In today’s market, there are about as many types of boardshorts as there are manufacturers and that’s a lot. When you’re ready to retire those old faded rags, there’s a few key factors you’re going to need to keep in mind: material, cut and stretch.

stretch is something ‘new’ in boardshort technology. Yes, technology does apply to boardshorts; more on that later. At first, I resisted the introduction of stretch into a boardshort. Stretch shorts were for grandpas and guys more familiar with the buffet at Ryan’s than a surfboard. No way I was going to be one of those guys with the bunched up waist fabric. The hater in me quieted down when I finally wore a pair of 4-way stretch boardshorts.

Stretch shorts are comfortable – very comfortable. I tried the Matix Turbo Boardshort. The first thing I noticed was how much they looked like normal boardshorts. No speedo hammick – normal cut boardshorts. I can’t believe I would ever say this, but Spandex rocks. It wasn’t form fitting, but allowed for a far greater flexibility and range of motion.

styles We’re seeing a greater diversity amoung boardshorts than ever before. There are three main of boardshorts being made today.

• standard boardshorts have a longest inseam. at around 22 inches, standard boarshorts hang at or below the knee. they’re also a very roomy boardshort
• retro boardshorts have a much shorter inseam generally between 16 and 18 inches in length. these shorts are also more form fitting
• modern boardshorts are just inbetween the standard and retro boardshorts in length and fit. slightly slimmer fit than the standard and inseams usually at or above the knee

of course, each style’s main advantage is its style. You’ll find almost any combination of materials within the varying styles. And that brings us to

materials for boardshorts varies from naturally grown cottons to recycled soda bottles. Yep, recycled soda bottles. Billabong has shorts made from recycled water bottles – crazy. Anyway, whether your boardshorts are made from a plant or a water bottle, you need to know which material suits your needs.

• nylon boardshorts seem to have been around as long as nylon. nylon dries fast, lasts forever
• stretch fabrics are usually a poly-spandex blend they’re very comfortable and quick drying
• polyester microfiber has a little stretch, is quick drying and is nearly chaffe free very smooth
• suedes are generally a slightly heavier than the microfibers with a slightly faded appearance

the right material can make all the difference. I’ve found the microfibre boardshorts to be great for wetsuit surfing. It keeps everything in place and provides a rashguard like function that I greatly appreciate. also the fast drying microfibers makes my car’s seat smell less like a musty sponge. but come summer, those 4 way stretch boardshorts are mine.

features are another important consideration before choosing the rightboardshort. seamless boardshorts are sweet. there’s no chaffing at all – none. it’s actually kind of weird at first, you almost feel naked without all the seams reminding you they’re there. another great innovation has been the fly. the stretch fly replaces the velcro closure and keeps you, well, kept in. it works, it’s comfortable. and then there’s the accessories: everything from bottle openers and fin keys to spent nuclear fuel rods. ok, there aren’t any fuel rods, but there are a wealth of gadgets, gizmos and various sundries. I like the waxcomb, bottle opener, fin key combo that came with my Billabongs. There are even waterproof pouches for… things you don’t want to get wet.

It really comes down to want you want, what you need and what your wanting to do. You’ll find the right pair with the right look and the right fit. You can go retro stretch or modern suedes, it’s up to you. While there are a lot of choices available, it only makes the chances of you find the perfect boardshort that much easier.

1030 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2010

THIS AFTERNOON
SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20
KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. PATCHY FOG DEVELOPING LATE.

TONIGHT
SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. PATCHY FOG.

WED
SW WINDS 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING W TO NW LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7
FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS. PATCHY FOG EARLY.

WED NIGHT
WINDS BECOMING W 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS TAPERING TO ISOLATED.

THU
W TO NW WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.

FRI
NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

SAT
NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2
TO 4 FT.

JS Blak Box

The JS Blak Box isn’t just another board from JS Industries, it’s the board. From coast to coast, the Blak Box has been getting rave reviews. It seems the ideal is to ride about 3 inches shorter than your standard shortboard and with a slightly larger fin setup than normal. In the chest high range, the board comes alive, even on a soft weak summer wave.

Volume. There’s a lot of volume built into the Blak Box boards and that helps you ride them shorter than you would a normal shortboard. It’s really beefy in the chest area which helps a lot when paddling into mushy surf and helps make it around sections. The tail reminds me of the classic Tom Curren Huntington Beach board  tails – wide and thick with a sharp rail right on top of the fins. Enough meat to get you through the flat and enough edge to bury that rail in the lip.

Rocker. Pretty flat rocker, but not super flat. In gutless thigh high surf, this isn’t going to be the magic board. For the really small stuff, you would probably like a Nitro or a Lost RNF better. The Blak Box is more of a performance rocker than pure dribble rider, but it’s fast. Low pull in the tail is another classic design but with a much deeper modern concave to give it a lot of drive, but still lose in the juice.

Width. A 5’11″ is 19.75″ wide and that’s pretty wide for a small board, but that also makes it really stable and adds volume. It’s really easy to paddle for the size and is still easy to turn.

What size? Well, Occy rides a 6’0 and weighs around 185lbs. Parko rides a 5’8 and weighs 175lbs. Jordy rides a 6’1 and weighs 190lbs. A lot depends on where and when you’re going to surf your Blak Box and if you’re going to be wearing a wetsuit and how good the waves are.

Overall. It’s a really great board, but not for super small surf. If you’re looking for something that is fun in the thigh to waist range, there are better boards, but if you’re looking for waist to head+ high, the JS Blak Box is the one. If you’re looking for a shortboard to surf some of that summer windchop or south swell, the JS Blak Box will make you really happy and you won’t regret riding one.

Where to get the Blak Box. Your local shop is the easiest, but you can find a Blak Box online with free shipping for around $660 which comes out about the same as in the shop once you add taxes. The Future fin models are pretty hard to come by, so if you see one, you might want to go ahead and grab it.

1044 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2010

THIS AFTERNOON
S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT.
SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.

TONIGHT
SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

WED
SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT…DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

WED NIGHT
W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT.
GUSTS TO NEAR 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

THU
W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

THU NIGHT
NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT.
SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

FRI
N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

SAT
N WINDS 5 TO 10 KT…BECOMING S. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.
A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

Mid Atlantic – Current wave conditions and forecasts

Common Wave map of South Pacific

Let me begin by saying, the best surf forecasting is done by people with local knowledge. The person who knows how to read charts and forecast, but also understands their local break will have the best forecasting ability. The big surf forecasting sites do a really outstanding job at forecasting, but without local knowledge, their forecasts are not always accurate.

The North East Pacific or as I like to call it, California, forecast is a fairly easy one. Systems moving toward the coast push swells from several thousands of miles away onto the shores of California. The systems usually follow the same direction: west to east and making west cost surf predictions are far easier than those for the North West Atlantic, where conditions are more volatile and less predictable. Forecasting for California can be done a week in advance and are often very accurate. It amazed me how many non surfers knew about waves coming next week, because they “saw it on the news”. Those California guys sure have it good.

The North West Atlantic, otherwise known as the US East Coast, is not so easy to predict. Generally, storms are moving from the west to east, which means the East Coast gets a swell from a storm moving away, rather than approaching the coast. While a swell on the West Coast may be coming from many thousands of miles away, the east coast rarely sees swell from distances over a thousand miles, if we’re lucky. And once a system moves offshore, they usually move very rapidly north and east pushing swells into Europe and Africa. Where a front passes on the east coast makes a big difference in surf forecasting. A low moving off shore even a hundred miles north or south of where it was predicted, can make a big difference on what parts of the coast will see waves. During the winter, low pressures seem to be more predictable and therefore, winter surf forecasting, for the east coast, is usually much more reliable.

Surf forecasting tools are everywhere to be found, but I’ve found the most reliable and available sources to be the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) and the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC). Both of these sites are invaluable when it comes to current ocean conditions and forecasting. With these two sources, you have access to 90% of all the surf forecasting information you will probably ever need.

But how do you forecast? Well, the easiest way is to keep a journal. Check out the predicted swells for you are on the FNMOC site, the predicted winds from NDBC and compare those results to what the actual waves were like at the beach that day. After some time, you will start to see patterns emerge from the predictions and how correct they are. This pattern is completely different for most areas on the east coast and can vary widely depending on location. Keep your eyes open and document your success and failures and soon you’ll be the one your friends call to get the skinny on the next swell.

South East – Current wave conditions and forecasts

924 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2010

THIS AFTERNOON
EAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET WITH
A DOMINANT PERIOD 5 SECONDS. A LIGHT CHOP ON THE INTRACOASTAL
WATERS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

TONIGHT
EAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET WITH A
DOMINANT PERIOD 4 SECONDS. MOSTLY SMOOTH ON THE INTRACOASTAL
WATERS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

WEDNESDAY
EAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FEET WITH A
DOMINANT PERIOD 4 SECONDS. A LIGHT CHOP ON THE INTRACOASTAL
WATERS. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH
5 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FEET. MOSTLY SMOOTH ON THE
INTRACOASTAL WATERS.

THURSDAY
SOUTH WINDS 5 KNOTS BECOMING EAST 5 TO 10 KNOTS IN
THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 TO 2 FEET. A LIGHT CHOP ON THE INTRACOASTAL
WATERS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

THURSDAY NIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH
AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FEET. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

FRIDAY
SOUTH WINDS 5 KNOTS BECOMING EAST 5 TO 10 KNOTS IN THE
AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

FRIDAY NIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH
AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

SATURDAY
SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 KNOTS BECOMING EAST 5 TO 10 KNOTS
IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 TO 2 FEET. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

Florida wave maps, current surf conditions and forecasts

O'Neill RG8 wetsuit entry system

I’m pretty interested to see exactly how this zipper entry will work. As you can see in the picture, this O’Neill wetsuit uses a chest zip entry where the zipper is always attached. That many help eliminate on of the things that made the O’Neill Mutant hard to get into sometimes. If you’ve worn the Mutant, you know that when the zipper came undone, which you had to do to get into the wetsuit, it’s sometimes difficult to get the zipper back together. It didn’t help that the zipper was right below your chin and it was like trying to look at your neck. Well, the Psycho RG8 should eliminate that problem. THe zipper will always be attached and all you’ll never again have to try and line them up, just get in and zipppp! Nice.

However, this awesome RG8 zipper system isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. For people with wide shoulders, getting into and out of the Psycho RG8 could be hard. It’s not going to have as much room to enter the suit as the O’Neill Mutant wetsuits. That could end up being a pretty big deal for some people. If you have problems getting into your Mutant, then you will want to try on an RG8 before gettting one to make sure it’s the right fit for you. If you wear Rip Curl chest zip wetsuits, you’ll have no problem getting into RG8 and you’ll notice a lot of similarities.

As for comfort, you’ll love the Psycho RG8. It’s going to be made with O’Neill’s new neoprene. Usually, a first year wetsuit is something you might want to avoid, but this is an O’Neill wetsuit and the rules are different. O’Neill is making this their flagship wetsuit and replacing the Mutant 3/2 with the RG8 3/2. There is a lot of expectation behind this suit and you better believe O’Neill is going to make sure their first year RG8 wetsuits are the best. Don’t let this rookie year suit hold you back, I’m willing to bet it’s going to be the wetsuit of the year, probably for many years to come.

There are a few sites prebook selling the O’Neill Psycho RG8 wetsuits. Some of them have a pretty good deal too. For 10% off the O’Neill RG8 wetsuit, check out Hostel Board Company, they’re about one of the only sites I’ve seen with any information about the new O’Neill wetsuits.The O’Neill Psycho RG8 is going to come in a 3/2 and a 4/3 version.

XCEL, the new big boy in the lineup. For years, XCEL has had a small presence in the water. Having a wetsuit company headquartered in Hawaii isn’t exactly what you would expect from a wetsuit company, but then again, XCEL has been changing the way people think about wetsuits for a long time. Bamboo fabric linings, environmentally conscious products and some of the warmest wetsuits made today, that’s XCEL and I believe this is going to be a banner year for XCEL wetsuits, both in the US and abroad. XCEL makes a colorful suit and has one of the more unique sizing charts for wetsuits I’ve seen, so be sure and check your measurements before ordering a wetsuit. You’ll save yourself a lot of time knowing your XCEL size in advance.

O’Neill, as usual, you should expect good things from O’Neill wetsuits. O’Neill has made a lot of changes this year to their wetsuits as well as adding some new wetsuits to their wetsuit line. The O’Neill RG8 is going to be the suit of the year I predict. There’s an all new foam in this suit and I’m supposed to be getting my wetsuit this Tuesday, so I’ll update the Psycho RG8 review at that time. It’s a take on the O’Neill Mutant, that should be even better for some situations. The Mutant has changed as well, there’s a whole new item number, my Mutant should arrive tomorrow, so expect a full update on the new Mutant soon!

O'Neill Wetsuits at Hostel Board Company - Low Prices Free Shipping No Tax

RipCurl: You know Rip Curl is going to be doing the H-Bomb again and you can be sure the E-Bombs and F-Bombs are coming back but the big (better) news is the Rip Curl Fireskin wetsuits. The Fireskins will have the “bat wing” on the suits again – hoorah! If that ends up being the case, then I will reinstate the Fireskin wetsuit as the best value midrange wetsuit. Let’s hope they do what the book says.

The Reef Vision Sandal

Reef Vision Sandals are the newest sandal from Reef and I have to say, I love ‘em! Not because they give me a pair to try, because they don’t (I would be more than will to accept a free pair). No, I just love these.

It’s a new look for Reef, but I’ve seen this look in a sandal before, but I like these, because they’re about $30 cheaper than the Nike sandals they look like. I got the gray pair, but the red look better in pictures and I think most people will like the red better, so that’s the picture I chose. Anyway, now on to the review…

The Reef Vision Sandals have holes all the way through the sole. It does look cool and that’s the first thing that made me like them, but what really impressed me was when I tried a pair on – whhhuuut!  Oh, they’re comfy, as comfy as any sandal, by any brand, at any price I’ve ever worn. They’re cushy! They have a lot of spring in the step and a pretty durable sole similar to the Fanning sandals. The sole has a lot of detail, you can see it in the pics. While this is nice for a lot of things, it also means they will hold a lot of sand and dirt in the tread, so they may not be the best sandals for a day on the beach, but they should be great in a boat or on land.

Comfort comes at a price and the price these sandals are going to pay is durability. They look great and feel great, but the foam foot-bed is so soft that it probably won’t last more than a few years. Yes, they are comfy, yes, they do look great, but be aware, they probably won’t last as long as the Mick Fannings. I don’t have any proof and I have done any scientific testing, but that’s the feeling I get.

You can pick up a pair of the Reef Vision sandals online for about $45 a pair. I’ve seen them from $49 – $43 from various store.