There are some general traveling items that we will not get into detail about, for example don’t forget to bring the basic things you would bring to any beach trip, such as clothes, swimsuits, a towel and beach sandals. But there are other items that might not be that obvious, and need a special list to not be forgotten when heading on that long awaited surf holiday.
Below we have listed our most important items to make sure you have the best experience while in paradise:
Surfboard
We know, how obvious… or not. Some people like to travel with their own boards, and we get it, surfing with your board is always nice and easy. But sometimes traveling with a board bag is a hassle, some airlines will make your life hard (and expensive). Moving around can also get tricky and annoying depending on the tour. Some surfers decide to leave their boards at home and simply hire boards on the spot or buy one. At Surf Getaways we understand that, especially if you are only starting out, you might not even have a board. So we provide beginner boards on all our trips, and we always try to accommodate rentals if possible. Let us know in advance if you’d need any of that so we can arrange it for you!
Sunscreen
Depending on where you are travelling to, sunscreen might not be easily available. For example, if you come to one of our Maldives trips, we’ll spend 10 days on board a yacht. This means sunscreen might be hard to find as you’ll need to go back to land to get some. When staying on land, most stores will have sun protection that you can purchase, but sometimes the brand/type or protection level might not match your preferred sunscreen. That’s why we recommend that you bring your own with you.
Zinc
Zinc deserves its own mention. Even though it’s considered sun protection, zinc has the crucial job of protecting the most sun exposed part of your body – the face. A good “stay on” zinc will save you from sunburns and sore skin. We recommend you bring your own, as it might not be easily available everywhere.
First aid kit
If you travel with Surf Getaways, your guide will always carry a first aid kit for whenever it's needed. But it will not hurt to bring a small one with you, it’s better to be ready than to stress later. Band-aids, disinfectants, bandages, small scissors, tweezers and painkillers are not to be forgotten.
Surf accessories
Especially if you bring your own board, don’t forget to bring everything else you may need. Remember to bring surf wax, wax comb, fin key, leg rope and fins. Spare items of these are highly recommended too.
Board 'sock' bag
If you are traveling with a surfboard, you most likely have one of those padded, thick and protective surf bags to try to avoid any dings and dents. That’s great and will hopefully get your board sound and safe to the destination port. But we recommend you bring as well a thinner, sock type board bag for when you have to move around during your trip. Travel bags tend to be quite big and heavy, so a lighter bag will help protect the board from the sun, sand and possible hits, but without being as bulky and annoying.
Duct tape / waterproof tape
This essential item will work in 2 ways: good to have as part of your first aid kit, and it is also important to help keep your board safe. Small (and big) dings happen, and we can’t stop them from happening. Chances are you will not always have a ding repair service available. Duct tape or similar can be a temporary solution to make sure you don’t miss any water time. Make sure the ding has dried completely and that the area is very clean before you put the tape on it.
Rash vest & surf leggings / wetsuit
Depending on the destination you are visiting, you’ll be wearing different surf suits. Colder climates don’t give you many options with what you wear, but when you are heading to a warm destination, apart from your swimsuit, an extra layer is extremely recommended when in the water. Wearing a rash vest and/or surf leggings will not only protect you from getting rashes on your body from the surf wax and board, but they will also protect you from the sun.
Reef booties
Better safe than sorry. They might not be too glamorous or even that comfortable. But, especially if you are surfing on a reef break or rocky ocean bottom, wearing your booties can be the smartest choice. Most reefs are very sharp and once you get a cut, you have a higher chance of infection, as the reef carries lots of bacteria. Plus, any tropical climates tend to be very moist and humid, making any wound heal very slowly.
So now that you're all ready to pack and head to your next destination, where are you going? If you’re not sure where you're going on your next surf adventure, check out our Surf Experiences – Mexico, the Maldives, Bali or Taiwan are some of our amazing destinations for 2022 and 2023!
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