Frigid weather doesn't deter Florida's surfing Santas

Temperatures in the Sunshine State are so low that iguanas are dropping from trees

The annual Santa Claus surf event takes place at Cocoa Beach, Florida. Reuters

Santas were not deterred by the cold temperatures. Reuters

Florida's Santa surf event began in 2009. Reuters

All this surfer wanted for Christmas was a tasty wave. Reuters

Thousands turned out to watch the Santas catch a wave or two. Reuters

Thousands of surfers and spectators crowded the beach for the annual gathering, which started as a lark by George Trosset 13 years ago. Orlando Sentinel / AP

Many of the spectators turned up wearing Santa Claus costumes. Reuters

Surfer Corey Howell wears a combination spaceman Santa suit in a nod to Cocoa Beach, where many US rocket launches take place. Florida Today / AP

Spencer Slate, owner of a Keys dive shop, dons a Santa costume annually to offer underwater holiday photo opportunities and help promote awareness of an annual fundraiser for a local children's charity. Florida Keys News Bureau / AP

More than 800 runners dressed as Santa Claus braved near-freezing temperatures to participate in the Run Run Santa 1 Mile on Christmas Eve. Florida Today / AP

For the surfing Santas of Florida's central coast, the Atlantic Ocean felt more like the North Pole than the Sunshine State as temperatures plunged to around freezing, while freeze warnings were in place for at least half of the state.

Parts of the Florida Panhandle had wind chills that dipped into the single digits on Saturday morning, and central areas reported temperatures plunging as low as minus 2.7°C.

“It's a frigid start to your #ChristmasEve across the area,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, the state's capital, tweeted.

Miami was among the last holdouts of warm weather in the US on Friday, but by Saturday morning, temperatures had dipped to below 10°C for the first time in almost a year.

South Floridians were also on the watch for falling iguanas. The cold-blooded reptiles that reside in Miami suburbs typically become immobilised when temperatures drop below 4.4°C.

Despite the frigid temperatures, the 14th annual Christmas Eve Surfing Santas festival was held on Saturday morning at Cocoa Beach on Florida's Space Coast.

The event has grown from 10 surfers dressed in Santa costumes when it started in 2009 to hundreds of participants riding surfboards, boogie boards and paddle boards in years past.

Close to 140 surfers braved the frigid water and about 10,000 spectators showed up to cheer them on, while a beachside restaurant distributed free hot cocoa to help them stay warm, organisers said.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report