The Accessories Every Surfer Needs
You’ve bought your board.
You’ve bought your wetsuit.
You’re frothing.
Now what?
Here’s a list of essential gear that’ll make your surf life easier, cleaner, safer — and a little more dignified. All learned the hard way, by yours truly.
1. Wet Storage – AKA “The Bucket”
You’ve driven to your secret spot, had a great surf, and now what — stand around in a puddle peeling off your wetsuit while your neighbour’s toddler points at you?
Nah.
You could buy a fancy surf-specific wetbag for $80+.
Or you can swing past Bunnings and grab a big flexi cement bucket for less than $10.
Pro tip: Get the biggest one that fits in your car.
It doubles as a portable changing station in sandy carparks. Just stand in it, peel off your wetsuit, chuck everything in the bucket, and toss it in the boot.
No fuss.
No mess.
No sand in places sand shouldn’t be.
2. Car Key Storage
There’s no perfect system — only trade-offs. Your choice depends on:
your car
your key type
your tolerance for fiddling around
your tolerance for risk
your tolerance for reading your car’s manual
Here are your options, ranked from “please don’t” to “this makes sense.”
Option 1: The “Safe Place”
(Not recommended)
You hide your key under a rock, in the wheel arch, behind the fuel cap — which is also exactly where every car thief checks.
And if your car gets stolen using your own key?
Your insurance is likely void.
Ask me how I know.
Option 2: The Non-Electric Copy
If your car allows it, get a cheap, non-electric key cut (yes, Bunnings does this).
Lock your real key in the car, take the copy surfing on a string around your neck, and use it to get back in.
Warning:
Some cars won’t lock with the key inside, and others won’t open with a non-chip key.
Test this before you’re standing in the carpark with wet hair and numb fingers.
Option 3: The Key Safe
The go-to for many surfers: a small combination box that attaches to your car.
Just make sure:
your proximity key isn’t close enough to unlock the car
you don’t set the code to “1234”
you actually lock the safe (don’t laugh, it happens)
Option 4: My Method — The Waterproof Key Pouch
If you have a proximity key like me, this is the move.
No fiddling with safes.
No insurance dramas.
No manual reading.
Just seal it once, hang it around your neck or tuck it into your wetsuit.
Replace once a year to be safe.
3. The Changing Towel (Protect Your Dignity)
When I lived in England, I once changed on a windy cliff. Mid-change, a gust of wind ripped my towel clean out of my hands, just as two grannies pushing a pram came strolling around the corner.
Outstanding timing.
Cheers, universe.
Don’t be like me.
Grab a changing towel (also called a poncho towel). They make wetsuit changes:
easy
private
warm
not humiliating
Bonus:
❄️ For winter, Dryrobe makes fleece-lined versions that feel like putting on a sleeping bag after a cold surf.
4. A Proper Surfboard Bag
Ask any surfer how their nastiest ding happened, and most won’t say “A heavy wave at Winki.”
They’ll say something like:
“I bumped it on the garage wall.”
“I clipped the car door.”
“It was fine until I put the roof racks on.”
Sound familiar?
Save yourself the heartbreak.
Buy a board bag.
Get one slightly longer than your board so you can also chuck your towel or wetsuit in there. The padding also helps massively for any future surf trips (Bali, New Zealand, a Dawn Surf Co. retreat… manifesting).
5. Water — Don’t Be Me
Let’s talk hydration.
I am, quite literally, the poster boy for dehydration.
In December alone I suffered heat stroke two or three times.
That’s not a typo.
Coaching all day in the sun is no joke — and it absolutely catches up with you if you don’t drink enough water.
So here’s my advice:
Bring water every single time.
Not “sometimes.”
Not “if it’s hot.”
Every session.
I’ve found that having a nice insulated flask with genuinely cold water makes a huge difference. After a couple of hours surfing or coaching, cold water actually feels appealing instead of like a chore.
If you need a bottle that won’t cook your water like a kettle in summer, pick up an affordable insulated one from Strapper Surf.
Your future, not-heat-stroked self will thank you.
6. Sunscreen — Slip, Slop, Slop, Actually Do It
The Australian sun is unhinged — especially on the Surf Coast.
If you’re from overseas (like me, originally from England), the sun here will teach you lessons you didn’t ask for.
And remember:
The water reflects UV light.
Double exposure.
Here’s what I personally use every single time:
Sun Bum’s Waterproof 50+ SPF Sunscreen
Face, neck, ears — anywhere that’s exposed.
Then, on top of that:
A layer of zinc paste (“surf mud”)
It’s a little stubborn to wash off, but that’s exactly why it works. It stays on through wipeouts, duck dives, and your third re-application that you forgot to do.
My first Aussie summer taught me something important:
Caps look cool until you come back looking like a cooked lobster.
So now I wear:
A waterproof Creatures bucket hat
Full coverage.
Less squinting.
No sunburned ears.
Trust me: life's too short for peeling nose skin.
7. The Right Surf Wax (And How Not to Destroy Your Board or Car)
I use Sex Wax — specifically:
Blue base coat
Temperature-appropriate top coat:
Green for summer & autumn
Pink for winter & spring
How to wax properly
Make sure the board is cold.
Waxing a hot board causes smudging instead of bumps.Apply your base coat until you’ve built a good foundation.
Add temperature-appropriate wax over the top for grip.
Good wax gives you:
traction
control
better pop-ups
fewer embarrassing slip-offs in front of strangers
Storing your board: Avoid Wax Armageddon
Whatever you do:
Don’t leave your board in the car in summer.
Don’t leave your board bag in the sun.
Otherwise:
the wax melts
it runs
it glues itself to your board bag
you enter a new circle of surfing hell
If you’ve ever tried to peel melted wax off a bag…
I’m sorry.
I’ve been there.
8. Supporting Local: Get Almost All of This at Strapper Surf
One of the best things about living on the Surf Coast is that we’ve got Strapper Surf right here — Torquay’s iconic surf shop and a genuinely great resource for beginners.
You can pick up:
wax
insulated bottles
sunscreen
zinc
surf hats
wetsuit accessories
board bags
changing towels
Basically everything on this list, in one stop.
Shop local, support the community, and get the right gear without trawling through random online stores.
Final Word
None of this gear is glamorous — but it will make your surf sessions smoother, safer, cleaner, and less sandy.
Got questions?
Drop into the DMs or ask me on the beach — I’ll probably be the guy stuffing a wetsuit into a $5 Bunnings bucket with a grin on his face.
