16 Jun Our Top 10 Summer Essentials We Cannot Live Without!
You might know as a seasoned surfer, your beach bag isn’t quite your typical beach bag anymore. They tend to be a little heavier, slightly more practical and resembles a backpack. Freeing up any spare arms you may have to possibly carry a board, baby or a coffee. Long gone are the days of a little tote bag full of tanning oil, little bikinis and a cheap gossip mag (those were the days).
So we raided our teams’ beach bags and conducted a list of our summer essentials that we cannot live without.
1. Zinc
If you’re in the water + sun all day, the only thing that’s going to save you + protect your skin from turning into a crisp packet is Zinc! It’s also probably the only thing that won’t slide into your eyes after the first duckdive! There are many different zinc brands out there doing some cool stuff, but our lovely surf coach and host Monica recommends MANDA Zinc. It’s full of the highest quality, all-natural ingredients and they leave out all the chemicals so it’s reef safe too! Perfect for ocean + outdoor enthusiasts.
2. Surf / Bucket Hat
They are back in fashion (again!) thanks to Kylie Jenner + Hailey Beiber – but we’re stoked as they can now keep us in the sun for even longer! Some of our instructors have even sewn on a little toggle on our Women + Waves bucket hat to keep them on (and looking extra cool) whilst surfing!
3.Frank Green Reusable Bottle
The Rolls Royce of water bottles! Personally, I don’t go anywhere without my 34oz water bottle! I love it! It keeps my water ice cold without that metallic taste. It’s super lightweight and I’ve probably dropped it over 100 x and it still doesn’t leak! You can even get them customised and add in a tea infuser! Fancy huh!? Check them out.
4.Changing Robe
There’s nothing worse than peeling down your wetsuit with one hand and holding ya boob in the other and nip slippin’ left right and centre, then just when you think you’ve nailed the top half, your jumper springs ups, your towel unfolds and you’ve flashed your hiney to the entire car park. Save yourself the drama with a changing robe – honestly, it’s a game-changer and doubles up nicely as a beach towel too.
Women + Waves Changing Robe – Available in different colours + sizes.
5.Wax
The boots are off! This means we need some wax to give our feet some extra grip on the board. Our instructor Kirsty swears by Sexwax Green, perfect for the UK summertime, providing moderate stickiness. It’s a classic, does the job and smells soo good! Just remember to hide it before you have every Joe Blog in the car park asks to “borrow” some. Shop Local.
6. I Love The Seaside – South West Guide
As 2021 seems to be the year of #staycation, why not avoid the crowds and escape to somewhere exciting and new? Our I Love The Seaside Southwest Guide connects travellers, surfers and locals by pointing out the nicest surf spots, places to hang out and to-dos.
7. A Spring Suit
For me, what makes a good spring suit is one that stays put (if you know what I mean ;)) I want one that I feel comfortable in and not riding up in all the wrong places. There are so many rad ones out there, but one of my go-to and reliable favourites for wetsuits are Ripcurl. Ripcurl always guarantees flexibility, security, longevity and a huge range of leg and arm lengths to suit every body shape + type.
Take look here at their 2021 collection.
8.Lockbox / Keypod
It’s only a matter of time until your key stash eventually fails (believe me – this is not a fun morning). It’s the last thing you want to be worrying about whilst out in the sea. Leave it in your Keypod! They are simple, robust, portable, weather-resistant and super-duper secure!
Need one? We have a couple left in stock.
9.Ear Plugs
If there is one piece of advice I could tell my younger self it would be to wear those god damn earplugs! Waking up with water still stuck in your ear from the sunset surf the night before isn’t fun and quite frankly just annoying. Invest in a good pair of earplugs! After a winter of being exposed to cold wind + water, it could potentially be the perfect recipe for Surfers Ear and NOBODY wants that! So saltwater enthusiasts, keep your ears warm + dry! Check out Surf Mould Pro+ – they protect your ears and ensure you can still hear your friends in the line-up!
Tassy Swallow with her Surf Moulds Pro+ after a winter out the water with Surfers Ear.
10. A legit good suncream!
For YEARS I’ve searched far and wide to find the perfect suncream that ticks all the boxes; water + sweat resistant, affordable, organic, reef safe, vegan, natural ingredients, lightweight, non-greasy and doesn’t take 20 minutes to rub into your skin! GOOD NEWS – WE FOUND IT!
When I discovered Salt + Stone I knew I had to share it instantly with my fellow Women + Waves community! We have it available in SPF30, 50 and we also stock their tastiest lip balm known to man! SHOP NOW!
Share with us your top summer essentials in the comments box below 🙂
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