Surf gear: wetsuits, hats, bags and setting up a new board
Updated 2026-09-19
The board gets most of the attention on this site, but a surfboard sits inside a bag, comes out of the water into whatever you are wearing, and needs to be set up properly before any of that matters. This section covers the gear around the board: wetsuits worn across warm and cold water, hats and helmets for sun and reef, the bags that get a board to the beach or onto a plane in one piece, and the short list of jobs worth doing to a new board before its first session.
What is actually covered here
Every page in this section comes from gear I have owned and used myself, not a manufacturer's spec sheet. Where a wetsuit or a hat let me down, that is in the review too, described by what it actually did rather than a general complaint about the brand.
- Wetsuits: six suits worn across warm and cold water, rated on warmth, comfort and how long each one actually lasted
- Surf hats: floating hats, canvas hats, clip-on caps and cold water skull caps and helmets, matched to conditions
- Setting up a new surfboard: the short list of jobs to do to a brand new board before the first paddle out
None of this is sponsored and nothing here is sold through this site. It is a record of what has actually worked, and what has not, from years of buying and wearing this gear myself.
Questions people ask
Is any of this gear sponsored or given to you for review?
No. Every item covered here was bought with my own money and worn or used long enough to form an honest opinion, including the ones that did not work out.
Where do I find the boards themselves?
The boards live in their own sections: the current quiver and sold boards for the full log, and boards for individual board reviews.
What should I set up first on a new board before paddling out?
See setting up a new surfboard for the short list of jobs worth doing before the first session, from fins to leash plugs.