Clothing
Glossary of Surfing
Board shorts: Boardshorts originally known as Surf
Trunks (occasionally in British
English, swim shorts) are a style of men's and,
recently, women's summerwear. They were originally developed foraquatic sports, specifically
for surfing,
but in more recent years they have grown in popularity outside of these
sports, and have become a popular form of general beach and summerwear.
The name of "boardshorts"
originates from their affiliation with aquatic sports that use a board, such
as surfing.
They are sometimes called "boardies" in slang, especially in Australia,
and "baggies" in South Africa.
Boardshorts are especially popular
in North America and spread beyond surfing
especially as the skater punk fashion trend got underway.
They are also typically worn in men's beach
volleyball. They are less popular in other parts of the world, where
other suit styles are preferred.
- Rash
guard: A rash guard, also known as rash
vest or rashie, is a type of water wear, an athletic shirt made
of spandex and nylon or polyester.
The name rash guard reflects the fact that the shirt protects the wearer
against rashes caused
by abrasion. These shirts can be worn by
themselves, or under a wetsuit. A rash guard by itself is used
for light coverage in warm to extreme summer temperatures for
several watersports including surfing,
one mile swimming, water survival training, jungle environment survival
training (JEST), scuba diving, snorkelling, freediving, wakeboarding, body
surfing, body
boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking,
or simply for stand up paddle surfing or swimming.
There are also lower body rash guards, which are similar to compression shorts to be worn
under the surfers' boardshorts, but more specialized for surfers.
Rash guards are most often worn in surfing
when the weather is too warm for a wetsuit,
and to prevent wax-based chafing from sliding on and off of the surf board, on
either the torso, or the legs. A surfboard's wax holds sand from the beach that
could rub against a surfer's torso while paddling out to the break, or legs
while sitting atop one's board. Rash guards also offer some protection from the
sun (measured by its Ultraviolet Protection Factor) and slight
protection against jelly fish stings and are sometimes worn under wetsuits to
prevent chafing.
A rash guard helps to prevent irritation caused by rapid impact with surface
water and waves as well.
Other important components of a rash
guard include flatlock stitching, and six panel construction. Flatlock
stitching creates a seam where the seam allowances lies flat to the garment
instead of hanging loose from it. It is made by adjusting the overlock or the
thread overedge stitch. Flatlock stitching increases the strength of the
garment for intense exercise or recreational activities. Six panel construction
versus the conventional 4 panel tee shirt construction allows the user
increased mobility wet or dry.
The combination of products used to
construct a rash guard differ slightly depending on the designer. The use of
nylon and spandex create a garment that is lightweight, quick drying, flexible,
durable, naturally antibacterial and water wicking.
- Wetsuit:
Often referred to as "rubber", sometimes surfers also wear
a neoprene hood
and booties in cold conditions. A wetsuit is a garment, usually
made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged
in water sports,
providing thermal insulation, abrasion resistance
and buoyancy.
The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the
material, which reduce its ability to conduct heat. The bubbles also give the
wetsuit a low density, providing buoyancy in water.
The layer of warm water normally
trapped between the suit and the skin provides very little thermal insulation,
contrary to popular beliefs regarding wetsuits.
Hugh Bradner, a University
of California, Berkeley physicist invented the
modern wetsuit in 1951. Wetsuits became available in the mid-1950s and evolved
as the relatively fragile foamed neoprene was first backed, and later
sandwiched, with thin sheets of tougher material such as nylon or later Lycra/Spandex. Improvements in the way joints in the wetsuit were made
by gluing, taping and blindstitching, helped the suit to remain waterproof and
reduce flushing, the replacement of water trapped between suit and body by
cold water from the outside. Further improvements in the seals at the
neck, wrists and ankles produced a suit known as a "semi-dry".
Different types of wetsuit are made for
different uses and for different temperatures. Suits range from a thin
(2 mm or less) "shortie", covering just the torso, to a full
8 mm semi-dry, usually complemented by neoprene boots, gloves and hood.
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