Surf Shop

You might love nothing more than taking your surfboard and hitting the waves. However, there can be one problem with this activity: keeping track of the time. After all, your regular watch may well not be waterproof, meaning you have to leave it on dry land, along with your mobile phone and any other means of telling the time.

The good news is, it is now possible to purchase watches that are capable of withstanding the waves. For example, by heading to surf shops such as here at Sid’s Surf Shack, you can get your hands on Breo Roam sports watches. These excellent devices are perfect as a means of keeping track as the hours slip by.

And the best thing is, these excellent creations are cheap as well as stylish. This makes them the perfect accessory to go with the rest of your surf gear.

Meanwhile, because of their funky designs, the objects have become popular even off the beach, so you are not only buying a functional device when you invest in a product like this, you are also getting yourself a fashion statement.

Of course, to complete the look you might also want to stock up on great items such as Quiksilver clothes and Rip Curl hoodies.

By coming here to us, you can get choose from a wide range of offerings like this, as well as popular items such as XCEL wetsuits, meaning you will look the part as you pit your wits against the waves.

Tags: Surf Accessories, surf gear, Surfing, Xcel wetsuits
Posted on April 4, 2011 in Surf Accessories | No Comments »

If you are determined to make the most of your surfing adventures, you may well have invested in great surf gear. After all, having the perfect products to enable you to feel comfortable and look great on the beach is important.

However, there may be one thing you have overlooked: getting lessons in the discipline from a qualified coach. Even just one such session can have a hugely positive impact on your ability to progress in the activity.

Not only can these experts help you stay safe while riding the waves, they can also ensure you do not fall into bad habits from the outset. Once you have learned the basics in the correct way, you can build up your abilities more easily. Also, such specialists can provide you with insights into the sport that you would not be able to get elsewhere.

Of course, even after having a lesson and stocking up on great gear from surf shops, it still takes year-round dedication to evolve into a talented surfer. Such skills do not come overnight.

To help you further, you might decide you could benefit from reading surfing books and watching DVDs. Such resources can be a great help. Luckily, here at Sid’s Surf Shack, we stock a range of these offerings, as well as kids’, women’s and men’s wetsuits and many other items.

If you are eager to find out more, simply have a look around our website. There are bound to be items that catch your eye and thanks to our commitment to providing great value, you will not have to break the bank to get your hands on them.

Tags: surf advice, surf gear, Surf Info, Surfing
Posted on April 2, 2011 in Surfing Advice | No Comments »

There are some sports kids can do right off the mark without TOO much risk – football, hiking, netball etc. But surfing doesn’t really fall under that umbrella. Surfing is an intensive sport that carries with it risks and dangers unassociated with more mainstream kid’s sports.

Safety

We find tons of our customers are surfing parents looking to get their lucky, lucky kids into the sea before that brilliant childhood fearlessness is replaced by awkward teenage trepidation. Surfing parents are in the ideal position to understand the dangers and precautions connected with surfing. Never buy your kid a load of surf gear and fling them into the waves when no-one involved actually knows about surfing and beach safety. Surf shops like ours are usually pretty well stocked with simple beach and wave awareness information in the form of DVDs or surfing books. The Wave-Finder UK & Ireland Surf Guidebook is a great place to start.

Equipment

Kids grow fast, which is why we try to keep the price of kids wetsuits as low as possible. You’ll find the design of kids surfboards and wetsuits focuses on fostering balance, technique and wave safety rather than speed or extreme skill. Before the season, let your kids wear their wetsuits around the house (even in the shower!) and handle equipment to get used to the weight and feel of everything. A few days at the beach for sea swimming and safety lessons (in their new wetsuits) could be beneficial too.

Surfing is a passion, so investing in the full kit for a kid who’s less than interested doesn’t seem like a great idea. That said, we’ve yet to meet a kid who doesn’t LOVE to surf!

Tags: kids wetsuits, protective surf clothing, surf advice, surf gear
Posted on March 30, 2011 in Surfing Advice | No Comments »

Newquay is one of the UK’s most prolific surfing hotspots all year round, boasting terrific swells for beginners through the mild summer, and consistent challenges for advanced surfers throughout summer until around April.

Considered the archetypal UK surfing town, surf culture in Newquay has thrived since the sixties thanks to the combination of good old Cornish charm and the warm Gulf Stream (seeing summer temperature average around 23°C) Although downtown Newquay is famous for its nightlife, there are tons of other activities and entertainment options on offer like museums, a zoo, sweet little cafes, rock climbing, bouldering, fishing trips, coastearing – never forget Newquay is sited along one of the UK’s most scenic and challenging coasts!

Rental places, Surf shops and stores are obviously numerous in Newquay, but prices tend to be on the high side compared to online surf shops. If you’re thinking of camping out all summer, investing in essential surf wear and accessories like wetsuits, wetsuit boots etc before you go is likely to save you about three weeks worth of camping fees!  Branded items can be particularly costly, so if you’re on a budget try to buy surf wear online and get more in touch with your camping roots!

We stock a vast range of surf gear, including Quicksilver clothing and Wetsuit shampoo.

Tags: Quiksilver surf clothing, Surf Accessories, surf gear, Wetsuits
Posted on March 27, 2011 in World Surfing | No Comments »

Emulating our idols is one thing, but when our idols are the likes of Rip Curl Girls Hanalei Reponty and Ophélie Ah-Kouen, we reckon a visit to Rip Curl stockist surf shops like ours is pretty much the number one way to get kitted out in the best surf gear, get inspired and have an all-round fabulous time channelling the Rip Curl Girl spirit!

Rip Curl clothing has always been in the vein of having fun, chilled out beach experiences with a neo-hippy edge (hence stuff like last season’s Rip Curl Pasco dresses – relaxed, classic beach girl fit with contemporary graphic print patterns). That’s really what Rip Curl is all about; don’t forget your roots, but don’t be afraid to evolve!

Rip Curl womens tops, dresses and flip flops particularly fly off our shelves year after year. Here in the shop we reckon it’s because Rip Curl Girls are pretty die-hard at heart! Brave, laid back, confident, aware, and with just a hint of “I dare you…” attitude in the surf!

The new Rip Curl womenswear line will be out soon, and we’re sure to see the same creative, functional, durable spark to every facet of the ladies surf gear line for the coming season. And hey, Rip Curl Girls don’t like to be told what to wear TOO directly, so we’re sure you’ll get a lot of wear out of this season’s guy’s hoodies and surf accessories too!

Tags: Rip Curl clothing, surf advice, Surf Info, surf shop
Posted on March 23, 2011 in Surfing Advice | No Comments »

We’re one of those surf shops where aftercare is on the menu too, so here’s a bunch of instructional stuff to help you keep your new XCEL Infiniti wetsuits and neoprene surf gear in the best state possible for the season ahead (and a load after!)

Wetsuit care 101 – the environment eats wetsuits for breakfast! The sun’s UV rays, salt water, even wee all contribute to the premature degradation of neoprene.  They dry it out (in a bad way!), damage the structural integrity of the fabric, fade colours and corrode the makeup of even the hardiest wetsuits!

•    Wash your wetsuit using FRESH water as soon as you’re out of the surf. It doesn’t have to be too fancy – take it in the shower with you, dunk it in a tub, hose it off – just get the salt off it inside and out and you’ll be actively contributing to the longer life of your neoprene.

•    Don’t hang wetsuits on metal to dry; it’ll leave rust marks or stains.

•    Don’t hang wetsuits on anything that could misshape them like a thin coat hanger or angled bar.

•    Leaving your wetsuit to air dry over a car door, surf board – anything curved and unlikely to leave a mark – is ideal.

•    Always hang your wetsuit out of direct sunlight to dry.

•    Once or twice a season, give your wetsuit a decent clean with tailored cleansing products, such as wetsuit shampoo. Slosh and McNett both do really great (cheap!) ranges of wetsuit cleanser.

Tags: surf advice, wetsuit accessories, Wetsuits, Xcel Infiniti wetsuits
Posted on March 20, 2011 in Wetsuits | No Comments »

You live in Birmingham, you’re fiscally challenged and your wetsuits are still lying unrepaired after previous encounters with the UK’s stony coastal waters – whatever your reason for not surfing, we reckon there’s a whole bunch of alternative activities to fill your time until you’re back in the swell!

Gear Maintenance

Surf shops are packed full of products to maximise the life of your surf gear. Replenish your surf wear and ding repair kit, finally invest in a new board bag, take your pick of the best surfing accessories (what was the world without waterproof earphones!), watch every surf DVD you own, scour every book and plan the ideal getaway (then re-plan to actually stay within budget!), or just mope in your living room… it’s up to you!

Go shopping

Out of season, surf shops tend to be prone to sales and special deals. Make a list of all the kit you genuinely need to replace and scour the net (i.e. visit us!) for the best options, such as Rip Curl hats and Quicksilver T-shirts.

Try Something New

Ah, the old Try-Something-New gambit forced on us by parents throughout childhood! They had a point though. Here in the office we’re into bouldering at the moment. Bouldering is basically traversing along a rock face anything from ground level to about 3m high. No ropes, no harness, no gear at all except a pair of rock climbing shoes and a crash pad. While your wetsuits are drying out we reckon something like bouldering makes a rewarding alternative. Look for something you can dip in and out of around the surfing season with relatively little financial commitment.

Tags: Quicksilver surf clothing, Rip Curl clothing, surf shop, Wetsuits
Posted on March 17, 2011 in surf clothing | No Comments »

The 3mm season is almost here! Ok, so a few 5mm winter surfs are always fun, but there’s no doubt that summer is the season of surf around the world! Surf shops like ours love to big-up winter surfing, but we’re as glad to see the sun coming as you are; time to take a look at the latest kids, mens and XCEL womens wetsuits for 2011!

Kids XCEL Wetsuits

The two main contenders are the 2010 X-Flex and the classic X-Flex. Fair enough, neither are new designs for the 2011 season, but improvements have been made to increase zip integrity, fit and weight.

Mens XCEL Wetsuits

The tried and tested design of the XCEL Infiniti X-Zip 3mm wetsuit is hard to beat, but this year’s model boasts less seams, increased warmth, improved FUSION seam bonding and better sizing protocols than ever before.

Womens XCEL Wetsuits

It’s got to be a toss-up between 2010’s XCEL Infiniti X-Zip Bamboo wetsuit, and the inimitable XCEL Infiniti X-Zip classic. Both offer their own strengths, but we think the X-Zip Bamboo just pips its predecessor to the post thanks to the eco-warrior credentials of the Thermo-Bamboo recycled lining fibres.

We’ve included tons of reviews, so if you’re having trouble taking your pick for this season be sure to take note of what other surfers think (at least, we assume they’re surfers.. maybe they’re just folks who love the feel of neoprene??)

Tags: surf clothing, surf gear, Wetsuits, Xcel Infiniti wetsuits
Posted on March 14, 2011 in Xcel wetsuits | No Comments »

Few surfing hotspots in the UK can be elevated to legendary status, but the Cribbar of Fistral Beach is one such occurrence. Rarely glimpsed and seldom experienced, the illusive Cribbar is a huge reef break that can only be found when particular swell conditions originating in the Atlantic are just right. Located just under 1km offshore of the north end of Fistral Beach (near Towan Head), the Cribbar graces us with its presence a few times a year, and can top out at just over 25ft.

It’s perhaps a little embarrassing that the first three surfers to conquer the Cribbar were three Australians (Pete Russell, Johnny McElroy and Rick Friar) and an American (Jack Lydgate), although Pip Staffieri (one of Britain’s very first surfers) witnessed the whole thing and dished out free ice creams to the exhausted surfers.

The Cribbar is very, very dangerous, although relatively few people have died attempting to surf it simply because it takes expert skill to even reach the spot. Surf shop outlets and tourist information in Newquay regularly update Cribbar predictions and professional big wave events news.

There’s only so much you can say about a stealthy big wave that’s rarely spotted. Folks visit Newquay the year through to experience big wave surfing, but the best wetsuits, rash vests and campfires in the world don’t guarantee a visit from the Cribbar! If you want to find out more about UK big wave hotspots, head over to our Surfing Books area. Northcore do a great simple guide to the top twenty five UK & Ireland surfing spots for less than a fiver.

Tags: surf advice, Surf Info, surf shop, Surfing
Posted on March 11, 2011 in Surfing Advice | No Comments »

Fair enough, we’re only just glimpsing the edges of spring, but getting ready for a scorching summer of surfing fun and games is a great way to elongate the season and make like chilly winter surf-free misery never happened! Tons of surf shops haven’t yet warmed to the idea of selling summer stuff cheap at this time of year, but what are friends for! We’ve got loads of Sid’s Specials discount stuff floating about the place including everything from Rip Curl hats to XCEL Infiniti wetsuits (Sid’s a real nice guy like that!)

Ok, so we live in the UK – not the warmest seas, are they? If you’ve not surfed a UK summer before, be sure to do a little research into the seasonal conditions of your proposed surfing spots so you know whether to go 5mm or brave the 3mm! The likes of Newquay and Rock tend to be fairly bearable, but head above the River Mersey and you’re likely to be in cold, cold water!

If you’re thinking of getting little tiddlers into surfing this summer, we reckon now is a great time to pick out a bunch of surf wear, equipment and tutorial tools like surf DVDs. You can explain to a kid HOW to surf until your head explodes… or, plonk the family down in front of a surf DVD to SHOW them how it’s done. Basically, you’ve got to give little ones time to get used to the feel of surf wear and equipment before that first trip to the beach.

Tags: surf shop, surf wear, Wetsuits, Xcel Infiniti wetsuits, Xcel wetsuits
Posted on March 8, 2011 in Surfing Advice | No Comments »