Insights

How a surfboard sock can make you a better person

July 17, 2022

For many people, a surfboard sock is an unnecessary obstacle between the surfer and the ocean. It’s a drag having to remove the sock from your stick, only to have to wax that baby and then rush to the brine.

But they are many reasons to nest your nugget in the warm confines of a surfboard sock. Let’s explore how surfboard socks can make you a better person, with a better quiver.

Surfingly transmitted diseases

Have you ever seen what happens when surfboards rub each other, top to bottom deck? Add a bit of heat from a warm car, and things get steamier than that scene from Titanic. Pull your board out of the trunk and find the underside midsection covered in small waxy protrusions. It is infected from being unprotected. Your performance will be sluggish with all of that underwater traction.

The board will need to visit the deck doctor: a good blow with a hairdryer and scrape with a wax comb. As tempting as it may seem, don’t apply acetone. It’s not good for surfaces you care about.

Nudity is for the brave

Life is tough, both for organisms and surfboards. As we navigate the passage of time we all get bumps and bruises. Humans wear clothes to protect us from the environment. Surfboards remain naked unless we purposefully cover them up, for example when embarking on a long voyage involving air travel. But what about day-to-day bumps and grazes. You know, when you lean your board against a wall, and it seems like the balance is solid, but a wayward breeze catches the right spot, and you hear that hollow cry as your board thuds, scrapes, and settles to the floor.

A board sock could have protected those rails from their new honeycomb surface scratches. That little crack looks watertight but is it really? Do we need to invest time and effort in performing a ding repair that never needed to happen?

Going nude is for exhibitionists. Is your surfboard one of those?

Become conscientious

Author and habit expert, James Clear, suggests in his excellent book Atomic Habits that if you become 1% better each day, you’ll be 37 times better at the end of a year. How do you become a better person without having to create dramatic changes or concoct grand resolutions? You start tiny. Micro-habits lead to macro-success.

Colonel William McRaven famously stated that if you want to change the world, start by making your bed. Small habits, performed successfully, give you a sense of pride. You gather momentum.

After surfing, can you create some positive habits? A life by design, rather than a life on autopilot, by default. How about rinsing the board properly, allowing it to dry, and then slipping it into a protective, good-looking Ho Stevie! canvas surfboard bag.

These kinds of tiny habits will not only keep your board in better shape but make you more conscientious and disciplined. You’ll achieve a level of momentum that spills over into other areas of life. Maybe you’ll be more diligent at work, or more conscious about what you consume (food and information).

We love a good surfboard sock

And surf brand Ho Stevie! makes some of the best. These surfboard socks look good, work beautifully, and could even make a great sleeping bag if you’re caught short.

Whether you like earthy tones or zebra stripes, browse the full selection and take a step toward the new you. One who looks after their gear.

Stand up straight with your shoulders back

From the manufacturer

For more good reasons to use a surfboard sock, read Ho Stevie’s blurb and specs below:

Slide a soft protective sock over your surfboard to shield it from dings and UV sunlight that turns your board yellow.

Doorways and stairways are surfboard killers. We’ve all been guilty of dinging our boards while carrying them to the car (or dinging them while loading them into the car).

The surfboard sock cover is such a simple solution, but it’s more than just ding protection.

You’ve probably seen how surfboards turn yellow with age. If you want to keep your board bright white, you need to protect it from UV light (the sun). Keeping your board covered with a sock when transporting and storing it, will maintain its fresh whiteness for years.

And there’s nothing worse than getting wax all over the interior of your car… it’s next to impossible to remove that sticky mess. Cover your board with a sock bag, and keep the wax on your surfboard where it belongs.