30 Best Surfing Gifts for Men Who Live for the Swell

Every surfer wants a second wetsuit, so one can dry while the other is in the water. This Hevto 3/2 is an affordable way to give him that, and the 16 size options, including tall fits, make it easier to get right. It suits spring and fall sessions in temperate water and makes a great travel suit he will not mind getting scuffed.

Cold feet end more winter sessions than cold anything else. If he surfs a rocky point or a beach where the water dips below 60°F, a pair of 3mm boots buys him another hour in the lineup and saves his soles on the walk out over reef. Grab his shoe size and you are set.

A man who surfs midday sessions for years starts to wear it on his face. A proper surf hat with a chin strap stays on through whitewater and keeps the sun off his nose and neck during long lulls. Practical and a quiet nudge to look after himself.

Lotion on his hands means a slippery deck and a nasty slide off the board. A zinc stick goes on his face without touching his palms, survives 80 minutes in the water and will not harm the reef he surfs over. Two sticks mean one for the car and one for the travel bag.

Years of cold water and wind can trigger surfer's ear, a bony growth that narrows the ear canal and often needs surgery. Plugs that block water but let sound through mean he can still hear a call of 'outside!' while protecting his hearing for the long run. A small, genuinely caring stocking stuffer.

On a warm-water trip a rash guard is the only thing between him and a sunburned back and a chest rubbed raw by wax. This UPF 50+ long sleeve dries fast between sessions and costs little enough that he can pack two. A smart pick for the surfer heading somewhere tropical.

O'Neill invented the wetsuit and has been making surf trunks for decades. These Stoked boardshorts stretch in four directions so they do not bind when he pops up, and the zip pocket holds his car key securely through a whole session. A safe clothing gift if you know his waist size.

He reads the ocean from the car park before he paddles out, and polarized lenses let him see the sandbars and rips under the glare. These ones float, which matters when they slip off his head on the boat or the jetty. Salt-resistant lenses mean less smearing after a session too.

Wax is the one thing every surfer runs out of at the worst moment. A six-pack of Sticky Bumps base coat means he can strip and rewax every board in his quiver properly, building the bumpy foundation that keeps his feet planted on late drops. Pair it with a bar of top coat for his local water temperature and you have a small gift he will use for a full season.

Leashes wear out quietly until one snaps on a big set and he spends twenty minutes swimming after his board. A fresh 7mm leash with double swivels is cheap insurance. Match it to his board length, around seven feet for a mid-length or funboard, and he will feel the difference in the padded cuff on long sessions.

A tail pad gives his back foot a locked-in spot for hard turns, and this sheet lets him cut one to the exact shape he likes, with enough left over for a second board or his SUP. A good pick for the DIY-minded surfer who tweaks his own setup.

Many boards ship with flimsy plastic fins, and swapping to a proper fiberglass set is one of the cheapest performance upgrades a surfer can make. This BPS thruster set adds drive out of bottom turns and a springy release. Check first that his boards use FCS plugs, then give him a set he can feel on the very first wave.

If he rides a longboard, the nose takes every knock on the way through the garage door. This stretch sock pads the nose, keeps wax off his car seats and has a little pocket for a bar of wax and his keys. Lightweight protection for the board he loves most.

Every board gets dinged, and a ding left open soaks up water and ruins the foam. With this kit in the garage he can fix small cracks the same evening instead of waiting a week at a repair shop. It works on both epoxy and polyester boards, so he does not have to know which resin his shaper used.

After a session he needs somewhere to throw a soaking wetsuit that will not leak all over the trunk. This 20L dry bag works both ways, keeping dry clothes dry on the sand and sealing wet gear in on the drive home. The bonus phone pouch is handy for boat trips to outer reefs.

Modern car fobs die in saltwater, so the question every surfer faces is where to stash the key. This lockbox clips around his tow hitch, door handle or roof bar and holds even a bulky fob, so his key stays dry and safe while he surfs. A problem-solver he will thank you for every time he paddles out.

Not every surfer drives a van with a rack. These soft pads strap through the car doors, so he can carry boards on the roof of almost any car, and they come with all the tie-downs he needs. Ideal for the man who borrows a friend's car on trips or just bought a sedan.

Most surfers have a favorite old board leaning against a wall somewhere. These ash wood mounts turn it into a display piece in the living room or garage, and they free up floor space for the next board he inevitably buys. A gift that looks as good as it works.

If he has a surf trip on the calendar, this is the gift that protects the boards he is bringing. Room for two means a shortboard and a step-up go in one bag, which saves him an airline fee, and the 10mm padding survives baggage handlers. A serious present for the travelling surfer.

Every man who surfs has done the parking-lot towel dance, one hand holding a slipping towel and the other yanking at wet neoprene. This hooded poncho ends that. He can change in the open, stay warm while the wind picks up, and drive home dry. At under $25 it is the easiest surfing gift to get right and one he will use every single session.

A wire hanger stretches the shoulders of a wetsuit until it lets water in. This wide, vented hanger supports the suit's weight and opens it up so it dries inside before his next session. On a $200 to $400 wetsuit, that adds real life. A clever, useful gift most surfers never think to buy.

Be honest: his wetsuit smells. A proper neoprene wash gets the salt and funk out and keeps the rubber supple so seams and knees do not crack early. Bundle it with the wetsuit hanger and you have a care kit that keeps his best suit going an extra season.

Beaches without showers mean driving home crusted in salt and sand. With this pump in the car, he fills a jug with warm water before he leaves, drops the pump in after the session and rinses himself, his wetsuit and his board right at the tailgate. A road-trip luxury for under $35.

Two hours of paddling in the sun dehydrates anyone. A 32-ounce bottle that stays ice cold in a baking car park means he comes in to a proper drink instead of warm plastic. The locking lid will not leak in a beach bag full of wet gear.

A surfer needs a watch that can take a pounding in the shorebreak and still tell him when his parking meter runs out. The Casio Duro does exactly that, with 200 meters of water resistance and a rotating bezel he can set when he paddles out to track the session. It looks sharp enough to wear to dinner afterwards, which is why so many surfing men wear nothing else.

If he owns a GoPro, the mouth mount is how surfers get that famous point-of-view shot looking down the line from inside the wave. It keeps both hands free for paddling, and the lanyard means a wipeout does not cost him his camera. Expect a lot of footage in the group chat.

When the swell goes flat for two weeks, a man who surfs gets restless. The Carver Super Snapper is the cure. Its CX truck lets him pump down the street and drill the same bottom turns and snaps he does on a wave, so his muscle memory stays sharp. It is the splurge pick on this list, and the one most surfers covet but never justify buying for themselves.

Balance is the engine of every turn, and a roller board trains it in the living room. He can set the stoppers wide for a real challenge, drill stance and weight shifts during flat spells, and even stand on it at a desk. A practical way to stay surf-fit year round.

Grannis shot surfing's golden era from the beach with a homemade water housing, and these photos are the reason so many men fell in love with the sport. It is a book he will leave out on the coffee table and flip through on flat mornings, coffee in hand.

Most surfers know little about where their sport began. This book traces a thousand years of Hawaiian wave riding, the royalty, the legends and the culture behind it, and gives him a deeper respect for every wave. A thoughtful gift for the reader in the lineup.