10 Surf Accessories You Need This Year

The right surf accessories can make or break a surfing experience for some of us, providing invaluable help in and out of the surf that you may not even know you need. Whether you're sick of those pesky ear infections, struggle to get your fins out the boxes, or are always forgetting to top up on wax, we've put together a guide to your must-haves this year, including some products you might not even know exist.

A Fin Remover 
Released earlier this year and making us wonder how we lived without it, Sticky Johnson has developed the world's first fin removal tool, the revolutionary Fins Out. The weapon-looking plastic handle enables you to change your FCS II fins super efficiently, with no damage to your hands or board, gently releasing stiff fins from the box much more quickly, easily and safely. 

  
A good sunscreen 
There’s nothing more important than keeping sun safe while surfing, especially in New Zealand, a country with one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world, occurring in approximately 35 to 40 people per 100,000 population according to bpac. This is in part due to the thin ozone layer above Aotearoa, but also due to the fact that the Southern Hemisphere has less air pollution than the Northern, which is a great thing, but it actually helps to block the sun’s rays. All the more reason to slip, slap and slop that sunscreen on. We have a range of sunscreen and zinc brands available in store, whether you’re looking for a natural, no chemical protection, or one that’s child-friendly. We stock Feel Good, Sun Zapper Zinc Sticks, Surf Yogis, SurfScreen, Sun Bum and more.

Wax Remover
Save the hairdryer and effort of scraping wax off with Sticky Johnson's Wax Remover, a completely natural citrus-based solvent formula. The magic liquid is not only designed for cleaning wax off boards, it's also amazingly useful for removing any type of adhesive, including deck grips and stickers. Simply spray it on generously and allow the product to penetrate into the adhesive, then remove with a wax comb or paper towels without a sweat.

A Key Safe... To Keep Your Keys Safe
Forget the feeling you'll head out the surf to an empty park spot, invest in a key safe and ensure you'll still have a ride home. Secure it to the tie down on your car, roof rack, wheel or trailer, and be safe in the knowledge your stuff is secure. It's also great anytime you need to leave your car but can't or don't want to carry your keys with you, like on a hike or bike ride. The key safe features foam padded back to prevent car damage, a combination lock with up to 10,000 code combinations, and a foil bag for keyless entry cars. Find your key safe here.

Wetsuit Bag AND Change Mat, all in one
Changing out of your wetsuit and carrying it back home just got a whole lot more enjoyable with a wetsuit bag and change mat, all in one handy package. Save your feet from sand, stones and mud while changing on the change mat, and pack it all into a waterproof bag to carry it home. Too easy. Find it online here.

Shade Your Lid
Take the SPF up a level with a surf hat, offering shade and added protection for your head and eyes. Available in a number of different styles, including caps and bucket hats, a specially-designed hat will take the edge off the sun’s blinding glare. Most if not all come with straps to keep them secure when duck-diving too. They’re also great for those of us with a little less hair... you know who you are. Check out the range here.

No More Rash
If wetsuit rash is a real problem for you, save your pits from the dreaded chafe with some Sticky Johnson No More Rash. Offering some helpful lubrication when the wetsuit friction sets in, it's resistant to water, sweat, heat, cold and wind, and is effective for up to five hours. It can also be applied to help heal existing rashes by adding a protective layer with no mess. Read more about it here.

A Wax Subscription
There’s nothing (seriously, nothing) more annoying than slipping off your board while popping up on the wave of the day, leaving it to speed away from you unridden. We don’t mess about with running low on wax, with a subscription from Mr Wax’s Wax Club, a regular service you can sign up for to receive wax direct to your door, at whichever intervals you choose. Check it out here.

Ear Protection 
According to ear.co.nz (an aptly-named website it turns out), surfer’s ear ‘is a condition where the ear canal is narrowed by bone which grows slowly in the ear canal over a long period of time.’ This bone can become so large it traps water inside the ear, leading to painful infections and, in particularly bad cases, loss of hearing. If symptoms are bad enough, sufferers may need to have the lumps removed via an operation, but there are ways of avoiding this. One way is by using ear plugs. SurfEars is a revolutionary product offering protection from wind and water. The accessories use a sophisticated acoustic mesh to still allow sound in, and can be adjusted in size to fit your ear canals perfectly. Find out more about them here.

A Good Wetsuit
Sick of getting cold while all your mates are still shredding without a care in the world? Invest in a good wetsuit and it’ll revolutionise your surfing experience. Wetsuit technology has advanced in leaps and bounds since Jack O’Neill first introduced us to neoprene steamers, and they continue to improve year on year. A good wetsuit can make the world of difference when you’re out in the water, and a quality wetsuit usually comes with a quality warranty to match. Rip Curl have developed a wetsuit with material in the shoulders, chest and upper back that heats up in response to your movements, meaning the more you paddle, the warmer you’ll be. Appropriately-named the Heat Seeker, it was described as 'the warmest wetsuit on the planet' by Stab Magazine. Rip Curl also released the E7 E-Bomb earlier this year, designed for and with Rip Curl’s world champions, offering unparalleled stretch for ‘ultimate performance’.

We have a range of wetsuits in store and online, and our friendly team are always more than happy to advise you on the best available. If you'd like to know any more info, email info@mountsurfshop.co.nz, or give us a call on 075759133.