For a wide selection of surf clothing take a look on the internet. This will give you an idea of just how much there is to choose from. If you are new to the sport especially, even a quick glance will show you that for each part of your gear there are still further selections to be made, while it pays to think about which waters you will be surfing in as some are very cold no matter what time of year you hit the waves.

There are three basic categories. Look through mens, womens and/or childrens lists. They differ only slightly, mostly in terms of fashion and cut. If you think a section for youth makes little sense, young kids surf too while their younger siblings also look good in similar apparel.

For everyone, the most basic article is a wetsuit with long back-zip. Mostly black, they do two things. One is to protect skin from UV rays. The other is to provide a layer of protection against the cold of water which, depending on where you surf, can discourage surfers in cooler climes or even lead to hypothermia.

As you can imagine, these are great for little surfers-to-be even when they just want to play at the beach. The basic differences between male, female and youth styles revolve around colour selection. While mostly black, this is frequently broken-up with some vibrant shade.

Two simple divisions are available, each with their own variations. Depending on the time of year or location of your activity it might suffice to wear a mini wetsuit. This will feature short sleeves or be sleeveless. Legs will be covered down to mid thigh or knee. Winter suits cover as much as possible. Expect these to start above the collar bone an meet the wrists. Legs also gain protection to ankle level. For warmth there are also thermal under-clothes like pants and vests with battery-sourced heat for longer time in the water.

Accessories add even greater protection. Shoes and boots come in varieties of dark shades and end at ankle or climb the leg. Certain ones separate the toes out or split toes into two groups. Hoods will cover almost the entire face with toggles for tightening or without, maybe a visor. As for gloves, they come five fingered or mitten style with just the thumb separate. Also look for short-fingered ones where coverage goes half-way up each finger.

A wetsuit is also handy for other sports. Wind surfing, kite surfing and wake boarding are popular. In these cases one might instead consider a dry suit, sold where surfing apparel and equipment are available.

After hours of swimming, balancing, falling and so on you build-up a certain amount of body heat. Out of the water, if your air temperature is low, you should have dry clothing to hand. Surf shops will sell hoodies, hats and other gear for getting back to the right temperature. For warmer times and locations they also sell bathing suits and t-shirts plus all the equipment you could need for catching the next wave.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.