Surfers catch winter storm waves

The early winter storms pounding the Maritimes created ideal waves for dedicated surfers in Nova Scotia on Tuesday.

Monday's storm left behind massive swells that rolled into Cow Bay, and about a dozen surfers headed to the beach near Halifax to catch the action.

The fall hurricane season is traditionally the best time for surfing in the area, but winter conditions created by stormy nor'easters make for almost perfect swells.

"[I'm] trying to get out and improve my skills when I can. We don't get waves all that often, so when there are some, you just kind of come out and do what you can," said surfer Rick Canning.

The water temperature was about 6 C while it dipped to -4 C inland. With head-to-toe wetsuits, surfers found it warmer on the waves than on the beach.

Brian Addie said most surfers start in the summer, but cannot resist the swells.

"Once you start when it's warm, you can't stop when it's cold. It's not that bad with a wetsuit. I got a new wetsuit for Christmas, so it's keeping me toasty," said Addie.

Mike Bromley was in bed with the flu, but the promise of big waves lured him out to the beach. He said conditions were perfect.

"Normally the day of the storm is not that good, and then the wind kind of calms down and turns around, and we get days that look like this," he said.

"It's a lot bigger. It's a lot better. It's kind of cold, but the wetsuits keep you warm for a couple of hours."

Bromley surfed a few waves before calling it a day.

"I'm sick. I'm really sick. I had to come out and get a couple of waves, but now I've got go back to bed."

The high tide slowed waves in the afternoon, but most of Tuesday's surfers were planning to wake at sunrise Wednesday for a return trip.