When the temperature drops, neoprene boots are great for keeping your toes toasty, with lined and unlined options available up to 7mm thick to keep you in the water for longer.

This depends on both the water and air temperature, as well as your personal preference and how easily you get cold. In general, you want to go for the thinnest pair of boots you can get away with, to have the best amount of movement and feeling. As soon as you're finding it too cold to surf barefoot, a pair of 3mm boots are a great starter option. As the temperature drops further though, you'll need thicker neoprene to keep feeling in your toes.

As a rough guide:

However, it's not just about warmth. In some places where the beach is rocky or you'll be surfing on a reef, a lightweight pair of reef boots will be your saviour. The rubber sole will protect your feet from cuts, sea urchins and any other nasty things lurking in the water.

Another thing to look out for is the style or shape of the boot. The main options you'll see are round-toe or split-toe.

Round toe boots look exactly as you'd expect, like a normal pair of boots with all of your toes together, which keeps them generally a bit warmer.

Split-toe boots are designed so that your big toe is separated from your others, kind of like a mitten for your foot. It will give you better balance and grip, compared to round toe boots, but your big toe can get chilly being all on its own.

Gloves and mittens are another worthwhile investment for our winter warriors. Neoprene gloves are available in a range of styles, both lined and unlined, and with different thicknesses, so we know it can be hard to choose.

When choosing glove thickness, it's the same advice as we give for boots. As thin as you can for optimum movement and feeling, without your hands getting cold. Upgrade if you know your hands get cold quickly.

Wetsuit gloves are available as standard 5-finger gloves, 3-finger or even mittens.

Mitts tend to be the warmest, but you obviously sacrifice a little dexterity by having your fingers wrapped up together.

Standard 5-finger gloves will give you better movement in your fingers, which is useful if you've forgotten to attach your leash before putting your gloves on.

3-finger gloves (sometimes called lobster gloves) give you free use of your thumb and index finger, but will keep your other three fingers wrapped up warm together.

Getting brain freeze whilst trying to surf is not ideal, but a hood or a neoprene beanie will protect your head and ears from cold wind as well as the water.

Ideal for in between seasons, when your head's getting chilly but you don't quite need to commit to a full hood. In heavier surf neoprene beanies can get washed off your head, so a hood or cap that goes under chin is recommended.

An easy way to flexibly upgrade your wetsuit for winter. A hood covers your entire head except for your face, keeping your ears and head nice and snug. Having a separate hood makes it easy to chop and change depending on the weather, but it can leave you with a gap between your wetsuit and your hood which can let cold water in.

If you plan to exclusively surf in the cold, buying a wetsuit with a permanently integrated hood is a good idea. You don't need to worry about losing it in the back of your car or forgetting it at home – it's always there. It also will stop any water leaking down the back of your neck. The main downside is if you ever want to surf without a hood, as it's annoying to have it just hanging off the back of your suit when it's not being worn.