I know what he's thinking right now, through many years experience; you prep up, don the suit, grab the board, run down the sand, you first hit the water.......[insert expletive here]!!!, if you pause at this point then you start weighing up the pros & cons....too cold?.......surf's crap anyway?........really should be mowing the lawn?......is that a shark?......
Just push through and dive in and very soon you're in no doubt as to why you do it. ;-))))