Hi all, checking in again and this time wondering if anybody from Iceland is on the forum.
I know, Iceland isn’t as popular as California or Hawaii … but I’m told they have surf there and I plan on going to find out first hand this spring, with a coffin chock full of surfboards and a 6/5/4.
Any info would be greatly appreciated, knowledge is power … and I’m a fan of POWER … lol …
Billy
You can warm up in the geisers (not sure about the english term but maybe you know what I mean.)
http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Europe/Iceland/index.html
take a good wetsuit with you! Spring is extremely cold! Here in the north sea, spring is the season that feels the coldest. I don’t want to be in Iceland then!
(In my experience the winter feels not as cold as the spring, don’t know why)
I was stationed there for a year; great place, wanna go back sometime… Saw the Northern Lights so often that sometimes I wouldn’t even look up to see if they were there…
The island is small, the people are friendly, lots to see and do. Almost the entire country has the unique property that if you stop your car, and hike past the first ridge so you can no longer see the car and the road, you would swear you were the first human to be there…
Here are some links:
http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/iceland06/
http://www.geocities.com/surficeland/
The second one is better, goes into much more detail. As far as I know, the NATO base is closed nowadays…oh, and everything is expensive. I remember ordering beer at a bar started at $9 a bottle…and that was over 10 years ago…
JSS
Iceland…I miss that place so much.
Met an au pair years ago who was Icelandic and fell in love.
Tried to keep the romance alive and visited Iceland at least 10 times …
but alas it wasn’t meant to be.
Iceland is a magical place. It’s a must see for anyone.
Beautiful country, the cleanest air in the world, and the people are fantastic.
The women for the most part are perfect, and party HARD…
This was before I fell in love with surfing, so I’m not sure about the waves,
but I hear they are good.
If you go in mid October, there is an amazing 3-4 day music festival in Reykjavik.Check it out here :
http://www.icelandairwaves.com/page.asp?pageID=22
have a wonderful trip!
I would take two wetsuits. I live in a place were it is kinda cold, 4/3 year round and I hate putting on a wet wetsuit. I am sure it would be even worse in Iceland. Even with 2 it seems my suits are always wet if I am surfing everyday. Maybe one of those hangers that dry your suit also, I’ve heard they work really well. You might need an adapter, I have no idea what their outlets are like in Iceland.
http://www.surfingthemag.com/news/surfing-pulse/sipping-jetstreams-iceland-101707/
Nice waves but beware of strong surf and currents, I’m sure You’ll have an amazing trip.
I hardly think the cold will deter you but there is an interesting beach my sister told me about when she went there. There is a hot spring that empties into the ocean at this beach and the water is WARM
Volcanic reefs and open to swell from all directions in the northern Atlantic. Could it be any better?
There is a very very comfortable way to get along with only one suit in wintertime: take a waterproof pacsack for your suit and put some hot water into it before you go. Up to 1 hour this will give you the feeling of entering a steaming bath on the spot. Haven´t tried a large insulation box for longer rides yet…
Cheers - D.
I rigged up a garden sprayer with a 12V heating element and a lighter cord, plug it in while I’m driving to the break … then hose the suit down before I paddle out …
Works great. But can’t forget it plugged in while surfing or your car battery will surely die with you to shortly follow, stranded in the remote wilderness of Northern Michigan with no ride home in subfreezing temps …
Met an au pair years ago who was Icelandic and fell in love.
The women for the most part are perfect, and party HARD…
errrr, hmmm … got any phone numbers for a fellow Swaylockian?
