For Hamilton, using the cold makes sense. He grew up swimming in the tropical waters in Oahu, hypothermia was always a present danger. Even warm Pacific waters slowly leach away heat from submerged swimmers, and for people waiting around on a surfboard for just the right set without a wetsuit, it’s easy for them to end up shivering uncontrollably. Hypothermia is far from unknown to warm water surfers. Yet Hamilton can spend half a day in the water and says controlling his temperature is half the reason he has any success riding big waves.
