5 Important Surfer Items To Not Forget At Home!

Let out a sigh, it’s that wonderful time of year again. It’s the time to get your crew together, pack up the cars with some brews and lunch, and roll out to the local beach to hit some waves for the day. Unfortunately, with the excitement of summer just around the corner, we typically get all the way down to the shore just to realize that we have forgotten some of our beach essentials. Don’t feel embarrassed though, as it really happens to us all. Keeping that in mind, it’s important to have a small checklist of items to bring the next time you go out surfing. This is why we have come up with the 5 most important surfer items to remember to pack before you hit the beach.

  • Surf Sunscreen

Bringing sunscreen might seem pretty obvious right? The thing is, not all types of sunscreen are created equal, and this is why it is necessary to look into sunscreens that are more directed towards surfing rather than lounging out in the sun. You’ll typically see two types of sunscreens out there: Chemical Absorbers and Physical Blockers.

Chemical Absorbers absorb UV radiation to help keep them from getting into the skin. The cool thing is you can’t see these on the skin because of absorbent qualities, though they typically come loaded with different toxins, so you have to be careful and read the labels before you buy. Physical Blockers on the other hand reflect UV radiation. If you’ve used Zinc or Titanium Dioxide sunscreens, these are Physical Blockers (sometimes labeled Mineral Blockers). They’re far safer than Chemical Absorbers, for you and the environment, though leave your skin looking white.

So the first thing is to make sure that your sunscreen is safe for you to wear and that the particle sizes aren’t massive so that you don’t look like a surfing ghost. Next, you’ll want to ask some other questions. How long does your sunscreen last in the water? You don’t want to have to apply it every 30 minutes or have it run into your eyes every time you put your head up. Will it keep you from getting burned? If not, it’s not even worth wearing. At this point, nano-particle zinc oxide is your best bet if you’re looking for a solid surf sunscreen.

  • Floating Sunglasses

Most every surfer has a sweet pair of shades, but floating sunglasses are an entirely different way to approach fashion and utility. You most likely have your one pair of shades that you rep to protect those gorgeous eyes on sunny days, and would be pressed to trade them in for some nerdy pair that may stay afloat but put a damper on your cool factor. The cool thing is, with the increase in popularity, many manufacturers are making their floating sunglasses to be both stylish and useful.

If you like to surf, bodyboard, SUP, sail, or float around in the water like a lazy fish, you’re going to need some solid UV protection for your activities. While most people will skip out on the UV protection for fear of losing their favorite pair of shades, we find it to be a bit irresponsible. After all, you wouldn’t skip out on lathering up with your zinc oxide right?

This is where floating sunglasses come in handy. Companies that build these sunglasses, such as Tree Tribe, Waves Gear, Rheos, and more, use materials such as lightweight TPX, bamboo, or other buoyant materials, to make sure that they are not only long lasting, but stay afloat if they end up bailing from your face. Some companies, like SeaSpecs, are even allowing their customers to purchase floating prescription sunglasses if they need them.

  • Rinse Kit

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the power of fresh, portable, and pressurized water to get you nice and clean after every session? Well it is more than possible thanks to inventions like the Rinse Kit! Because the Rinse Kit does not require any sort of external power supply to get going, you can use it at just about any beach your heart desires. For the most part, people don’t like being covered in sand, seaweed, and salt water when they hop back in their cars to go home. There also aren’t always showers available at remote beaches to get you feeling fresh again, so having a Rinse Kit can be of huge help.

These Rinse Kits are relatively small compared to some portable showers, and hold no more than a few gallons. This means they are very easy to take with you to and from the beach. It’s almost like carrying around a lunchbox. The chamber inside the Rinse Kit is what does all the work to get the pressure built up for the nozzle, so no pumping or batteries required. It can also hold up pressure for more than a month. While most people would usually change the water after each use, most of us surfers tend to procrastinate on things like that. It’s the lifestyle brah!

For the ease of use, portability, and practicality, we are positive that a Rinse Kit is a must have for any avid surfers out there. For those of you who deny the power, have fun with having sand where the sun don’t shine!

  • Tide Watch

Most of the time, we believe that having a great tide watch is an absolute surfing necessity. Even in their most basic forms, tide watches can keep time for us so that we know when we need to be out of the water for work, school, or lunch with your buds at the local burrito stand. There is a vast array of tide watches out there, from the most basic to the incredibly tech-oriented.

Some tide watches will only give you the time and a measure of a limited number of tides around the world, while some will give you stats like wave count, speed tracking, full tide charts with GPS technology ingrained, and much more. They help you to train and become a better surfer, or just tell you when the best time to go out is so you don’t end up rolling down to the beach for some mushy low rollers. Companies like Rip Curl, Vestal, and Nixon, make some seriously awesome tide watches and we highly recommend looking at their lines if you’re serious about getting one that is high quality. You’ll thank us when your wrist is looking icy with the most stylish piece of surf tech on the market.

  • Day Travel Board Bag

Why do you need a day travel board bag you ask? Well we would think after laying down over five bills for your new shred stick, you’d want to give it a safe place to reside when it’s not in use. Boards are an investment, and not having a bag opens them up to risk of damage like dents, dings, and delamination. Not only can a good day travel board bag protect your board from the elements like sand, dirt, grime, and sun, but can also protect your car’s interior when you fling it in there, wax dripping an all.

Day travel board bags are great for shorts 1-day trips to the beach, as they typically have a bit of protective padding, shoulder straps to carry your board, and small pockets for wax and other accessories. Good companies to look into for day travel board bags are Pro-Lite, Channel Islands, Dakine, and FCS.

 

Final Thoughts

Having these five items with you every time you hit the surf will make your days much more enjoyable. For more water sport related thoughts from me, head to finbin.net