Sunscreen: Enough said.
Trunks: Beyond style, surf shorts are designed for function. Fast-drying nylon with velcro closures and, usually, a lace-up "button," surf shorts stay on through the heaviest pounding. A strong wave can rip a swimsuit right off!
Rashguards: Thin, form-fitting shirts, rashguards protect the skin from the seams of a wetsuit. Without a wetsuit, they protect the skin from the sand a waxed board accumulates and from the sun's rays. A rashguard can be handy in warm-water surfing areas, where sunscreen may be outlasted by conditions.
Wetsuits: A must as you get further from the equator, choose the right thickness for the water and season you surf in. This could mean a 2-millimeter shorty for hot summer days in Santa Cruz and a 4-millimeter full suit year round in British Columbia.
Booties: Booties protect against cold and injury. Buy them snug, and consider a model with a "sleeve" inside for your big toe, or one that actually has a split toe design; like a sandal with a toe loop, these booties will anchor your foot and give you better sensitivity on the board.
Even in warm water, booties protect against reefs, rocks, and shells. Coral cuts can lead to serious infections, and places without coral -- even some of the most beautiful beaches of California -- can still have very high bacteria and virus levels in the water.
A Few Words About Hypothermia
Hypothermia is always a risk outdoors, especially in water. In California, water temperatures are 55 degrees and under, and even tropical waters are 15 to 20 degrees lower than normal body temperature. A rashguard offers wonderful protection against the Fiji sun, but wet nylon can act as a "radiator," speeding the rate at which heat is vented from the body. So monitor your own condition, and get out of the water before you feel cold.
The Basic Skills
Swimming: You gotta swim before you can surf. You'll often be off your board, particularly as you're learning, and you can become separated from your board. Have another way back to dry land.
Paddling: Paddling is the mainstay of surfing and is usually done while lying down (sometimes while kneeling). You'll paddle out to the line-up, and you'll paddle back in to catch the waves you surf.
The pop-up: Once the wave catches the back of your board, you'll do a push-up and slide your feet forward so you can stand on the board. You can practice the motion on any flat surface until it's second nature and lightning fast.
