30 Best Surfing Gifts for Surfers of Every Level

Wax is the one thing every surfer runs out of, and this bundle covers a whole season: six bars of cool/cold topcoat, two bars of basecoat and a comb to rough it up. Great for someone who surfs colder water through the winter.

The most recognizable wax in surfing, in a coconut scent that smells like summer. Three bars for under $10 make it a perfect stocking stuffer or an add-on to a bigger gift.

A new tail pad is a cheap way to make a shortboard feel fresh. This one is grippy without shredding knees in boardshorts, and the 3M adhesive means it stays stuck after many sessions.

Leashes wear out and snap, usually at the worst time. A spare seven-foot leash with double swivels and a padded quick-release cuff is a gift that might save their board from the rocks.

Many boards ship with flexy plastic fins, and swapping to fiberglass is a noticeable upgrade in drive and hold. This thruster set fits FCS boxes, the most common system, so check their board first.

Every surfer has lost a fin key in the sand at least once. Three keys and twelve stainless screws mean spares in the car, the bag and the house.

A small ding left open lets water soak into the foam. This kit has clear resin, hardener and fiberglass cloth to seal it the same day, on epoxy or poly boards, and saves a trip to the repair shop.

A board sock is the lightweight middle ground between nothing and a padded bag. This 9'6" version suits longboarders, stopping dings in the garage and wax smears in the car. Pick a shorter length for a shortboard.

With 5mm padding and extra protection at the nose and tail, this bag is made for surf trips and roof racks. Its reflective shell keeps the sun from softening wax and baking the board.

For the surfer whose car has no roof rack, these pads and cam straps turn any roof into a board carrier in minutes. Perfect for a college surfer or someone borrowing a friend's car for trips.

Boards leaning in a corner get knocked over and dinged. These padded brackets hang one vertically on the wall, which protects it and shows off a favorite board as decor.

Where to hide the car keys during a session is one of surfing's oldest headaches. This steel combination vault slides into a 2-inch hitch, so keys, cash and cards stay with the truck. A great gift for a surfer who drives to remote breaks.

Our top pick under $25. Every surfer changes in a parking lot, and this oversized microfiber poncho makes it private, warm and quick. The big hood blocks wind after a cold session, and it doubles as a beach coverup in summer. It is the gift surfers most often say they use every single time.

Stand on the mat to change, then pull the drawstring and it becomes a bag for the wet suit. No more sandy wetsuit or soggy car seats, which their passengers will appreciate as much as they do.

Hanging a wetsuit by the shoulders stretches the neoprene. This hanger folds it at the waist, dries it faster and has a strap to hang from a shower rail or tree. It adds years to an expensive suit.

Salt and sweat stiffen neoprene and leave a suit smelling rough. A bottle of proper wetsuit shampoo keeps it supple for about ten washes, which is a small, considerate gift for anyone surfing year-round.

Cold hands end winter sessions early. These 3mm gloves keep fingers working in chilly water, with grippy palms for paddling and holding rails. Ideal for a surfer in Northern California, New England or the Pacific Northwest.

O'Neill's long-sleeve Basic Skins is the rash guard you see at every warm-water break. UPF 50+ and four-way stretch prevent sunburn and board rash on long tropical sessions. Check their usual size, since it fits snug.

Surfers burn their faces first, and a zinc stick stays put far better than lotion. This one is mineral-only SPF 50 and water resistant for 80 minutes, small enough to live in a wetsuit key pocket.

A surf hat with a chin strap stays on when a wave hits, which is exactly what a longboarder or beginner spending hours in the sun needs. The mesh crown keeps it cool between sets.

Years of cold wind and water can lead to surfer's ear, a bony growth that sometimes needs surgery. Soft silicone plugs are a cheap way to prevent it, and three pairs mean they always have one in the car.

Phones and beaches do not mix. These IPX8 pouches keep sand and spray out while the touchscreen still works for checking the surf cam or snapping a photo of the lineup.

Our splurge top pick. Carver's CX truck lets the board pivot and pump like a surfboard on a wave, so surfers practice turns and generate speed on flat days. The '70s pintail shape suits relaxed, longboard-style carving. It is the board surf coaches recommend, and most surfers will not treat themselves to one.

Our mid-range top pick. A tide graph and moon phase on the wrist let a surfer tell at a glance whether the tide is pushing or draining, which matters at most breaks. It is 100m water resistant, lit for dawn patrol and costs under $50.

Pop-ups and stance improve with practice, and this roller board lets them drill at home. Adjustable stoppers keep it beginner-friendly at first, and it doubles as a standing-desk board.

If they already own an action camera, this kit lets them mount it to the board with tethers so it stays put through wipeouts. Footage of their own waves is the best way to fix technique, and to brag.

The only surf book to win a Pulitzer Prize, and the one surfers press on their friends. Finnegan's memoir moves from Honolulu to Fiji to San Francisco's Ocean Beach and captures exactly why people give their lives to waves.

The Surfer's Journal is the magazine surfers keep instead of recycling. This anthology collects five decades of its best writing, perfect for reading a story between flat-day errands.

Clark Little photographs from inside crashing shorebreak on Oahu's North Shore, and the images look unreal. A coffee-table book that both a surfer and their non-surfing family will flip through.

Stories and photos from the people who ride Jaws, Mavericks and Nazaré. Even surfers who never paddle out past head-high love reading about the giants, which makes this a great Christmas book.