Corky's Best Gifts for Surfers
by Corky Carroll 
Fa la la la laaaaaa kiddies. Yes, it’s that joyful time of year again when you are in a snit over what to get that surfer in your life for Christmas, Hanukah, or just because everybody is giving and getting gifts and you wanna be a part of it. Yeah, many remind us that “it’s not about getting presents.” I say don’t be a baa humbug grinch and get ready to burn some plastic. Fret no more because I am here to save the day, yet again, and give you some extremely helpful suggestions on the perfect holiday gift for a surfer. Of course many of you are surfers yourselves so you already have a good idea on this, so this is aimed more towards non surfers who trying to figure this out.
Normally I come up with a list of what I think would be the best choices, but this year I am trying something new. I posed the question to my friends on Facebook and got way more answers than I had counted on. From the hundreds of comments I picked these little tidbits for you. A subscription to SURFLINE. Corkys new book (available soon on Amazon). Membership to SURFRIDER FOUNDATION. Subscription to SURFERS JOURNAL. Reef safe sunscreen. Wetsuit. Wax. Remote controlled Tiger Shark to patrol the lineup and bump people just before you paddle out. (I like that one.). State Park Pass. Terrycloth hoodie changing robe. “Endless Summer” book and box set. Trip to Hawaii. Surf leash. Stickers. Astrodeck. Good set of fins for bodysurfing. Surfing DVDs. Blue Mango t-shirt or anything from bluemangosurf.com. (that is a good one).
Dry bag for transporting wet stuff in your car. Flip flops. Sunglasses. Ugg slip-ons. “Surfboards and Stratocasters,” great book on the Beachboys from BALSABILL.COM. Gift certificate for 2-hour surf photo session with John Lyman Surf Photos. Gift certificate to any good surf shop. New surfboard. New Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP). New paddle for SUP, ( I like Quickblades). Travel Boardbag. Paddle Air rib protection vest. Pass to Kelly Slaters wave park in Lemore, Ca. (these go for 25k per day). Ear Plugs. Lock Box for your keys. Hang Air wetsuit dryer. Tide chart calendar. Beach chair and umbrella. Portable water shower. Beach towels. Hawaiian shirt. Ding repair kit. Quick Fin Release. Rail Grabber from Linda Benson (these are great for carrying your board). Tanker surfing adventure with Captain James Fulbright, (note: this is in Galveston, Texas. Super cool experience, Jimmy Buffet is a regular).
O.K., those were the highlights that I got from the Facebook survey. I would like to add a few ideas of my own to this list. You can never go wrong with surfing orientated t-shirts. Surfers live in t-shirts. Always get one size bigger than you think too, we like em loose. Straps to tie boards on cars, always come in handy and are easy to pack for a trip. All sun care and after sun products, I cannot stress the importance of NOT getting sunburned. Hats, some reason. For those interested in the new “foils” I just read about a new product called a “Fliteboard.” This is a motorized foil which allows you to ride one in any body of water. You can get info at us.Fliteboard.com. My recommendation is to NOT go anywhere near other surfers on one of these puppies though. Foils are getting more popular these days but still look pretty dangerous to me. I also recommend surfing coffee table books, and there are a number of them out there to choose from. And, of course, there is always surfing lessons for beginners and private coaching for those more advanced. Got a kid getting ready to start surfing competition? Get him or her some competitive coaching to help get going on the right foot. A good water watch is a great one too. I just got a new Apple Watch and it’s set up to record and measure all my rides, how cool is that? Of course my ultimate suggestion, and this is where I get to toss in my once a year plug, would be a one or two week surf adventure package to come stay and surf with me at my getaway casa on Mainland, Mexico. Totally all inclusive and includes personal surf coaching if desired. Just email me for info at [email protected]. To wrap this up let me also suggest that you try to find out what he or she really wants, or needs, ahead of time and that you know his or her sizes. Have fun shopping and HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Annual Holiday Gifts Article
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