Christmas Gifts for Surfers

If you know a surfer, chances are they eat, speak and breathe the shaka lifestyle. Surfers are a devoted bunch – you don’t surf half-heartedly. Whether you’re ripping through barrels Mick Fanning style or just getting started with some 2 footers, your heart’s bound to be all in the game.

That’s why, if you’re thinking of buying something surf-related for a wave-chaser, do it. There’s so much out there that no matter the budget, you just can’t go wrong. In case you don’t know where to start, here are a few perfect Christmas presents for surfers….

Change Robes/Ponchos

One of the best presents to receive in the cold winter months is a change robe. These ponchos will keep you warm and sheltered from all the elements, regardless of conditions. Change robes protect your skin from harsh exposure to the blistering cold as you try to change out of your wetsuit on the beach. Alternatively, you can wear them on top of what you’ve got on for warmth and coverage on the way home. So if you're the allocated driver who's always doing the beach drop-offs and pick-ups, a dry robe is the perfect present that will slyly benefit you (and your vehicle) too!

One reason why change robes are such a good present is that you can get a really good one regardless of whether you spend £20 or £120! Here are our favourite poncho brands dominating the market for all budgets:

Dryrobe

Priced at £130, these showerproof and windproof robes are the warmest on the planet! The Dryrobe has a super warm synthetic lambswool lining, and features sealed seams, internal and external lined pockets, and an MP3 player pocket. You can get short or long-sleeved styles depending on the amount of desired coverage, and the robes come in a whole array of different colours and styles for adults and kids.

Mystic

Mystic offer a range of vibrant styles and are a great stocking filler. The Mystic deluxe poncho (£64.95) is constructed with teddy-lined polyester, or you can go for one of their regular ponchos, which start from just £22.95.

Billabong

Billabong offer a variety of stylish towel ponchos, and their colourful designs make for a great Christmas gift. Each poncho features a hood and toasty velour construction, and between you and me, they’re very soft!

Dry Bags

If you’re shopping for someone whose love of watersports means they’re often on their feet, in a car or on a plane, what makes more sense than gifting them something to lug their wettie, clothing or change robe around in?

Our top picks

Rip Curl Wettie Wetsack (£17.95)

Dryrobe Compression Travel Bag (£29.95)

Dakine Section Roll Top Wet/Dry 28L Backpack (£34.95) - colours Island Bloom or Camo.

Surf Watches

Surf watches vary dramatically in their functions, so the main thing you need to consider is budget and preference. How much do you love the person you're buying for? Just kidding.

The most basic of surf watches will simple tell you the time, but the most technologically-advanced watches come with an extensive list of performance-enhancing features. Think of the person you're buying for... are they a casual surfer who simply needs to know what time to be in for dinner, or do they plough through barrels like Medina and want the best performance-enhancing technology?

We’ve written a whole separate blog about surf watches here, but as it’s Christmas we’ll pick out our favourite 2 for both a higher and lower budget.

Rip Curl Rifles Tide Surf Watch (£87.95)

Great for tide calculation, this watch gives a display for each unique location (500 pre-programmed) and illustrates spring and neap tides. Furthermore, actual tide heights are displayed 8 hours into the future and 2 hours back in the past. The watch also displays current tide height and direction, including the numeric time and height of the next tide.

Rip Curl Search GPS Series 2 Smart Surf Watch (£249.95) - available in colours blue, black, yellow or mint.

This surfing watch tracks all the statistics from your session, including the amount of waves you catch, your top speed on the wave, the length of each wave, and the amount of metres/kilometres paddled.

Not only that, but prior to your session, you’ll be able to get all the information you need, including the height and direction of the swell, tides and wind.