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Surf Wear

When Mark Twain looked upon naked surfers engaged in their pastime, he was neither shocked nor dismayed. He viewed the Hawaiians as sort of noble savages, at one with nature. The missionaries however, did not share this view. Doubtless, they are happy that surf wear has come in vogue.

Besides the obvious board-shorts, or wetsuit depending on the weather, there is the rash guard. A rash guard is a shirt made out of lycra that protects the skin from the wax, sand, and sea-salts that are often stuck to the board. Sometimes they may even have a little padding for extra protection and have become quite fashionable as well as functional. This piece of surf wear certainly comes in handy.

In 1971, Jack O’Neil, a resident of Santa Cruz, California, invented the surf leash. The leash has many functions, one of which is to keep the surfer near the board so that they don’t have to swim as hard to retrieve it after wiping out. It also is a safety feature for other boarders in the vicinity who might get hit by the rogue board. These bits of surf wear have done much to make the sport safer and more fun.

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