Maykoosh · Surf & Water
Handcrafted Cedar Surfboard
Rideable, but mostly it is the best-looking thing on his wall.
$500–$1,000
See Price →The Surfer Boyfriend · /surf-style/
The Surfer Boyfriend: coastal style that is not costume
Surf style works when it looks used and fails when it looks bought. The wardrobe is almost nothing — shorts, a faded tee, a linen shirt over the top, sunglasses — and the whole effect depends on the pieces being plain enough that they could have been there for years.
Which is why the single best purchase on this board is not clothing at all. A hand-shaped cedar board is as much sculpture as equipment, and it does more for a coastal apartment than any amount of driftwood decor.
As an Amazon Associate, Build a Boyfriend earns from qualifying purchases. How this works.
The object
Western red cedar, hand-shaped, rideable — but mostly the best-looking thing on his wall.
What he actually wears
Tailored shorts so he can leave the beach without changing, and sunglasses that are not sport wraps.
Shoes and sunscreen
The skate shoes that became a uniform, and the sunscreen he will actually reapply.
Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Long Stretch Swim Trunks
The longer cut, which is the one that actually works for swimming.
$250–$500
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Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Orcas Stretch Swim Shorts
Stretch fabric, short cut. Built to move rather than to lounge.
$250–$500
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Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Ultra-Light Packable Swim Trunks
Weighs almost nothing and folds into a pocket. The one for a carry-on.
$250–$500
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Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Poppies Stretch Swim Shorts
Floral, stretch, short. Unmistakably a holiday short.
$250–$500
Buy This for Him →
Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Turtles Chains Stretch Swim Shorts
The turtles again, in the stretch fabric and the shorter cut.
$250–$500
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Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Requins Packable Swim Trunks
Sharks rather than turtles, and packable. The travel print.
$250–$500
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Vilebrequin · Surf & Water
Vilebrequin Mini Stars Swim Trunks
The quietest print they make. Reads as texture from more than a metre away.
$250–$500
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Vans · Surf & Water
Vans Old Skool Sneakers
The skate shoe that became a uniform. Goes with everything he owns.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
Vans · Surf & Water
Vans Filmore Hi Trainers
The high-top Vans. More structure, and better with a wetsuit-adjacent wardrobe.
Under $100
Shop the Look →
Sun Bum · Surf & Water
Sun Bum Original SPF 70 Sunscreen Body Spray, 6 oz
Reef-safe, actually wearable, and it does not smell like a hospital.
Under $100
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Sun Bum · Surf & Water
Sun Bum Original SPF 30 Face Stick Sunscreen
A face stick means he will actually reapply. That is the whole argument.
Under $100
Shop the Look →
Quiksilver · Surf & Water
Quiksilver Men's Manic 22 in Board Shorts
Twenty-two inches is the length that works on a man over thirty. Plain, quick-drying.
Under $100
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Quiksilver · Surf & Water
Quiksilver Men's Everyday 21 in Board Shorts
Slightly shorter and the better cut of the two. Buy whichever colour is not neon.
Under $100
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OluKai · Surf & Water
OluKai Ohana Men's Water-Resistant Sandals
Arch support in a flip flop, which sounds trivial until he wears them for a week straight.
Under $100
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Reef · Surf & Water
Reef Phantoms Flip Flops
Twenty-three thousand ratings. The flip flop that survives a whole summer.
Under $100
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Reef · Surf & Water
Reef Cushion Phantom Flip Flop
The cushioned version, which matters if he walks any real distance in them.
Under $100
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Reef · Surf & Water
Reef Twinpin Sandals
Slightly smarter than a flip flop. Passes at a beach restaurant.
Under $100
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Hurley · Surf & Water
Hurley One & Only 2.0 21-Inch Boardshorts
Twenty-one inches is the surf length, not the pool length. Thirty dollars and they last years.
Under $100
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Dakine · Surf & Water
Dakine Aero Roof Rack Pads, 34 Inch
Boards on the roof without gouging the paint. The unglamorous half of surfing anywhere good.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Blue Lizard · Surf & Water
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50
Zinc oxide in a stick, so it stays on his face through a session. Eight dollars, twenty thousand reviews.
Under $100
See Price →
Sun Bum · Surf & Water
Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Face Stick
The travel-size one that lives in a boardshorts pocket. Reef-safe mineral formula.
Under $100
See Price →
baleaf · Surf & Water
Baleaf UPF 50+ Long Sleeve Rash Guard
Twelve dollars, UPF 50, and it means he stops burning his shoulders every trip.
Under $100
Shop Now →
Surf Style FAQ
What is surfer style for men?
Faded, plain and slightly oversized: board shorts or tailored swim shorts, a washed tee, an open linen shirt, leather sandals and sunglasses. Nothing new-looking, nothing branded, nothing technical outside the water.
What is a good gift for a surfer boyfriend?
Something for the space rather than the water — he almost certainly has opinions about boards and wetsuits that you cannot second-guess. A handcrafted wooden board, a good cooler or a decent pair of sunglasses are all safe.
What length board shorts should a man wear?
Around 19 to 21 inches for surfing, where the hem needs to clear the knee without catching. Shorter reads as a swimming pool rather than a beach, and much longer bunches when he paddles.
Do I need a wetsuit or is a rash guard enough?
A rash guard handles sun and board rash in warm water; a wetsuit is for temperature. Below about 20°C he wants neoprene. The rash guard is the far better first purchase because it gets used on every trip, warm or cold.