My favorite thing about bodysurfing is its simplicity. Bodysurfing requires few pieces of equipment, making it one of the most affordable sports in the world. Furthermore, bodysurfing has a much smaller carbon footprint than most other sports, especially compared to board-surfing.
Unfortunately, the global surf industry’s traditional supply chain—full of carbon-rich petroleum products and toxic chemicals—creates more environmental harm than good. Moreover, most surfers have higher than average carbon footprints due to surf travel.
Bodysurfing, on the other hand, represents a relinquishing of mainstream surfing’s status quo and a shift toward a more environmentally responsible method of riding waves. There is almost no money, and therefore no industry, in the sport of bodysurfing. A pair of decent swim fins is all one really needs to participate.
If you are interested in bodysurfing, this gear guide will provide you a list of the essentials:
Swim Fins
The biggest leap forward in the sport of bodysurfing came from the invention of “Duck Feet” swim fins by California surfer Owen Churchill in 1940. Churchill came up with the idea for swim fins after observing Tahitian bodysurfers use “soft rubber and metal bands shaped like a fish tail” to generate more power when kicking into waves.
It was around this time that bodysurfers began lengthening their rides by surfing horizontally (angling right or left) across the wave face, as opposed to riding white water waves straight to shore.
Swim fins are an essential piece of equipment when swimming out past the surf zone, as they elongate the foot and provide you with more power when treading water and kicking into breaking waves.
When looking for a pair of swim fins, it is important to try them on first to make sure they are comfortable. Some bodysurfers like stiff fins with a big blade that will generate a lot of kicking power, while others prefer a lighter fin with a more comfortable shoe pocket.
There are no phonies in bodysurfing. There is no glory in carrying a pair of fins. It’s a basic, primitive thing. It’s just you and the ocean. – Robert Gardner
DaFiN
DaFiN was developed in Hawaii by Andy Cochran, one of Australia’s early surfing pioneers, with input from world renowned watermen Mark Cunningham and Brian Keaulana. The revolutionary design of DaFiN delivers the two most important features you want in your fins: comfort and power.
In 2006 DaFiN was endorsed as the ‘Official Swim Fin’ of the United States Lifesaving Association, the premier professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers in the United States. DaFiN has earned its reputation with strong endorsements by the world’s best watermen and was featured prominently in the critically acclaimed bodysurfing film Come Hell or High Water.
DaFiNs have a notoriously stiff blade that’s good for generating kicking power and holding you in steeper waves. I was given a pair of DaFiN swim fins when I worked as an ocean lifeguard for the city of San Diego, and I’ve worn them ever since.
In addition to the fins, you might want to pick up some DaFiN fin savers as well. Fin savers attach to the heel of the fins and wrap around your ankle so that if the fin slips off during your ride it will still stay attached to your ankle.
Yucca
Yucca surf fins are probably the hottest fins on the market right now and I can’t wait to test them out! Many of the best bodysurfers in the world, including Kalani Lattanzi and Mark Drewelow, are now using Yuccas.
Yucca Rubber Fin Co. is a bodysurfing brand based out of Newport Beach, California, home of California’s best wave for bodysurfing—the Wedge. Designed by Wedge bodysurfer Sean Starky, Yucca swim fins come in different lengths and levels of stiffness, including standard stiffness, soft, and ultra soft.
Designed for low environmental impact, Yucca surf fins are made of fine quality recycled and reused Malaysian gum rubber, with sturdy blades and flexible foot pockets for comfort and movement. Yucca brings flair to flippers with its expert-backed design, sustainable materials, and eye-catching, colorful aesthetic.
Yucca also offers fin pads that can be glued into the fins before they are shipped to you. These neoprene fin pads run the full length of the fin pocket and wrap around the heel, which prevent blisters and make the fins much more comfortable to wear.
Kpaloa
Kpaloa was founded in 1983 and specializes in the production of high performance swim fins made of high quality vulcanized rubber for bodyboarding, bodysurfing, swimming and rescue. The brand is extremely popular in Brazil and throughout Latin America due to the high quality of their product and their strong support of the Brazilian bodyboard, bodysurf, and surf rescue scenes.
Brazilians, like big-wave bodysurfer Kalani Lattanzi, are extremely passionate about bodysurfing, which they call jacaré (alligator). It is no surprise that some of the best swim fins in the world were created by Brazilians. Legendary Brazilian bodysurfer Henrique Pistilli is a proud supporter of Kpaloa fins, as well as female bodysurfer Leticia Parada aka Ela No Mar.
For a more in-depth review of Kpaloa swim fins, check out this product review.
Handplanes
A bodysurfing handplane is a small board worn on the lead hand of the bodysurfer to enhance their wave-riding experience. The handboard works by providing lift and reducing drag as the bodysurfer glides along the face of the breaking wave.
“Once riding the wave, the handplane offers increased control as its rail edge cuts into the face of the wave, as well as suction created by the board’s concave. This enables the bodysurfer to keep the desired ‘highline’ for more speed.”
Although bodysurfing handplanes are not absolutely necessary for the sport of bodysurfing, they can greatly improve the quality and length of ride. One of the exciting aspects of using a bodysurfing handplane is that you can easily make one yourself out of repurposed materials.
WAW
WAW Handplanes is a 1% for the Planet business based out of Sydney, Australia. They make high-performance bodysurfing handplanes out of recycled marine plastics and responsibly-harvested timber.
The WAW Badfish Bodysurfing Handplane is made from 99% post-consumer recycled plastics—much of which is collected from the waters surrounding Australia’s Great Barrier Reef—resulting in over 12,000kgs of plastic recycled to date. In recognition of its innovation and resulting supply chain, WAW’s Badfish handplane received the “Make Good – Defy Plastic” award from National Geographic in 2019.
Since 2016, WAW Handplanes has committed to planting one tree for every WAW Timber Fish Bodysurfing Handplane sold. In collaboration with Carbon Positive Australia, WAW Handplanes has planted over 10,000 native trees to date.
Enjoy
Founded by up-cyclers Ed Lewis and Kipp Denslow, “All Enjoy Handplanes are made with either old foam from broken boards or ruined blanks from manufacturing for the board and neoprene from used wetsuits to make the handles.”
Furthermore, Enjoy has taken product sustainability to the next level by creating a handplane out of mushrooms! Made from 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and repurposed materials, the eco-friendly Patagonia Mushroom bodysurfing handplane is made from a blend of agricultural waste and mushroom mycelium, then covered in a recyclable epoxy resin.
Slyde
The best and easiest way to learn how to bodysurf is by using the Grom Soft Top Handboard made by Slyde Handboards. What I like most about this bodysurfing handplane is its high volume and wide planing surface, which allows you to catch more waves and ride them longer.
Plus, the handboard is made of foam, making it light and safe to use (especially for kids!). This piece of bodysurfing equipment is a real must-have, and I often use it when teaching newbies how to bodysurf for the first time.
The Slyde Grom handboard is a great tool for learning how to kick properly using swim fins—essential equipment for intermediate/advanced bodysurfers swimming out to the green wave zone. Swimmers use kickboards to train their legs and improve their swimming ability—the Grom handboard works in the same vein.
Men’s Swim Trunks
The best men’s swim trunks for bodysurfing are ones that minimize drag. This means they should be short, tight, and come without side pockets (which often fill with water and slow you down when riding the wave).
Many bodysurfers like wearing speedos because they are more streamlined and minimalistic than swim trunks. But for those of us who prefer not to expose so much thigh, swim trunks are the way to go.
I like to support brands that prioritize durability, and am willing to pay extra upfront if I believe the swim trunks I’m buying will last a long time.
Patagonia
Patagonia’s mission statement says it all: “We are in business to save our home planet.” Patagonia is both B Corp and Fair Trade Certified. It is also a founding member of 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of sales to environmental non-profits over the past 35 years.
One of the key ways Patagonia has been able to live up to its mission statement is by shifting its global supply chain to support organically grown or recycled materials. This includes swim trunks made from recycled fishing nets and wetsuits made from naturally harvested rubber.
What is more, Patagonia’s products come with an “ironclad guarantee” that holds true for the entire lifetime of the product. All of Patagonia’s products are built to last. If they don’t, the company will either repair, replace, or refund the product.
Vissla
I am thrilled to announce that I have found my new favorite swim trunks for bodysurfing—the Vissla X DaFin Womper 16.5 Boardshort. These eco-friendly trunks are made specifically for bodysurfers. DaFin is one of my favorite bodysurfing brands—I always use DaFins when I go bodysurfing. Naturally, I was stoked to see a major surf clothing brand like Vissla do a collaboration with them.
These trunks are made with a blend of yarns upcycled from coconuts and Repreve recycled plastic bottles. Upcycling is the process of converting useless products into new garments, allowing Vissla to create performance swim trunks while reducing the amount of waste in landfills.
Birdwell
Birdwell Beach Britches make some of the most durable swim trunks on the market. Many well-known wave sliders, like Hawaiian bodysurfer Sean Enoka, rep this brand and have nothing but positive things to say about their swim trunks. In fact, Enoka was wearing a pair of Birdwell swim trunks when he won the 2011 Point Panics bodysurfing contest on Oahu’s south shore.
Additionally, Birdwell is a contributor to bodysurf culture, as evidenced by their blog series The Dazzling Blue, which features several articles about bodysurfing by journalist Jamie Brisick—former executive editor at Surfing magazine.
Women’s Swimwear
Let me start by saying that I am no expert on women’s bathing suits…but my girlfriend is! She has written a great blog about how to choose an ideal bathing suit for wave-riding, which I highly recommend you read in its entirety.
“When it comes to bodysurfing,” says Adrianne, “functionality is more important than looks.”
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a surfing swimsuit because it’s soooo cute and I really want it, so I convince myself that it’s also functional when it’s just straight up not. The reality is, when you’re learning, you spend a lot of time in the white water—aka the washing machine—which means you’re going to be flashing people if you’re not wearing the right swimsuit.”
Here are some women’s swimwear brands that Adrianne recommends.
Sensi Graves
Designed for women by professional kiteboarder Sensi Graves, this eco-friendly bikini prioritizes functionality—meaning it will actually stay on (and cover all the essential parts) when bodysurfing big waves.
What is more, Sensi Graves Swim products are made from Repreve recycled plastics, and 1% of sales are donated to environmental non-profits.
Jolyn
Originally designed for swimmers, Jolyn offers a range of sustainable swimwear that fits comfortably, stays put, and will last for years to come.
Their one piece suits and bikinis have been thoughtfully designed with details such as adjustable tie back tops, drawstring bottoms, and high-grade elastic to ensure they always stay put.
Seea
Seea is a women’s surf brand that makes beautiful and classy surf suits (with a lot of one piece options). One piece suits are great for bodysurfing because they reduce drag and won’t come off in bigger waves.
Looking for a minimalist one piece suit with a high neckline that is ideal for bodysurfing? Check out Seea’s Lido One Piece.