The northeast monsoon surge has brought chilly stay-home weather to Singapore.
But the rainy weather is literally making waves at beaches here.
Not everyone has been deterred to leave home, not the surfers, at least.
Surf's up
Typically, the waves in Singapore are too small to ride on.
However, the monsoon surge has brought rain and strong winds on some days.
Strong winds blowing in the right direction built swells on one part of the waters off Changi, creating a rare opportunity for surfers to catch a rare ride.
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Speaking to Mothership, one local surfing enthusiast Bernard Tang, 44, said that this is the first time he has surfed in Singapore.
With borders closed due to Covid-19, many surfers have headed over to this sweet spot in Changi, coined as the "longkang point" to those in the community, over the past few days.
The surfing community in Singapore is pretty diverse and mixed-gender, including people of different ages and nationalities, Tang shared.
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Tang, who has been surfing for over 20 years, said that the good surfing spots nearby are located in neighbouring countries such as Bali and Malaysia.
As compared to surfing in Malaysia, the waves and currents in Singapore are weaker and the surfing area is smaller.
Singapore waters are cleaner and have better visibility.
But any surf is better than nothing as Tang said that it felt "shiok" as he can take a break from the daily grind and go maskless — like doing other sports.
He also enjoyed "being one with nature" again.
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Photographer Lim Weixiang who sighted the surfers at Changi shared with Mothership that it was "quite serendipitous to discover this hidden cove".
Photo courtesy of Lim Weixiang.
Surfing community in Singapore
While surfing might not come across as a common sport in Singapore, the surfing community here appears to be a sizeable one.
Surfing Singapore, the official Instagram account of the Surfing Association of Singapore, currently has over 500 followers.
Past photos show local surfers heading out to sea during monsoon seasons, competing overseas and young kids learning how to surf in swimming pools.
Top photos courtesy of Lim Weixiang