Surf Clothing

History of Wetsuits / Surf Clothing

Executive summary about surf clothing by Clement.C

Surf Clothes

Many people in the wetsuit-wearing community don’t know how wetsuits came to be. The person we probably should credit for the modern wetsuit is the eye-patch wearing Jack O’Neill, founder of O’Neill sports equipment and a giant in wetsuit history. His creation stemmed from the need to prevent himself from freezing to death whenever he surfed in the cold waters of San Francisco.

Jack’s life-changing moment was when he was going over blueprints of a building during a surfing break. The pinnacle (or the starting, for that matter) of wetsuit history began when Jack found neoprene, a lightweight and easily manipulated material. Back then, the material used was raw, unprocessed neoprene, which was rather uncomfortable to the skin. Many modifications later, the modern wetsuit with various types (fullsuit, longjohns, shorties, two-piece) were made.

Why Should You Wear a Wetsuit / Surf Clothes?

A lightweight and skintight surf Clothing that most water sports professionals wear will not only protect you from cold, but also help you swim better. Here are some reasons why you should wear wetsuit:

1) Prevent Hypothermia. It’s due to the fact that water is 25 times more heat-conducting than air, making you lose your body heat. So, the longer you stay in the water, the more body heat you will lose.

Wearing a wetsuit can prevent that. Made of lightweight closed-cell neoprene, it allows a film of water to exist between your body and the suit. And since water is heat conducting, the water draws away the heat from your body but is not released to the surroundings, due to being trapped by the suit.

2) Protection. Wearing a wetsuit protects your body skin.

3) Buoyancy. It will help you float better. It is not a life-vest, but it’ll help.

Choosing a wetsuit / Surf Clothes

Executive summary about surf clothing by Chris Warner,Clement.C

For those who are used to surfing, kite-surfing or swimming in the ocean wearing nothing but swimming trunks, you should really think of getting a wetsuit

Not all of us are blessed with warm water to surf year round we require the use of a cold water wetsuit. Fortunately, wetsuit technology has come a long way and there are wetsuits available to keep surfers comfortable in just about any water temperature.

Cold water as defined here is any water temperature of 65 degrees or below. This means than any cold water wetsuit will be a fullsuit. A fullsuit covers a surfers body ankles to wrists. Fullsuit thickness is described in millimeters. A 3/2, for example, has a thickness of 3mm around the torso and 2mm around the arms and legs. The thickness of the wetsuit you choose depends primarily on the water temperature your surfing in as well as your tolerance/comfort level. In general, a 3/2 will work in water temps of 65-55 degrees, a 4/3 in 54-49 degrees, and a 5/4 in 48-43 degrees. Below that requires a 6/5 wetsuit or possibly a drysuit.

Popular brands of cold water wetsuits include Billabong, Oneill, Rip Curl, and Quicksilver.Most cold water wetsuit companies will have a sizing chart for you to consult.

For the first-time wetsuit buyers, here are a few tips on choosing wetsuits:

1) First of all, make sure you got the right place. A wetsuit isn’t exactly the type of clothing you will get at a bargain bin. Go to the appropriate store to get the wetsuit for your own individual sport. If you’re getting a wetsuit for surfing, go to the surf store. If you want to go scuba-diving, go to the diving store.

2) Next, choosing the brands. Now, you don’t have to buy the most expensive brand to be assured of quality. It’s better to do checking up the brands on Internet forums and neutral third-party review sites.

3) Now; trying it on. You will have to make sure that the wetsuit you choose fit you comfortably around your body. Also, the sleeve and leg openings should close down tight against your skin to prevent water flushing. Sagging suits will be extremely uncomfortable and if you choose your wetsuit right, you’ll feel as though it’s a bit tight. Don’t worry, that’s normal.

Taking Care of Your Wetsuit / Surf Clothes

A wetsuit is a piece of skintight and lightweight clothing that are mostly worn by water sports athletes. Made of a special material called neoprene, it helps divers, swimmers and surfers retain their body heat by creating a layer of water between their body and the suit. Buying a wetsuit will benefit you, since it is said to boost your performance greatly.

Here are some tips on wetsuit maintenance:

1) Storage. If possible, always hang your suit, instead of folding it.

2) Soiling it. It’s the ultimate question asked by every first-time diver; can you relieve yourself in the wetsuit while you’re diving? The answer will delight those with small bladders. Yes, you can pee in a wetsuit while you’re underwater.

3) Cleaning it. Most surf shops should sell a special shampoo that can be used for wetsuit maintenance. If you want to keep it from smelling, spray on some wetsuit deodorizer to disinfect it.

Wetsuit maintenance is a very important aspect of owning a wetsuit.

Article You May be Interested Reading In: Skateboard Shoes

Skateboard Tricks

Easiest Skateboard Tricks

By Sun

After you practice basic skateboards tricks (i.e. How to stop your skateboard and simple jump and walk skateboard) then you can try another skateboard trick, start from the easiest way.

But Remember, Skateboarding tricks are not learned overnight and it will take you quite a few falls and some bruises before you perfect the trick you want to learn on your skateboard. So, before you start attempting to do any tricks, you might want to start off by wearing the necessary safety gears in order to minimize injuries and avoid the hospital with a skateboard related injury.

Here is skateboard tricks start from easiest way

How to Do a Manual on Your Skateboard

One trick for beginners that you will definitely want to learn is the Manual. This particular trick is like doing a wheelie on a bike but in this case, you will be using a skateboard. You will ride the skateboard with only the back wheels rolling and the front wheels on the air.

Basically, this trick is very different from flip tricks which are more technical. What you need here is good balance and also a lot of practice in order to achieve this trick.

To do the manual, you need to have a lot of flat ground to practice it on. A skate park or long stretches of flat sidewalk are great places to practice. Make sure that the surface is mostly flat and smooth.

You need speed to perform the Manual. If you gained enough speed, then you better get ready to do the trick.

To properly execute this trick, proper foot placement is important. To do the Manual, you need to place your back foot at the tail of the skateboard and your front foot just behind the front trucks.

To manual, just put most of your weight slowly to the back foot. Never lean backwards as this will result in falling. When you see that the front wheels are lifted, you now need to balance your weight so you will not fall behind and send your skateboard flying across the street.

To end the Manual, just shift most of your weight in front and bring your weight back again to a balanced level once you land. Make sure that you put your shoulders forward. Again, never lean back unless you want to hear your own skull cracking.

These are the things that you need to remember about doing the Manual on a skateboard. All you need is balance and good speed.

You need to remember that there is no right or wrong way to skateboard. You just need to be comfortable. So, if you feel more comfortable doing the manual with your front foot a little bit in front of the skateboard, do it.

Skateboard Tricks

Basic Learn Skateboard Tricks

Executive summary learn skateboard tricks By: Dana Bradley, Sun

Skateboard Trick

Learning skateboard tricks can be fun but it is especially important to know and understand that trick riding can be very dangerous and is highly prone to injury. More people get hurt in skateboarding accidents when attempting tricks than with any other form of skateboarding.

There are several forms of tricks that can be learned. So, here are the basics Tricks of using the skateboard

1. How STOP your skateboard

Sure you know how to ride a skateboard at high speed comfortably. But, have you ever considered the fact that you also need to know how to stop?

The first thing that you need to do is take your front foot and turn your toes so that they face the nose of the board. You also need to turn your chest and let it face forward as well. After that, transfer all your weight on the front of your foot as you swing your back leg out and lower it to the ground. Try to keep your weight centered on the front foot and always remember to keep your back leg straight as you lower it to the ground. Never lean back or forward when performing the skateboard footbrake.

As you lower your back leg to the ground keeping it straight, try to apply light pressure to the ground with the sole of your shoe and continue to gradually increase the pressure if you need to slow down faster. Try to remember that you should do it nice and easy.

When the skateboard comes to a complete stop, just place your back foot on the ground.

Although this action seems easy to do, it takes some time and a lot of practice to get it right. Always remember that like all other skills on skateboarding, you need to practice, practice, and practice some more.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to go skateboarding a lot safer. Always remember that skateboarding is not just about going fast and doing tricks, it is also about knowing how to stop.

2. Simple Jump and walk skateboard

There are several forms of tricks that can be learned. Some of them are harder than others so it is best to start off with the easy ones before advancing to the more complicated ones. This also gives the persona sense of accomplishment and will give them confidence to be able to attempt the harder tricks. One of the easiest tricks to learn is a simple jump. This is simply a position change on the board that requires some dexterity and balance. While skating, jump and make a half turn so that you are now faced the other direction on the board. Once this is mastered, you can try for a complete turn.

Another easy trick to learn is how to walk the skateboard. This is done by zig zagging the back and front wheels so the top wheels pop up and are placed at a forty five degree angle when landing. Then the back wheels are popped up to meet the front. The skateboard continues to walk continuously. This is a flashy maneuver that is easy to accomplish and not terribly dangerous. It takes a little practice and balance, though, to make it look smooth.

A full turn is a bit more difficult but with some practice and a good balance it can be accomplished without too much trouble. The front wheels are popped up while pivoting a half turn on the back wheels before the front wheels land. This can be advanced to a complete turn once this is mastered. After some basic turns and holds are learned, the skater can start doing some of the more advanced tricks that involve ramps and rails. These tricks are much more dangerous are done at a faster pace so it is important to be confident in the skateboarding basics before attempting.