The ritual
Three pours, one day
A surf day has three distinct physiological moments — before, during, and after. Each gets its own tea logic here: real caffeine categories, real teas, real links to the encyclopedia. No resident master, no fictional programme — just the reasoning behind what to pour and when.
Kettle on, 20 minutes before you leave for the water
Pre-surf — before the paddle-out
A short, light pour meant for clarity, not a jolt — the same reason surfers who watch the lineup before dawn tend to reach for tea rather than a second coffee.
The lulls between sets, not mid-duck-dive
During-surf — in the lineup, between sets
Tea's place during a session is on the beach or in the lineup between waves — carried cold in a bottle, never brewed hot near the water. This is the practical, unglamorous middle of the ritual.
Wetsuit still on, boards racked, the session already over
Post-surf — the walk back up the beach
This is where the stronger cup belongs — a warming, higher-caffeine pour once the day's water time is done, not before it. The recovery pour, not the performance one.