Kelly had been surfing Uluwatu quite a lot throughout his visit, but he looked particularly in sync with Bali’s most consistent break during this session back in November. He caught a bunch of waves and was surfing with plenty of speed, attacking the lip and landing most of his moves. If his form in this clip is anything to go by, he should do well at the high performance friendly locations on this years CT.
The UK Coastguard has issued cold water swimming guidelines after an 80% increase in calls to swimming related incidents in 2020.
As we all all know there are a lot of benefits to getting in the ocean, however the huge uptake in participation of cold water sea swimming is rising alarms as we head into winter and the sea temperature drops significantly in Europe.
“There has been a significant increase in people enjoying open-water swimming and cold-water dipping. There’s also been an increase of nearly 80% (79.81%) in calls for HM Coastguard’s help for swimming-related incidents – up from 436 between January and November 2019 to 784 for the same period in 2020.’ Said HM CG.
“Swimming in the sea is a tradition for many over Christmas and New Year but many organised events with safety marshalls have been called off this year. We are keen that the ever-growing number of swimmers and dippers are aware of the risks and know how to enjoy the activity safely, especially during the winter season.
“Advice for cold-water dippers and open-water swimmers:
· Don’t swim alone
· Check the weather forecast and tide times
· Ensure you have warm clothes for before and after your dip
· Wearing a wetsuit will help increase your buoyancy and reduce the chances of suffering cold water shock
· Be seen – wear a brightly coloured swim cap and consider using a tow float
· Acclimatise to the water temperature slowly – never jump straight in
· Stay in your depth and know your limits
· If you get into trouble remember FLOAT to live by leaning back in the water, extending your arms and legs, and resisting the urge to thrash around to gain control of your breathing
· Take a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch
· If in doubt, stay out – there is always another day to go for a swim
· If you or someone else gets into trouble at sea or along the coast call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
If you re new to sea swimming we would add –
· Check and learn about surf forecasts
· Learn about rip currents and tidal surges.
· Ask local advice if you are new to a beach or swimming in the sea.
Coastal Operations Area Commander Matt Pavitt said: “Many people find that swimming in the sea and cold water dipping has physical and mental health benefits but please remember these activities can also result in cold water shock which is extremely dangerous.
“Cold water shock is a risk when the water temperature is 15 degrees Celsius and below. Our average sea temperature around the UK is just 6-10 degrees Celsius in the winter and the shock of cold water can catch out even the fittest and strongest of swimmers.
“So we’re asking everyone to be fully prepared before entering the water and follow safety advice to stay as safe as possible.”
If you see anyone in difficulty at the sea or along the coast, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We’re on call 24/7 all year round.
Worth noting that is the little know fact that the emergency line ‘999’ in the UK works even out of mobile network signal as it bounces off satellites so you can get help where ever you are (coves etc).
A perfect two day swell that hit the South Bay, in SoCal. It wasn’t all about Mavericks this time; the whole coast lit up! Tierra del Martillo is a local swell that may only exists 1-2 times a year in Southern California. Black Line was there on Dec 8-9 to witness and bring it to you (when everyone else was focused on the big wave spots).
Credit: Black Line, @blacklinelogo
Donations to 10 global charities champions the power of creativity, uniting fans worldwide with a shared mission of mental health and well-being.
Vans, the original action sports brand and advocate for creative expression, commemorates the second-annual #VansCheckerboardDay held on November 19, with a more than $1 million donation to 10 global charities to champion the power of creative expression.
Following a period of global isolation, this year’s Vans Checkerboard Day rallied Vans Fans around the world to amplify and help grow the mission of the global charity partners whose shared purpose is to use creativity-focused programs to impact mental health and wellbeing. Through a donation from Vans and by empowering fans to help raise more money by purchasing limited-edition product designed by Geoff McFetridge, donating their Vans Family points or by participating in the newly launched text-to-donate function in the U.S., each charity partner will receive over $100,000 USD, directly from Vans or from the Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation. The donations will enable charities to expand their services and resources to help the growing number of youth address mental health concerns through creative outlets such as art, music and action sports, including:
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) will use the funding to redevelop their website which will greatly improve the digital support to the hundreds of thousands of people who come to CALM for help and advice, so that they can reach more people before the point of crisis. And continue to serve those who are at high risk of suicide, no matter what.
The Wave Project below will now be able to expand its Beach School project within Cornwall and provide access to surf therapy for more isolated young people. The Beach School programme enables young people to improve their mental wellbeing whilst reconnecting with their creativity and potential through learning at the beach.
Arte Por La Vida will now be able to expand their work across Mexico and ensure they can provide the necessary resources to a growing number of beneficiaries in need, including materials for workshops, launching new programs, paying teachers and professionals that lead sessions, and ensure that individuals have transportation to get to and from workshops or sessions.
Global fans showed up virtually around the world to participate in a variety of digital brand initiatives focused on uplifting and driving awareness for the power of creative self-expression as a resource for mental health and well-being, including over 2 billion views of the #VansCheckerboardDay TikTok Challenge and ambassador testimonials from Tony Hawk, Yaya Zahir and Catalina Bu sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how their own forms of creative self-expression have helped them this year.
“While it is an understatement to say that 2020 has been incredibly stressful, anxiety-ridden and frustrating, I believe there’s a tremendous opportunity for creativity to play a powerful and meaningful role in how we navigate and overcome challenges caused by global isolation,” says Doug Palladini, Vans Global Brand President. “Vans Checkerboard Day took on a very specific mission this year – to champion the power of creativity as an outlet for mental health. With the global pandemic continuing to impact many aspects of our lives, we set out to reinforce our brand commitment and responsibility to be there for our Vans family by connecting through creativity.”
Since 2013, Vans has donated more than $10 million to creative charities globally, enabling creative expression in communities around the world. Vans believes that creativity is an essential part of being human and that everyone should be able to express themselves through the unique mediums that come from action sports, art, music and street culture. The Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation will allow Vans to connect with more organizations around the world that work to enable creativity for our youth. Organizations can visit vans.eu/checkerboardday to learn more.
What’s it really like when you realise you’re not going to scratch over that monster wave face. Koa Smith gives an in-depth breakdown of an outer reef big wave surf session with John John Florence. From getting caught inside, to water safety and conquering fears, get an inside look and more in this edit. Click in here.
With the Cyclone season well under way, two of Australia’s best east coast waves have been producing the goods. With the boiling pot and Kirra dishing out insane pits for the likes of Nick Vasicek, Chris Zaffis, Brent Dorrington, Dextar Muskins, Dion Atkinson, Kai Hing, Harrison Roach and more. Click into the dredging pits here.
