What To Pack for A Surf Trip + Google Sheets Packing List

If you read my guide on how to plan your first international trip, then you already know that minus my world travels and extended surf safaris, I’m a regular dude. If you don’t know… now you know. 

Here’s the surf trip packing list that was included in that post: Surf Trip Packing List

In this short post I’ll walk through the essentials of what to pack and why. 

What To Pack In Your Board Bag In Order of Importance

Must Have: Surf Gear

• Boards (1 Shortboard, 1 Fish): The daily driver and a fish or fatter board for smaller, softer days, is my go to. If this is your first surf trip, you’re highly unlikely to need a step up and you might be able to get away with a single board. Check the full guide for reasoning behind this.  
• Day Bag (1): Put your primary board inside a lightweight day bag, then slide that entire day bag inside your heavy travel coffin. It gives you extra protection during transit, and you’ll use the day bag to haul your board around on scooters or car roofs during day trips.
• Fins (2 Sets) & Fin Key (1): Pack one set of performance fins for the shortboard and one set tailored for the fish. Remove them from the board. Make sure there’s a towel, wetsuit, or some sort of padding between your fins and board to prevent dents. Tip: If your board bag is close to weight, move your fins to your carry on or stash them in a pocket when checking in. Along with wax they’re some of the heavier items in your coffin.   
• Leashes (1 Regular) & Leash Ropes (2): Leave the competition leashes at home; they snap and stretch too easily and barely reduce drag. Bring one solid, standard-thickness leash. Bring two leash ropes. They take up zero space, and someone always needs one.
• Wax (1) & Wax Comb (1): Bring one block of wax suited for the destination’s water temperature (usually tropical or warm). You don’t need a 10-pack; every surf town on earth sells wax, and departing surfers usually leave half-used blocks behind anyway.
• Solarez + Sandpaper (1 Small Kit): Bring one small tube of UV-activated resin, one piece of coarse sandpaper, and one piece of medium sandpaper. Make sure you get the right type of resin for your boards. This is strictly to keep your board watertight after a minor ding so you don’t miss a session. Anything beyond this you’ll be able to get a local repair guy on the ground.
• Boardshorts / Bathing Suit (2): Two pairs of boardshorts are plenty. You wear one while the other dries on the balcony. 

Should Have Items 

You can find these once on the ground if necessary. 

• Sunscreen (1 Bottle) & Face Stick (1): Pack the liquid sunscreen inside a sealed plastic bag so it doesn’t explode all over your clothes under cargo pressure. For your face, use a heavy, zinc-based mud stick. Cheap drugstore spray washes off in fifteen minutes. You want the thick stuff that stays on for a full three-hour mid-day session.
• Towel (1): Bring one standard towel, but check your bag’s total weight before you head to the airport. If you are hovering near the airline’s 50-pound limit, ditch the heavy cotton towel and buy a cheap one on the ground.
• Vaseline (1 Mini Tub): Surfing four to six hours a day in warm saltwater will give you severe skin rashes under your armpits and across your chest. A tiny tub of Vaseline fixes this. If you forget it, any local pharmacy will carry a variant, but having it on day one saves you a miserable, burning paddle out.

Add-Ons Based On Region

Tropical Add-Ons

• Rash Guard (1): A shirt will often substitute just as well. 
• Reef Boots: If you have only surfed sand beach breaks and you are traveling to a reef setup for the first time, consider wearing these… and if you buy them surf a few sessions with them before you leave to get used to them. 

Cold-Water Add-Ons

• Wetsuits (1 4/3mm, 1 3/2mm): I travel with two so I can rotate and always have a dry one. 
• Booties & Hood: With two boards and minimal clothing also jammed in your board bag, you should be able to stay under the critical fifty pound weight limit even with these. 

Nice To Have Items

• Yoga Mat (1): A cheap, lightweight yoga mat wrapped around your boards can reduce the need for bubble wrap, and it’s nice to have if, like me, you need a morning stretch. 
• Golf Ball (1): I always have one because when I double or triple my time in the water my upper back gets sore. A few minutes with golf ball between my shoulder blades and a hard surface makes a world of difference. 
• Plastic Bags (5): I carry 3 small and 2 large plastic bags for whatever surprises come up along the way. I’ve used them for wet clothes, wax, snacks, and even an electronic car key (but be careful with this one). They’re light, highly versatile, cheap, and surprisingly hard to find in some surf destinations.