a spectator sport for this reason. Image by jurvetson

5. Central & Southern California Not to be outdone by their Northern neighbors in terms of temperature, Southern Californians also weather the Pacific's wintery wrath. For some reason, non-West Coasters often equate California surf culture with Gidget and bikinis. Obviously they've never been to Cardiff in October. Pictured is Morro Rock, about 90 miles north of Santa Barbara. Image by Mike Baird

6. Iceland Word has unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you talk to) gotten out about the new darling of the cold water surf world. Supernatural landscapes combined with unsurprisingly sparse line-ups plus a weakened currency make it a fairly appetizing spot for those who don't mind bobbing around in the Celtic Sea. Image by dalli58

7. Lake Ontario, New York Surfing's Biggest Fan Award goes to this lone dude paddling out into a snow-laced Lake Ontario to ride some windswell. Considering the fact that the lake's temperature doesn't budge much from 4˚C/39˚F, this guy is the real deal. Image by rengel134

8. Ireland Nudged along by The Malloy Brothers in the well-known surf flick Step into Liquid, Ireland's reputation for perfectly formed Atlantic waves is sealed. Between the popular breaks at Lanhinch, pictured, and the big waves of Mullaghmore, Irish surfing makes for a great road trip. Image by rengel134

9. Portugal Portugal has a deceptively cold coastline considering its association with the Mediterranean. The waves from Ericeira to the Algarve are saturated with color and, as with all the beach breaks, really fast. They are also competition-worthy, and only the truly brave go in with less than a 4mm suit on, even in the summer. (And while this is a bodyboarder, note that temperature, unlike surfers, does not discriminate.) Image by Pedro Simoes

10. England The craggy coast of England's North Sea lends itself well to a variety of breaks, although the water temperature can go as low as 6°C/43°F. For surfers not looking to travel west to Ireland, there are plenty of alternatives in North Yorkshire. Image by Allan Harris

11. Vancouver Island, Canada The open coast of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada is enticing for various reasons. Add the mixture of rock reefs and the storm swells originating from the Gulf of Alaska, and surfers get pure, cold Pacific beauty. It's probably the closest, aesthetics-wise, that cold-water surfing gets to Hawaii. Image by Pat Ong

12. Germany When the only other alternative to their landlocked city is the generally flat beach of Sylt, Munich surfers will wait their turn for a ride on the manmade river wave at Eisbach, or “Ice Creek." The name says it all--water temperatures range from 1˚C/34˚F to 8˚C/46˚F--so wetsuits are required year-round, but at least post-session meals of currywurst and schnitzel are heartier than typical beach eats. Image by Rand Will