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Pickle Juice for Surfing
There's a cramp surfers will recognize instantly: the foot or arch that knots up out of nowhere, usually on a cold morning, usually deep into a session when you've lost track of how long you've been out. It seizes the bottom of the foot mid-paddle or right as you go to stand, and for a few seconds there's nothing to do but ride it out.
This is a note for the long sessions. The dawn patrol that turned into three hours, the cold-water mornings, the days where the waves keep coming and you don't want to go in.
Mostly paddling, then a foot out of nowhere
Surfing looks like wave-riding, but the clock says otherwise: performance analysis of surfers found that paddling eats up more than half of a typical session, while actually riding waves is a small sliver of the time. So the shoulders and back do the bulk of the work and fatigue first, the same upper-body wear as any paddle sport. The feet are a different story. They point hard to duck-dive, grip and brace through every pop-up, and curl against the deck for balance, small muscles in the arch working constantly, which is why the foot cramp seems to come from nowhere. It doesn't. It's a fatigued muscle finally locking. Cramps lean toward being a problem of overworked neuromuscular control, and a long session quietly overworks both the shoulders and the feet.
The cold adds to it
Cold water draws the muscles tighter and is part of why these cramps love a cold morning. It's also a reminder of the real hazard out there, which isn't the cramp. A foot cramp in waist-deep water at the beach break is a nuisance. A cramp far outside in cold water, when you're already tired, is something to respect, because the danger is being unable to paddle in, not the cramp itself.
If a cramp hits while you're a long way out, cold, and tired, treat getting safely back to shore as the only priority. Catch a whitewater wave in, signal a buddy, don't tough it out solo far from the beach. The brine is for once you're in a safe spot, not a reason to stay outside on a locked-up leg.
Where it fits, and where it stops
Back on the beach or sitting safely on the board, mix a stick into a few ounces of water and take it. The reflex quiets the misfire and buys a window to stretch the foot out before you paddle back out. It won't warm you up, lengthen how long you can surf, or undo the shoulder fatigue of a three-hour session, those aren't its job. Warm up the feet and calves before you paddle out, know when a session has gone long, and keep the brine on the beach for the cramp that finds you anyway.
A single stick of Quickle carries 700mg sodium, 300mg potassium, and 50mg magnesium, plus the real vinegar that does the fast work. Stash a couple in the kit bag with your wax and your towel, for the cold mornings when an arch decides to lock.
- Farley, O. R. L., Harris, N. K., & Kilding, A. E. (2012). Physiological demands of competitive surfing. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(7), 1887-1896. Paddling accounted for roughly 54% of total surfing time; wave-riding only a small fraction.
- Borgonovo-Santos, M., Zacca, R., Fernandes, R. J., & Vilas-Boas, J. P. (2021). The impact of a single surfing paddling cycle on fatigue and energy cost. Scientific Reports, 11, 4566. Paddling dominates a surf session and accumulates fatigue and rising energy cost.
- Miller, K. C., et al. (2010). Reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(5), 953-961. A concentrated brine interrupts a cramp through a fast nerve reflex.
Quick answers.
Why do my feet cramp surfing, and why so suddenly?
The small muscles in your feet and arches work constantly, pointing to duck-dive, gripping through pop-ups, bracing for balance. Deep into a session they fatigue and can lock with no warning. It feels sudden, but it's a tired muscle finally giving out, and cold water makes it more likely.
Isn't surfing mostly riding waves?
No, it's mostly paddling, around half or more of any session, while wave-riding is a small sliver. That's why the shoulders and back fatigue like any paddle sport, and why the cramp load builds across a long session even when the waves are scarce.
What if I cramp far from shore?
Treat getting in safely as the only priority. The real danger isn't the cramp, it's being unable to paddle in while cold and tired. Catch a wave toward shore, signal a buddy, and don't tough it out alone outside. Take the brine once you're somewhere safe.
When should I take it?
Once you're safely on the beach or sitting on the board, mix a stick into a few ounces of water and take it. The reflex quiets the cramp and buys a window to stretch the foot before paddling back out. A small concentrated dose is all it needs.
Will it let me surf longer?
No. It interrupts a cramp once one fires, but it won't warm you up or undo the shoulder fatigue of a long session. Warming up your feet and calves before paddling out, and knowing when a session has run long, do more for the cramps than anything you take.
