Why Coffee is Not the Best Choice for Your Surf Session

I love Coffee. Absolutely love the stuff. Coffee has gotten me through some very hard times in my life and is always such a comforting companion when traveling. It provides a familiar sensory experience (and buzz!) when in unfamiliar places and environments. Who wouldn’t want to start their morning with a hot cup of joe as you survey the cold morning waves?

What I’ve found though is that however great it feels on land, that buzz can sometimes work against you if you are looking to find some balance and flow in the water. This is especially true if you are challenging yourself to surf in conditions that may prove a bit heart rate raising in general.

After a hair raising near drowning experience in Baja two winters ago, I am still working through some PTSD. I’ve found that if I am going to paddle out on a larger day where I may be working through those feelings, I just simply cannot drink coffee before the session.

In General Coffee

1. Elevates your heart rate, which decreases your breath hold time.

2.Can elevate feelings of anxiety, which in turn will effect your experience in the water and performance

3. High heart rate also increases the time in which you need to “catch you breath” or rest, which means possibly missing out on waves as you do so.

I’m not pushing anyone to quit coffee all together, but I do encourage trying alternatives to your pre-surf routine and see if it makes a difference. If you are going to consume coffee before your session make sure you at least add an adaptogen powder or high fat oils such as MCT or grass fed ghee. This will help slow the release of caffeine in your system and certain adaptogens such as cordyceps can help increase oxygen available during exercise.

Sun and Salt only works with brands and products that we actually stand behind and use. I’ve tried quite a few brands of coffee alternatives over the years and personally settled on RASA so I was ecstatic to parter with them through Sun and Salt. The ethics of the company as well as the quality are undeniably top notch. Formulated by Clinical Herbalists, they have so many options, including a matcha blend, mushroom powder, adaptogenic creamer, and of course their staple coffee alternative blends. The are setting the bar high with potency+ purity, social ethics, and sourcing. Really there isn’t another brand I could compare them too.

If you feel inclined to try Rasa and elevate your experience in the water, Use the CODE: SUNANDSALT for 15% Off!

Happy Surfing !

Cassandra