Surf Talk Guru

Check out previous blog entries for gift ideas in all price ranges for your favorite surfer. Here are some ideas for stocking stuffers that will be sure to please any surfer this Christmas.

1.) Surf Shop Gift Card–Any Amount–Pick one up from your surfer’s favorite shop or have it sent direct. This will save you from having to choose something if you’re not sure of what to get.

2.) Surf Wax–$2–Available in different scents and colors, wax is a must for surfboards in all water temperatures. A variety of bars will allow your surfer to test out different brands. You could also include a wax comb and wax remover.

3.) Surfboard Leash–$18–Small enough to fit in a stocking, a leash is a life-saver out in the water, literally. Leashes need to be replaced, too, so this will be appreciated.

4.) Ding Repair Kit–$7–All surfers need to be able to repair their boards if they get nicked up. This kit is a must to carry in your car, board bag, or garage.

The PS+ Cypher Heat Vest System from Quiksilver is THE hot item this Christmas. There are none to be had in the world! The reason is that Quiksilver only made 900 when they came out in September. They sold slowly and steadily until the mad Christmas rush. Now they’re all sold out except for a few XXL’s at a few places around the country.

Quiksilver will manufacture another round of vests, but only 600 of them! They should be shipped to dealers in March or MAYBE January. The only way to guarantee you’ll get ahold of one this next time is to get on the back order list at your local dealer. It might cost a few dollars to get on the list, but it’s the only way to reserve a vest in your size.

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Most of us have a surfer on our Christmas list and don’t want to spend too much this holiday season. Here are some ideas for easy-to-find, less expensive gifts any surfer would enjoy.

1.) Surf Video $20-$30–When surfers can’t surf, they want to watch other people do it. That’s why it’s also known as surf porn. DVD’s feature a variety of pro surfers in different locales, surfing to music.

2.) Surf Magazine Subscription $15-$25–A year-long subscription to Surf, Surfing, or TransWorld Surf magazines will provide knowledge, insight, and keep them up with current events in their favorite sport.

3.) Beanie $10-$20–Always appreciated year-round on the coast, stocking caps, or beanies, feature their favorite surf shop or brand, helping your surfer stay warm and stylin’.

Holiday shopping season is already here. Wondering what to get for your favorite surfer? Here are some ideas for some gifts in the mid-level price range that any surfer is sure to love.

1.) Tide Watch $75-$150–A water-resistant watch that displays the tides and has lots of other bells and whistles. Quiksilver, Nixon, and Rip Curl are a few brands.

2.) Surf Racks $50-$150–For traveling with boards atop your vehicle, cheaper soft racks or more spendy hard racks are available. A little more money will get you the locking hard racks (more like $200).

3.) Sherpa Sweatshirt $40-$50–Warm fleecy hooded sweatshirts embroidered with their favorite surf brand or shop logo will be a welcome winter warm-up.

Hawaii’s North Shore at Waimea Bay is legendary for its massive waves and premier surfing. As the Eddie Aikau surf meet was getting underway this week, surfers were ecstatic to find record-breaking swells at the historic location. Literally thousands of surfers from around the world picked up their surf gear and headed for Waimea.

With waves reaching up to 50 feet, Oahu provided an ideal locale for the annual competition this year. Greg Long, a native of San Clemente, rode off with first place honors after scoring a perfect 100 on a 25 foot wave. Nine-time world champion Kelly Slater finished in second, ten points behind Long.

Christmas is just around the corner and when it comes to finding unique gifts for unique surfers, it can be a long search. If you are willing to spend a little more money, here are some items that would be much appreciated by every surfer I know.

1.) Electric Heat Vest $200–The latest product for cold weather surfers is the PS+ Cypher Heat Vest System by Quiksilver. It’s a battery-operated vest you wear under your wetsuit. This is something every surfer would love to have for the winter, but not something most people would splurge on for themselves, so it would make a great gift!

2.) New Wetsuit $250-$400–Another thing surfers sometimes put off buying for themselves is a new wetsuit. Be sure to ask about their preferred brand, size, and thickness so they won’t have to exchange it.

3.) Custom-Made Surfboard $550+–The object of every surfer’s desire is the customized surfboard. A local shaper makes a board according to specifications laid out by the customer. The board will be shaped for optimum performance and utility according to the surfer’s size, ability level, and surfing conditions.

Seaside was featured on the news the other night because local surfers were being investigated by police for vandalism, menacing, and harassment. Not a great reputation for Oregon surfing. Check out the video link: http://www.kgw.com/home/Surfers-fighting-for-Turf-78345637.html

Well, we all know what this about. Locals don’t want to share the world class point break that’s been featured in countless magazine spreads and surf videos. Since the secret’s out, the only thing thing they have to use as a deterrent against others surfing the point is criminal activity. Surfing is popular, people. Deal with it now, it’ll probably die down in a few years.

The localism in Seaside is legendary, legitimizing it, and perpetuating its existence, but it also happens in lesser surf spots on our coast. It serves a purpose in intimidating others from coming to the surf. But, if I had to choose between having a surfer come to my beach town or a fat family of five who are going to leave popsicle wrappers and dog shit all over the beach, I’d choose the surfer, even if he was in the way once or twice.

California surfers have been forced to figure out how to deal with crowds, strangers, and the like. Santa Cruz and other popular surfing towns in California post signs stating the “rules” for surfing in that spot. That way, if anyone doesn’t know what they’re doing, they’ll hopefully get a nod toward the sign and realize the error of their ways rather than getting an immediate punch in the face.

Early December has brought with it an Arctic Blast of freezing weather. Not only icy temperatures, but a below zero wind chill factor as well. If you’re sick of shortening your session, ask Santa for the PS+ Cypher Heat Vest, the Electric Heat Vest by Quiksilver. The vest is made with a 95% Polypropylene 5% spandex blend, Polypropylene being a heat retentive material with wicking properties to help add warmth.

It heats up with FAR infra-red heat technology, has high and low heat settings, and is easily operated under any wetsuit. The rechargeable battery provides hours of heat, but you can also get extra batteries for a longer session or if you forget to recharge. Car and wall battery chargers are included, so you’ll never be stuck without a place to recharge.

If you’d like your child to become a pro tour regular or even just a local ripper, there are a few guidelines to follow to make sure you’re introducing the steps at the right ages. Get them started gradually, having them become confident in the ocean, and things should go smoothly.

From birth to age 2, have the child take showers with you. Believe it or not, water splashing on the face and head, and in eyes and nose can be a huge deterrent to future water activities if the child isn’t used to it. Shower spray will get them used to it. Take them to parent/child aquatic classes and have them get used to movement in the water, holding their breath, blowing bubbles, etc.

When the child is 2-4 years old, continue swimming lessons. Get them wetsuits and have them splash around in the surf, under adult supervision, of course, and wearing a PFD for extra safety. Wetsuits are great for beach activities because they keep the child warm whether they’re wading in the surf or digging in the sand. Having them get used to putting on and taking off wetsuits at an early age will prevent them from hating that aspect later on. Also at this age, have the child lay atop your surfboard while you hold it in the shallows. Have them practice the paddling motion on the board.

At 5-7 years of age, continue swimming lessons and introduce related sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and boogie boarding. Begin teaching them how to surf only if you yourself are an experienced surfer. If you’re not, pay for regular lessons through a local surf shop. Children should be on softop surfboards. Have them practice jumping to standing on their board onshore then push them into whitewater waves and practice standing and riding on the moving board.

As the child grows to 8-10 years old, he or she will have more strength and stamina, be able to carry their own board, and will have more patience and focus for all the practice they’ll need to improve. The learning curve for surfing might be the largest of any sport, so make sure you have a lot of patience for your child!