What a surfer wants!
December is the time when mums start to read up on surfing in their desperate quest for gift ideas. Now we all know the likes of Indo boards, ding repair kits, and Miss Reef calendars are safe bets for young surfers at Crimbo, but what do you get the surf addict with everything. This week I’ve been window shopping to hunt out great gifts, but to make sure I was on the right track I caught up with Wild Waters boss lady Paula Barbour.
Respecting age and wisdom we’ll start with the gifts grandparents might like to buy. For big gifts always consult family members, as you’d be surprised by all the paraphernalia we young folk have stashed away. Branded socks and underwear can be pricy, but always go down a treat. The Plympton store has Animal three packs of socks for less than a tenner, and if you’re fancy a hunt, TKMax occasionally gets the odd surf bargains. Wallets, jewellery, and wetsuit apparel like gloves, are perfect to plump up the stockings. Following in the footsteps of Billabong tools, a novel gimmick available this year is Rip Curl dog tags (£7.50), which have internal wax combs and bottle openers. For the ultra lazy shopper (or less able wrappers) many wallets these days come in fancy looking display cases, and start at about £20 for brands like Ripcurl and O’Neill.
When shopping for the ladies, luggage is Paula’s top recommendation, with surprisingly funky day bags from £24. Whilst the missus informs me Ripcurl’s tartan jackets are the thing to have. For the more mature surfer, a ‘tide clock’ is a practical gift that looks stylish too, plus they’re pretty reasonable online. Surf art is another sensible idea for any sophisticated brothers in law. Chain Store Athena, sell lots of works by local company Ocean Publishing, but if you check out the smaller surf shops most have cheaper selections. If however you fancy parting with a bit more cash, for a penny short of a hundred quid you can get your hands on a ‘street surfer’. I tired one of these things out at a recent trade show; it was a real laugh and definitely makes you consider the lines you carve. The Wild Waters staff seemed pretty keen on these too, but although I’ve heard tales, I’ve still not seen a demo yet!
Obviously surfing is a complicated culture, and we live in an age obsessed with brand – with this in mind if you’re thrilled to discover a £10 wetsuit lurking in the corner of the local Harry Tate Store step back and consider your purchase carefully. If you have a relative who surfs through out the winter, their wetsuit will cost a minimum of £120 new, or it won’t be suitable for our waters. In short they’ll freeze. Wetsuit sizing is also important, and brands vary significantly, many surfers favour particular brands for a reason. I like O’Neill because the medium size is quite slim, where as I need a small with the wider Billabong suits. Similarly some surfers love built in hoods, and others are phobic about them. West Wetsuits offer some solid basic options with women’s winter suits starting from £135, and for little while longer Wild Waters can organise tailored sizing – handy if you’re struggling to find your size. If you’re buying some else a wetsuit this Xmas, please do some research, find out their dimensions, and always keep the receipt.
As its Christmas, lots of lucky individuals will be acquiring their first board, so what are things to watch out for? Learner boards vary dependant on rider’s size and weight, so shopping around for advice is the key to your success. It’s also sensible to have a lesson before you consider parting with your cash. Minimals are recommended by most instructors as they offer lots of volume, which means they’re buoyant and paddle well. At the same time minimals offer manoeuvrability, but best of all their typically nice and solid to take all the knocks. During my interview with Luke, I decided to quiz the knowledgeable board critic on buying for learners. We agreed, that looking around is the key, so don’t just buy a board off the rack of the first shop you go in. Talk to shop assistants, board shapers, and any surfers you know to build a picture of what is best for you; an appropriate board can make learning fun, rather than an uphill challenge.
Lastly as it’s the festive season it’s also a good idea to point out that there is lots of decent second hand boards out there, have a browse online, check out the classifieds, and maybe even invest in a yellow paper. Make sure you know what you want, avoid boards with heavy creases across them, and always check that the stickers aren’t hiding nasty holes.
It’s never been so easy to find surfing gifts, as Plymouth is bustling with surf apparel. Besides Wild Waters, other established stores to check out include Surfing Life, Quiksilver and Billabong, plus the new Gul shop has loads of clothes. Happy holidays – see you in 2008!
December is the time when mums start to read up on surfing in their desperate quest for gift ideas. Now we all know the likes of Indo boards, ding repair kits, and Miss Reef calendars are safe bets for young surfers at Crimbo, but what do you get the surf addict with everything. This week I’ve been window shopping to hunt out great gifts, but to make sure I was on the right track I caught up with Wild Waters boss lady Paula Barbour.
Respecting age and wisdom we’ll start with the gifts grandparents might like to buy. For big gifts always consult family members, as you’d be surprised by all the paraphernalia we young folk have stashed away. Branded socks and underwear can be pricy, but always go down a treat. The Plympton store has Animal three packs of socks for less than a tenner, and if you’re fancy a hunt, TKMax occasionally gets the odd surf bargains. Wallets, jewellery, and wetsuit apparel like gloves, are perfect to plump up the stockings. Following in the footsteps of Billabong tools, a novel gimmick available this year is Rip Curl dog tags (£7.50), which have internal wax combs and bottle openers. For the ultra lazy shopper (or less able wrappers) many wallets these days come in fancy looking display cases, and start at about £20 for brands like Ripcurl and O’Neill.
When shopping for the ladies, luggage is Paula’s top recommendation, with surprisingly funky day bags from £24. Whilst the missus informs me Ripcurl’s tartan jackets are the thing to have. For the more mature surfer, a ‘tide clock’ is a practical gift that looks stylish too, plus they’re pretty reasonable online. Surf art is another sensible idea for any sophisticated brothers in law. Chain Store Athena, sell lots of works by local company Ocean Publishing, but if you check out the smaller surf shops most have cheaper selections. If however you fancy parting with a bit more cash, for a penny short of a hundred quid you can get your hands on a ‘street surfer’. I tired one of these things out at a recent trade show; it was a real laugh and definitely makes you consider the lines you carve. The Wild Waters staff seemed pretty keen on these too, but although I’ve heard tales, I’ve still not seen a demo yet!
Obviously surfing is a complicated culture, and we live in an age obsessed with brand – with this in mind if you’re thrilled to discover a £10 wetsuit lurking in the corner of the local Harry Tate Store step back and consider your purchase carefully. If you have a relative who surfs through out the winter, their wetsuit will cost a minimum of £120 new, or it won’t be suitable for our waters. In short they’ll freeze. Wetsuit sizing is also important, and brands vary significantly, many surfers favour particular brands for a reason. I like O’Neill because the medium size is quite slim, where as I need a small with the wider Billabong suits. Similarly some surfers love built in hoods, and others are phobic about them. West Wetsuits offer some solid basic options with women’s winter suits starting from £135, and for little while longer Wild Waters can organise tailored sizing – handy if you’re struggling to find your size. If you’re buying some else a wetsuit this Xmas, please do some research, find out their dimensions, and always keep the receipt.
As its Christmas, lots of lucky individuals will be acquiring their first board, so what are things to watch out for? Learner boards vary dependant on rider’s size and weight, so shopping around for advice is the key to your success. It’s also sensible to have a lesson before you consider parting with your cash. Minimals are recommended by most instructors as they offer lots of volume, which means they’re buoyant and paddle well. At the same time minimals offer manoeuvrability, but best of all their typically nice and solid to take all the knocks. During my interview with Luke, I decided to quiz the knowledgeable board critic on buying for learners. We agreed, that looking around is the key, so don’t just buy a board off the rack of the first shop you go in. Talk to shop assistants, board shapers, and any surfers you know to build a picture of what is best for you; an appropriate board can make learning fun, rather than an uphill challenge.
Lastly as it’s the festive season it’s also a good idea to point out that there is lots of decent second hand boards out there, have a browse online, check out the classifieds, and maybe even invest in a yellow paper. Make sure you know what you want, avoid boards with heavy creases across them, and always check that the stickers aren’t hiding nasty holes.
It’s never been so easy to find surfing gifts, as Plymouth is bustling with surf apparel. Besides Wild Waters, other established stores to check out include Surfing Life, Quiksilver and Billabong, plus the new Gul shop has loads of clothes. Happy holidays – see you in 2008!
Photo Credit: Mike Meal Photography
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