Ice

The water is supposed to be warmer during El Nino years, but I almost froze to death while surfing. As soon as I touched the water, I realized it was colder than normal, but I was there, I'd struggled into my wetsuit and with strapping and unstrapping the board, and damn it, I was going to surf. Fifteen minutes in, my fingers and toes were tingling with pain. Half an hour later, I could no longer feel them, which I had at first thought was a positive development. An hour later, my lips and nailbeds were blue and I thought I should get out. But I hadn't caught anything to speak of, and there were finally waves coming in. Two hours later, still having caught nothing, I could no longer paddle. My arms felt like they were lead, or big blocks of ice. I finally got out. It took me another two hours after that, and a very long shower, to feel like myself again.