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Even if you surf in Southern California, there’s a good chance that your hands get cold at the end of long sessions. It’s normal—your extremities lose heat fast, and even if the water’s in the high 60s it can still take a toll on your fingers after a while.  That’s where wetsuit gloves come in. You don’t have to surf in Alaska or Patagonia to appreciate keeping your hands warm, and gloves also give your hands a bit of protection from sharp fins and reefs.

One of the biggest decisions in picking gloves is how many finger slots you want—that is, whether you want mitten-style gloves, gloves where all your fingers are separate, or something in between. If you’re surfing somewhere moderately warm—somewhere you typically wear a 3/2 wetsuit—then a standard five-fingered glove like the Quicksilver Ignite will do the trick. If you typically wear a thicker wetsuit, lobster-style gloves, like the West 2 Finger Mitten, provide a nice compromise between warmth and flexibility. And for those of you dodging ice in the lineup, we carry full mittens like the Rip Curl Flash Bomb 7/5.

Thickness isn’t quite as important with gloves as it is with wetsuits, but it’s still important to consider.   In general, it’s better to err on the side of getting a thicker glove. Having that extra neoprene won’t really affect your performance when you’re paddling or standing up or grabbing rail in the barrel, and it’ll keep your hands warmer so you can keep surfing longer.

Kids Body Glove Pr1me 3/2 CZ Fullsuit

It’s the heart of winter right now, and if you’re a parent you’ll know that it’s one of the toughest times of year to keep kids active and entertained. Even if you live here in Southern California, it can still be rainy or cold for days at a time. It probably won’t surprise you that we think surfing is one of the best ways to get outside with your kids in the winter. Even when the sky’s a bit grey and drizzly and there’s a bit of wind, it’s likely that you can find some kid-friendly waves close to home.

With a good wetsuit, kids can stay in the water just as long in the winter as in the summer. 
Kids are particularly prone to colder water temperatures, so when the water temps drop or the wind starts blowing, it’s crucial that they have a quality wetsuit that fits them well.

We often recommend the Kids Body Glove Pr1me 4/3 CZ Fullsuit. This also comes in a 3/2, but the extra neoprene in the 4/3 keeps kids warm even during the heart of winter. And since most kids have flexibility and energy to spare, the added thickness won’t hinder their paddling or surfing.

We also carry XCel’s extensive line of kids’ wetsuits. If you’re looking for a budget option, the XCel SLX Offset

Kids’ Xcel Infiniti X-Zip2 5/4 Hooded Fullsuit

3/2 Fullsuit is a great value. Or if your kid is surfing some northern beach—or is just extra-sensitive to the cold—the Kids’ Xcel Infiniti X-Zip2 5/4 Hooded Fullsuit is one of the best kids hooded coldwater wetsuits you can get.

When you’re picking out a wetsuit for a child, it’s important to get a good fit. We have an extensive sizing charton our wetsuit, so if you measure your child beforehand you can make sure that the wetsuit will be a perfect fit.

One of the great things about being a fan of competitive surfing is the short offseason. It seems like the Pipe Masters competition—and one of the best world-title races in years—just finished up, and we’re already less than two months from the 2013 World Tour kicking off at Snapper Rocks on March 2. Here are a few of the things we’re looking forward to on the 2013 World Tour.

New Cast of Characters
There are a few new rookies on tour for 2013. Sebastien Zietz is in after tearing through the Vans Triple Crown on his home court. Nat Young’s in via solid performances at Prime and Six Star events. Taylor Knox retired with style. Patrick Gudauskas, Yadin Nicol, and Heitor Alves are all relegated to alternate positions for the year (which means they stand a good chance of getting into a few events). We’ll miss seeing some of these guys at every event, but we’re excited to see how guys like Sebastian and Nat fare against the current top pros.

Sophomore Season for Last Year’s Rookie Class
Along with that, 2013 should see last year’s rookies—John John, Gabriel Medina, Kolohe Andino—hitting their stride on tour. For Kolohe, that might mean making the final series of a few events. For John John and Gabriel—well, no one would be that shocked if either of those guys won the world title next year.

Parko, Kelly, and Mick
For a few years there it seemed like Parko might go down as one of the best competitive surfers to never win a world title. But in 2012 he put together one of the most consistent seasons in recent memory, capped with that victory at surfing’s center court, Pipeline. And Kelly and Mick gave Parko a good challenge throughout. With all three of these guys still somehow at the peak of their powers, and with one of the best crops of young tour surfers we’ve ever seen, the 2013 World Tour might be even better than last year’s—and we don’t have to wait long to see it.

Would you ask a professional golfer to help you learn to swim? Or a professional chef to build your house…of course not. You would ask someone who is experienced and skilled in that field to perform the task at hand. This idea should be carried over to who is shaping your boards. You shouldn’t have a shaper who solely longboards shape you a thruster for your trip to Indo; just like you shouldn’t have a shaper who has never cross-stepped on a single fin shape you a board for your trip to Scorpion Bay.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of shaper loyalty and my shaper, Jeremy Covington (Surfboards by Jeremy), surfs like I do and because of that he has shaped my last five or six boards. But if I ever get the inclination to charge big waves I will turn to a shaper who has experience shaping big wave guns. Try to do more than just know your shaper, but surf with your shaper. Not only will you be stoked and be able to give immediate feedback as to what works and doesn’t work, but he will be stoked to see the rails, the tail, the rocker, the nose and, most importantly, your surfing in action.

If you don’t have a relationship with your shaper at least know how they surf. I don’t know Matt Biolas from …Lost surfboards but I see him at Lowers enough to know how he surfs. If you don’t live near your shaper at least know where your shaper is from. Shapers shape what they know, some know point breaks so their boards are better suited for that type of wave, some shapers surf heavy barrels and their boards will typically be better suited for fat barrels…of course they will be able to shape a board for other conditions but it won’t be familiar or comfortable.

The guys on tour practice this very idea. A lot of the guys switch shapers as the tour travels around the globe because they know that the best boards are going to come from the guys who know the wave best. So next time you head into Jack’s surf shop or order your next board from your trusty shaper, make sure to do your research because you’ll have more peace of mind when the times come to put the money down.

For people who don’t surf, and for a few who do, sharks are the most common topic of conversation when talking about the ocean. Unfortunately, sharks and shark attacks have been in the news a lot lately with two attacks on surfers in Northern California a couple weeks ago and two attacks on divers on the same day in Hawaii. This got me to thinking about what kinds of shark repellents are on the market today and why surfers don’t use them. After Google searching “shark repellents for surfers” and sifting through heaps of strange inventions I have taken it upon myself to compile a list of my most noteworthy findings.

Firstly, the SURF7 by SharkShield (www.sharkshield.com) is an eight foot long antenna that attaches to the tail of a board and emits a protective electrical field. The electrical field is detected through the shark’s sensory receptors and deters them from the area, in theory. The SURF7, besides most likely being absurdly frustrating while tangling your leash and slowing you down, will also put a pretty substantial dent in your wallet. The SURF7 costs a smooth $650.00, but if it gives you peace of mind, maybe it’s worth it.

My second find was the Shark Camo (www.sharkcamo.com). It’s pretty much a big sticker that goes on the bottom of your board to resemble certain fish species that predatory sharks do not eat. This product is way more convenient than the SURF7 and substantially cheaper at an easy $49.95 for short boards, $74.95 for longboards, and $99.95 for SUPs but again, if you believe the evidence then it’s a small price to pay for serenity.

There are a plethora of other repellents such as wetsuits with certain designs, odorous aerosol sprays and anklets that work similarly to the SURF7, but it doesn’t answer the heart of the question: Why don’t surfers use them? Maybe it’s because we understand that the risk of being attacked is exceptionally rare, (1 in every 11.5 million) or maybe we’re just stubborn and think it will never happen to us, but either way I can’t foresee a barrage of shark repellents making their way into the lineups anytime soon

The time is finally here for big north swells, offshore winds and awkwardly tan faces…it’s winter! Well, to be completely factual winter does not officially begin until December 22nd, just in time for Santa Claus to bring us new wetsuits, we wish we had two months earlier, new booties that we always try to get out of wearing and cold water wax with its perfect holiday fragrance. But for surfers, winter starts much sooner than the winter solstice.

The holiday season for surfers starts as soon as the kids go back to the classroom, as soon as the summer time shredders retreat inland and those who “don’t do cold water” hibernate until the summer months. “Winter” is the best time to be a surfer in Southern California.

It’s that magical time of year when spots in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Orange County finally start to work, and the number of electric blue soft-top surfboards littering the lineups starts to diminish.

Winter is the time of year when the beach breaks that have been walled up all summer long finally start to take shape as peaky barreling right handers. And the rain brings forth bittersweet feelings of polluted water with the hopes of great sandbars.

But winter is not so sweet for everyone. For those trapped inside of a classroom (or office) who can only watch a flag blow straight offshore, who know the tide is low and there’s swell in the water…winter sucks.

It looks like the ASP World Title race between Joel Parkinson, Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning is going to be as contestable as the 2012 presidential election, with Kelly playing President Obama, Parko as Mitt Romney and Mick Fanning playing the unlikely successor, but still hopeful Roseanne Barr.

Here’s the breakdown as the ASP moves to Hawaii for the 30th Triple Crown: Parko is currently in first place with 53900 total points, closely behind is Slater with a total 50700 points and still in the title hunt is Fanning with a total 47000 points.  For either of these three men to win the world title there are a plethora of if/then scenarios that must occur:

• If Parko finishes 5th or lower at Pipeline:
• then Slater needs a 5th or better to win his unprecedented 12th world title;
• then Fanning needs to win the contest to win the title (Slater cannot finish 5th or better)

• If Parko finishes 3rd at Pipeline:
• then Slater needs a 3rd or better win the title;
• then Fanning needs to win the contest to win the title (Slater cannot finish 5th or better)

• If Parko finishes 2nd at Pipeline:
• then Slater needs to win at Pipeline while simultaneously becoming the ASP champ;
• then Fanning cannot win the title

• If Parko wins at Pipeline then he will be the 2012 ASP champ.

Let’s take a look at the past to try to forecast the future.  Last year Parko took down Kelly in the semifinals and Fanning did not surf the event.  During the 2010 Billabong Pipeline Masters, Kelly made it to the semifinals again, while both Parko and Fanning lost in the third round.  In the 2009 contest, Kelly lost in the final, Fanning lost in the quarters, and Parko lost in the third round.

Personally, I think Kelly is too strong of a competitor to lose the title when it is within arms reach.  That being said, Parko’s three Triple Crown victories and Fanning’s two World Titles cannot be ignored, but an incumbent is hard to dethrone and Kelly has proven time and time again that he is king.

xcel surf hood

You may have heard the old bit of folk wisdom about how most of your body heat leaves through your head. It turns out that, in general, this is completely false. The amount of body heat you lose depends on the surface area you have exposed, so a larger surface area, like your leg, naturally loses more heat than your head.

But if you’re already wearing a full wetsuit, then your head probably is your biggest source of heat-loss—it’s the largest uncovered surface on your body. That’s why a good wetsuit hood is one of the unsung heroes of winter surfing in California (or year-round surfing in colder climates).

If you live in California—and not in the far-flung northern reasons—your go-to wetsuit probably doesn’t have a built-in hood. Most of the year it’s unnecessary and only gets in the way. But for a few months of the year, having a hood can make the difference between a fun session and a session where you dread every duck dive.

That’s why we carry a number of hoods that you can use with your current wetsuit. The Rip Curl Flash Bomb 3mm, for example, is a great hood to wear with your 3/2 fullsuit. It has flash lining, which means that the hood is warm and comfy, and that it dries in around fifteen minutes. Which is great, because the only thing worse than putting on a wet wetsuit is also putting on a cold hood.

If you want something super warm to go with a 4/3 or 5/4 wetsuit, we recommend the Hyperflex 5/3mm Bibbed Surf Hood. Not only is it a bit thicker for additional warmth, but it has a bib. Basically, the bib tucks under the neckline of your wetsuit and extends to your upper chest, which means that there’s no gap in your neckline to allow water into your wetsuit or into the hood.

O'Neill 2MM Sport Cap - Men's

For a hood that you can use year-round for warmth and sun protection, check out the O’Neill 2mm Sport Cap. It’s super light and unobstructive, but it’ll protect your ears and face from the sun, and it’ll give you a bit of warmth on windy days or early mornings.

Hoods are relatively inexpensive, and they’re a great addition to any non-hooded wetsuit—and you won’t have to worry about exactly how much heat you lose through your head.

One of the most awkward parts of surfing is the get-into-your-wetsuit dance in the parking lot. You know the one: where the zipper is jammed or you haven’t worn your wetsuit in a while or it didn’t fit right to begin with, and you’re in the parking lot doing yoga contortions to get into your wetsuit and get it zipped. It’s awkward and unpleasant, especially if you have to get one of your friends to zip you up.

You won’t have that problem with the Body Glove Pr1me 3/2 Wetsuit. It might be the easiest-to-get-into fullsuit on the market. It has what Body Glove calls an E-Z Entry Slant Zip, which is basically a zipper that goes diagonally across the chest. What’s great about this is that it gives you a bit more space to get your body into the suit without sacrificing the warmth of a snug fit once you’re in the suit—and the zipper’s right there on your chest when it’s time to zip up.

Of course, if you were going to buy a wetsuit just because it’s easy to get into you’d just wear boardshorts—a wetsuit’s whole purpose is to keep you warm while you surf. And the Body Glove Pr1me 3/2 does that as well. It has Pyrostretch insulation for added warmth from the chest down, and it has a shoulder bib cinch that lets you seal the bib up nice and tight to keep water out.

The Body Glove Pr1me 3/2 is also good and comfy once you have it on. It has a Glideskin neck, because no one likes neck chafing. And the whole thing is made of Body Glove’s Evoflex material blend, which ensures that it’s flexible and won’t hold your surfing back. So if you want a wetsuit that’ll keep you warm and comfortable, and want to be able to get into that wetsuit without the awkward get-into-your-wetsuit dance, look no further than the Body Glove Pr1me 3/2 Wetsuit.

CANGGU, Bali/Indonesia (October 8, 2012) —Team Jack’s Surfboards, from Huntington Beach, Calif., claimed the 2012 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge National Championship in Bali, revoking Sunrise Surf Shop’s domination of the one-hour Final in a nail biting come-from-behind victory.

2012 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge National Champs: Jack's Surfboards Photo: Lowe-White

Now in its eigth year, the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge has seen its most competitive series yet with nearly 300 surfers from 70 shops around the U.S. competing in seven regional stops for a chance to ink their names in Surf Shop Challenge history.

For the first time in the events tenure, the National Championship battle took place on the wave-rich coastline of Bali Canggu in conjunction with the Oakley Pro Junior World Championship. 28 competitors from seven shops earned the coveted Oakley sponsored trip to Southeast Asia including Surf Ride (Southwest), Wave Riding Vehicles (Mid-Atlantic), Heritage Ocean City (Northeast), Jack’s Surfboards (West), Town & Country Surf (Hawaii), Sunrise Surf Shop (Southeast) and Pacific Wave Surf Shop (Northwest).

Four teams earned a Finals berth: Jack’s Surfboards (Huntington Beach, Calif.), former National Champions Sunrise Surf Shop (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.), Surf Ride (Solano Beach, Calif.) and T&C Surf (Aiea, Haw.).

Sunrise Surf Shop whammy rider Asher Nolan, whammied a powerful 9.4 in the Final, which put Sunrise in temporary contention for the title. However, with a team stacked full of former Regional Champs, the Jack’s crew implemented the perfect combination of skill and strategy to succeed in the unique Surf Shop Challenge format - a four-man rotation (two pros, two shop employees) with one team member designated a wildcard “whammy” rider. (Each surfer got a four-wave maximum to contribute their best possible score to the team’s heat total.)

Chris Waring, Jack’s designated “whammy” rider, played a pivotal role as always, staking claim to his best score, a 8.67 (out of possible 10), for double the points and to take a commanding lead. When asked about his clutch performance, Waring said, “I was stressing. I was just waiting for that certain wave and it didn’t come for the longest time. I can’t believe I got that one, I’m so stoked. I’m stoked for all my boys; Vance, Bobby, Pagan. This is epic. We just won 10 g’s boys!”

Chris Waring, slicing into a meaty Canggu left-hander. Photo: Lowe-White

In addition to the trip of a lifetime, the Jack’s team won a $10,000 cash prize, a full-page shop profile in SURFER Magazine, online ads on Surfermag.com, a custom Muscle Milk Beach Cruiser with surf racks and the priceless title of the “Best Surf Shop” in the U.S.A.

For all of the latest information including photos, video highlights, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.

Congratulations to Jack’s and special thanks to Oakley and other event partners, Muscle Milk, Rusty, Bubble Gum Surf Wax, New Era, Futures Fins, Waterman’s Applied Science and Mizu for their support, without which the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be possible.

With the help of turns like this from Vance Smith, Team Jack’s was able to take the 2012 National title. Photo: Lowe-White

Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Championship Final Results

1. Jack’s Surfboards (33.35 pts)
Chris Waring, Matt Pagan, Vance Smith, Bobby Okvist
2. Sunrise Surf Shop (32.40 pts)
Asher Nolan, Ryan Briggs, Dane Jefferys, Garrett Carmichael
3. Town & Country Surf Shop (25.70 pts
Dustin Cuizon, Kekoa Balcaso, Geoff Wong, Travis Hashimoto
4. Surf Ride Surf Shop (21.54 pts)
Darrel Goodrum, Dayton Silva, Brent Reilly, Gabe Garcia
5. Wave Riding Vehicles (23.37 pts)
Blake Jones, Mark Yonkers, Brendan Petticrew, Kevin Hodges
6. Heritage Surf Shop (14.36 pts; including 5 point late deduction)
Zack Humphrey, Ian Bloch, Andrew Gesler, Jamie Moran
7. Pacific Wave (8.33 pts; including 5 point late deduction)
Randy Bonds, Kyle Buthman, Miles Clanton, Willie Eagleton

About Surf Shop Challenge
Originally conceived to provide a fun and competitive format for the hardcore surf shop riders, the SURFER Shop Team Challenge was one of the most popular and exciting Southern California contests of the early 1980s. Through the years the contest has evolved, with seven qualifying regional events around the country, culminating in a national championship in Bali, Indonesia for the first time in 2012. The underlying principles, however, have remained the same. The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge is still about giving back to the shops, the true backbone of the industry and the heart of the sport of surfing. Each year the competition level rises, the stakes become greater and the prizes become bigger.

About Oakley, Inc.
The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at oakley.com

About SURFER
In 1960, SURFER Magazine began as the original. After a long history of delivering provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and award winning state-of-the-art photography, SURFER remains the authoritative voice of the surfing world and thus earned the moniker “the bible of the sport.” The SURFER brand has also grown to include Surfermag.com, Fantasy Surfer, and the SURFER message boards. All of these assets combine to make the SURFER network the most current and reliable channel of information to the surf community. The magazine is published by Source Interlink’s GrindMedia, which reaches more than 22-million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. To learn more, visit www.surfermag.com

About GrindMedia
Source Interlink Media’s GrindMedia is home to renowned action and adventure sports magazine brands Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Powder, Bike, Canoe & Kayak, SUP-Standup Paddler, Dirt Rider, ATV Rider, and Paved. Along with our standalone websites, including GrindTV.com, Newschoolers and Motocross.com, GrindMedia is the leading provider of print and online action sports and entertainment content in the United States. Delivering significant reach across both action sports enthusiast and various in-market consumer audiences, GrindMedia produces more than 20 leading events and webcasts such as Surfer Poll Awards, Powder Video Awards, Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro, EnduroCross and International Surfing Day. GrindMedia is also the exclusive action and adventure sports content provider for Yahoo! Sports. To learn more, visit www.grindmedia.com