Best Surfing Accessories: The 22 Must Haves

Where do you put your keys when you paddle out?

I see way too many guys who feel comfortable trying to hide their key somewhere outside the perimeter of their car.

This is why beach parking lots are a thief’s paradise.

Do yourself a favor and get a security padlock for your car keys.

One of our favorites on the market is the Master Lock 5400D.

​It provides a simple, yet effective way to make sure that all of the belongings in your car stay safe while you enjoy the waves.

There’s no doubt that you’ve seen the plethora of surf videos around the web.

If you’re feeling creative and want to make your own surf videos of you crashing through tubes with some tropical house beats in the background, having a GoPro is essential.

To this day, GoPro has some of the best action sports cameras on the market.

They are incredibly versatile, shoot high-quality photos and videos, and have a wide range of surfing accessories that they can be paired with.

Go check out the newest iteration of GoPro, the GoPro Hero 7.

See our full GoPro surf page here.  

If you drive a smaller car like I do, having a good roof rack is a must.

For many years I dealt with those insanely noisey foam straps that buckle onto the top of your car and make you feel like your board could jet off the back at any minute.

That was until I found out about the Inno Boardlocker.

Seriously, this thing is one of the best inventions in terms of surf roof racks.

These rubber and stainless steel design is very sturdy and helps you to lock your board securely to the top of your car’s racks.

No more worrying about board loss or theft!

Check out our full surfboard roof rack page here.  

If you’re the kind of surfer that likes to go offsite to more remote destinations, it’s likely that you won’t have a freshwater shower available.

That can be an issue if you don’t want to have sand in your buns the entire ride back.

This is why we recommend getting yourself a portable shower like the RinseKit.

It is basically a large, 2-gallon bucket of water with a pressurized hose that helps to deliver fresh, cold water to clean you off.

The spray even allows for seven different shower types for unexpected luxury.

See our full RinseKit review page here.  

Having information about the tide before you go surfing can save you a lot of time going out into flat surf.

Depending on the tide watch you get, you can receive information on tide cycles, wave height, wave period, etc.

High-quality tide watches are even capable of providing GPS locations for the most accurate readings.

One of our favorite tide watches on the market right now is the Rip Curl SearchGPS.

See our full ​surfer Tide Watch page here.  

If you want to stay upright on your board, you’re going to need a good bar of wax.

Wax helps to provide necessary grip. You’ll also want the right kind of wax for the water temperature that you’re surfing in.

If we could recommend any type of surf wax to you, it would have to be Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax.

It’s probably one of the most popular types of surf wax in the world, as it sticks really nicely, comes in an array of different formulas, and smells amazing.

View our full list of surfing wax on this page. 

Changing towel, surf poncho, Sith Lord robe, whatever you want to call it, having one of these babies can help you to easily change out of your wetsuit without baring it all.

Stop the deck changes! Instead, get yourself one of these handy towels!

They typically come with hoods for drying your hair, a wide opening in the bottom for pulling down your wetsuit, and a thick material for keeping you nice and warm.

One of our favorites on the market is the MicroFiber Surf Poncho from Ho Stevie!

See full review page on changing towels for surfers. 

If you have ways to walk down to the water, trying to carry your surfboard can be a major pain. At that point your stuck.

You don’t want to drag your board like a kook, but you also don’t want to build up a bunch of unnecessary tension in your arms before you start paddling out.

Instead, you should get yourself a board carrier.

These little babies run around the rail of your board and round off with a handle to help you carry it with ease.

This is perfect for those who don’t have very long arms too!

“Hey man, do you have a wax comb? I forgot mine at home?”

“Dude, do you have your hex key? I need to tighten up my fins?”

Please don’t be this guy. No one likes a mooch who can never remember his or her own gear.

Why not make your life easier and get yourself a multitool?

One of our favorite surfboard multitools is the Leatherman Stainless Steel Multi.

This inexpensive stainless steel multitool allows you comb off your wax, tighten your fins, and pop open a beer at the end of your sesh.

Have you heard of swimmer’s ear?

It’s not fun. When you’re surfing, your ears are constantly exposed to the cold water.

The best thing that you can do to protect yourself is to get a quality pair of earplugs.

Instead of dealing with the nasty, sticky putty earplugs, or the sound muffling foam plugs, get yourself a pair these vented earplugs form Docs.

They’re the earplugs of the USSF National Surf Team, so you know they mean business.

Check out our page on ear plugs for surfers. 

If you’re a nomadic surfer who likes to take coastal trips to find interesting spots, a travel bag is a serious must-have.

They’re also important for storing your board so that you can protect it from dings or dents.

A good travel bag should come with enough storage to hold your board and a few accessories, a little bit of padding for protection, and hopefully a handle to make carrying your board down to the water a breeze.

One of our favorite surfboard travel bags on the market is the Pro-Lite Rhino. It’s an ultra-durable bag that works for up to two board at a time!

See our full page about the best surfboard travel bags for more information. 

Cleaning and drying your wetsuit can be a task.

Because you can’t just throw it in the wash, you need to spray it down. Then you have to be super careful about hanging it up so that you don’t ruin the form.

How about getting yourself a rinse hanger instead?

These handy little hangers help to remove salt and sand from your wetsuit with their innovative rinsing capabilities.

Thanks to the wide body, they also provide great air circulation to help your wetsuit dry quickly.

Check out our full product review of the Rinse wetsuit dryer hanger. 

How many times have you popped up on your board just to have your leash tangle up around your ankle?

Enough is enough!

Stop bailing out of good waves and get yourself a tangle free leash like the ones from XM Surfboard.

These competition style leashes are incredibly lightweight and durable, yet work in a way where they stay tangle-free and out from under your feet thanks to the little, built-in slider.

They come in an array of sizes as well so that you can find the one that suits you best.

See our full list of the best surfboard leashes.

We’re still not 100% sure if shark repellent actually works, though there have been many articles and studies written on it that point to the possibility.

If your fear of sharks prevents you from paddling out into certain surf spots though, we highly recommend you getting a shark repellent device.

From electromagnetic to sound-emitting, there are many different types of shark repellents available on the market.

One of the most popular out there right now is the Sharkbanz 2.

This wearable device provides powerless, magnetic protection to disrupt sharks’ electrical sense.

Read our Best Shark Repellent article here. 

Tired of putting having to change in the parking lot and getting your feet dirty and sandy right before getting in the car?

Maybe it’s time to get yourself a changing mat.

Changing mats come in a wide array of designs, though one of our favorites is the Surf Grass Mat.

It is nice and soft on the feet, easy to carry around in your car, and makes a solid camping mat for when you’re on those nomadic surf retreats.

Add a little green to your life!

Here is our full article on surf changing mats. 

If you’re someone who lives in colder water environments, or just someone who wants to surf during the winter, getting yourself a pair of gloves and booties is essential.

Every cold water surfer who has ever gone numb in the water knows why these are so important.

While there are so many types on the market, my personal favorites are the Body Glove 3mm Vapor Split Boots and the NeoSport Neoprene Gloves.

At 3mm, they’re a great compromise between cold water protection and flexibility.

We cover both booties and gloves in our full guides. 

Ever had to pay a few hundred dollars to get a little ding on your board repaired?

Not many surfers know how easy these little dings are to fix on their own.

Depending on the size of the ding, you can usually repair it with a resin repair kit.

The Solarez UV Travel Kit is an awesome portable repair kit that includes resin, fiberglass cloth, scissors, applicators, and everything else that you’ll need for repairing epoxy boards.

Don’t ignore that ding. You’ll just end up with a problem that might destroy your board for good.

Read our repair kit and how to guide. 

For those of you who are fortunate enough to live by the beach, there’s really no reason to drive there with your board.

Protect the environment and save a bit of money on parking by using a surfboard bike rack like the Moved By Bikes MBB Rack.

This bolt on rack provides hold for boards up to 12’ long, allowing you to easily bike down to the beach with your board by your side.

For more info, read our bike surfboard rack article. 

Some people don’t like the feeling of wax on their board, and cleaning it off can be a pain. Instead, get yourself some waxless traction grip like the HexaTraction Grip from North Shore.

These hexagon-shaped pieces of grip are clear, so to not ruin the look of your board, soft, so to not tear up your body, and easy to apply.

They’re so thin that they’re also barely noticeable, and they also don’t add any weight to your board.

It’s a truly, no-brainer alternative to wax.

We cover everything you need to know about the best surfboard traction pads in our article here. 

Don’t want to wear your wetsuit during the summer but afraid that you’ll contract a nasty rash from your board?

This is why you should get a rash guard.

They not only help to keep your exposed skin rash-free, but also help to protect you from prolonged sun exposure that can lead to nasty burns.

You can wear them in your wetsuit during the winter or with a pair of bottoms during warmer weather months.

Some of our favorites include the O’Neill Men’s Rash Guard and the O’Neill Women’s Rash Guard.

As a surfer, you are constantly exposed to the sun.

Sun exposure is worse when you’re on the water, as you’re dealing with reflection too. 

This is why getting a good pair of facial sunscreen is crucial. One of our favorites on the market is the Vertra Face Stick.

It’s inexpensive, easy to use, incredibly water resistant, and provides a broad spectrum of protection for all skin types.

See our surfer sunscreen article for more info. 

As a traveling surfer, you must have all of your surfing essentials on you at all times.

Getting a surfing backpack that is waterproof and has ample amount of storage for accessories like fins and wax, as a well as pockets for your dry clothes and wetsuit, can be super helpful.

The FCS Mission Premium Surf Backpack has all of the above, which is why it’s our surf backpack of choice.

Read our full list of surf backpacks with our guide page. 

We hope that our list of the must-have surfing accessories has given you some insight for your next surf purchase.

These also make excellent gifts for your surfing partner, family member, or friend!

Embrace invention and innovation and you’ll find that your surfing experience will grow like you never thought possible. Shred on my friends!