Popular Mechanics - USA (2018-07 & 2018-08)

JULY/AUGUST _ 201 41

DO I NEED

A WETSUIT?

It depends. Using a surf forecasting app such as Surline

or Magicseaweed, ind out the water temperature. Is it...

...Less

than 52

degrees

Fa hrenheit

Woof. Suring the Northeast

in winter? You’ll need a 5mm

wetsuit with an attached

hood (Matuse Tumo, $600),

plus 7mm booties and

gloves. Or: Maybe just wait

for summer? Suring is hard

enough to learn without hav-

ing to do it in $800 worth of

rubber.

...52 to 57

degrees

A common temperature in

the chilly Paciic along North-

ern California. Locals often

recommend a 4/3 wetsuit

(Patagonia R3, $490; avail-

able in August) The irst

number is the thickness, in

millimeters, of neoprene cov-

ering your core; the second is

the thickness covering your

extremities. Booties are rec-

ommended. Gloves optional.

...58 to 64

degrees

Standard Southern Califor-

nia water, as well as spring/

fall in the Carolinas and the

Northeast. A 3/2 (XCEL Dry-

lock, $400) should cover you.

...65 to 74

degrees, or

warmer,

but windy

There are various versions

of spring wetsuits that will

cover you at this tempera-

ture. Spring john/janes

(O’Neill Reactor, $90) are

generally 2mm thick, short-

legged, and sleeveless,

although there are long-

sleeved versions, versions

with full legs, and even vests.

...75

degrees

and up

If the air is also warm, you’re

good to go in trunks, but

consider a rash guard (Body

Glove Heritage vest, $45) to

protect against sunburn and

chaing. Ladies might want

a one-piece: Bikinis are cute,

but can be... uncooperative.

YOUR FIRST BOARD

Board rentals run $20 to $40
for a half-day, so if you ind you
love suring, it’s worth buy-
ing your own. “You want a soft
board as you’re learning,” says
Schmidt. “It’s a lot safer for the
beginning surfer and also for
everybody else.” As for size, big-
ger is better. An eight-, nine-, or
ten-foot board has enough vol-
ume to catch even tiny waves,
which is what you’ll be aiming to
ride. Two good options:

Costco Wavestorm (above, left)
Cheap, bright, and so fun the
pros ride them when they’re
feeling silly. $150

Agit Storm Blade
Relatively light, with agility you’ll
appreciate as your skills improve.
Starting at $250