A self-taught surfer, Ed Soares, professor of mathematics and computer science, came to the sport during challenging personal times in the late ’90s. His dad was hospitalized with cancer and life kept throwing curveballs. Soares took a semester leave from Holy Cross, got a book on surfing, read it cover to cover, bought a longboard and drove to a friend’s house in the Florida Keys. Twenty-five years later, surfing has taken him to Australia, France, Costa Rica, Portugal and more. But it’s the way surfing both stills and focuses his mind, like in Buddhist meditation, Soares says, that has been its greatest gift.
1. Soares-invented shower system. I fill an empty detergent container with hot water when I leave the house at 5 a.m. Later, when I get out of my wetsuit, I have a refreshing shower in the parking lot!
2. COR Surf wetsuit changing mat. I take off my wetsuit in the center, then cinch the mat into a bag with all my wet stuff.
3. HIHO board shorts. I bought these from Caribbean company HIHO when I was in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, to surf Josiah’s Bay.
4. Quicksilver rash guard. This one is long-sleeve; I also have short-sleeve ones because I surf year-round.
5. Poland Spring water. When you get out of the surf, you have a lot of salt water in your mouth, so you need a cool, refreshing drink.
6. Ion battery + charger. This battery supplies power to the heat panel vest I wear under my wetsuit for winter surfing.
7. Nature Valley peanut granola bar. This is my favorite snack when I’m done surfing. Beforehand, I have breakfast at home, stop at Dunkin’ Donuts, then drive to the beach.
8. O’Neill Psycho 7mm round toe booties. These are for fall, winter and early spring. You want thick ones for winter; the water temperature is about 40 degrees. My favorite season to surf is fall, then summer.
9. Aquapac Keymaster pouch. I keep my car keys in here. When I lived in Worcester, I drove to North Hampton and Jenness beaches in New Hampshire. Now that I’m in Weston, I mostly surf Nantasket Beach and Newport, Rhode Island.
10. O’Neill Psycho 5mm gloves. The colder the water, the more you need gloves or mittens.
11. O’Neill Psycho 5mm mittens. When it’s the coldest, use mittens because your fingers can pal around together and stay warmer. The air temperature is the real problem. You need to keep your head above water, otherwise you get a popsicle headache.
12. Dakine Baja tie-down car straps. In recent years, I’ve swapped out my surfboards for stand-up paddleboards, like the ancient Hawaiians used. I have a 10' Naish board. It’s like a 1960s-era Cadillac — big, stable and easy to drive. I use that when the waves are 4' and under. I also have a 10' 4" Tom Carroll Long Grain paddleboard for bigger conditions.
13. Gorge Performance Powerline 10' leash. The leash ensures you can always find your board. The real key is holding on to the paddle! When I’m out in 8' waves, I call it survival surfing. The bigger the wave, the more mentally challenging. When I’m done, it feels like that last scene in “Ocean’s 11” with everyone staring at the Bellagio fountains, amazed they survived. I’m not reckless, but I’m not afraid. I just love doing something challenging.
14./15. H2Odyssey booties & Churchill fins. Sometimes the conditions aren’t good for paddleboarding. So I got these to use with a boogie board. If conditions go south, I can still get out there and have fun like a kid. Being in the water brings connectivity and awareness. You might ride a wave for only 7 seconds, but it feels like an eternity. It’s amazing.
