Surfing Calorie Calculator

It depends heavily on session style — a very active paddling session can burn comparably to steady swimming, but a mellow session with lots of sitting and waiting for waves burns noticeably less, since paddling intensity (not wave riding itself) drives most of the calorie total.

The body expends extra energy maintaining core temperature in cold water, which is why surfers in cooler conditions (even wearing a wetsuit) tend to burn somewhat more than the same session in warm water.