It is officially the holiday season and now is a great time to start your Gift shopping. Finding the right present for everyone can be stressful. You don’t want to get your loved ones something they stuff in the back of the closet or worse – regift it. It’s best to try to get them something they can use and enjoy. If you have a surfer on your gift list, forego the typical surfboard wax and check out our list of creative gifts for surfers.

1. Surf Camp

This is a gift you know they will want to use – a stay at a surf camp! And why not give them the gift of the best Surf Camp in Costa Rica?

Iguana Surf offers 5, 6, and 7 nights at their amazing surf camp with packages that cater to beginner surfers. They even suit those more experienced surfers who just want to up their game and enjoy being immersed in our surf community in Tamarindo Beach Costa Rica.

Our surf camp packages offer daily surf lessons and one surf trip to a nearby beach to try out your skills in different conditions and see a little bit more of what the Tamarindo beaches have to offer. All packages come with a video analysis to show you where you can improve your surfing and what you’re doing right. You also get daily breakfast, your own rash guard, unlimited board rentals, and a photo shoot to share your memories!

Check out our surf camp packages

Sound like fun? Maybe you should gift yourself a stay at the best Costa Rica surf camp AND gift one to a friend! Bring a friend and you’ll pay 25 percent less. Bring two friends and save 40 percent!

2. Balance Board

There is a way to practice your surf skills even when you can’t be in the ocean and a balance board is sure to be appreciated by any surfer who wants to stay at the top of their game. Essentially your own personal seesaw, the Indo Board was made for balance training in your own home. This is a fun and effective way of improving a surfer’s balance, agility, and coordination.

3. Rash Guard

A rash guard, or rashie, is a fitted top that protects the surfer from the sun and possible chaffing or scrapes. You can even find rash guards that include SPF 50+ properties for extra protection from UV rays. A rashie is a great gift for that surfer in your life you want to help protect from the elements, especially the harmful rays of the sun. You can get your very own Iguana Surf rashie at our Surf Shop.

4. Surf Poncho/ Towel

Speaking of protection, a towel may not sound like a creative gift for a surfer but there are some clever ways to dry off after a surf out there. Poncho towels are great because you can throw them on after a surf and wear it while you talk to your friends about the waves you got (or almost got!). A large towel poncho is also a great way for you to change in and out of your swimsuit at the beach. It’s like a changing room you can wear!

Microfiber towels are also a good option for surfers as they allow you to dry off quickly and their fast-drying properties mean they won’t sit around and get moldy as quickly as a regular towel that gets thrown in the back of your Jeep under your surfboard. You can find signature towels for sale at Iguana Surf, too.

5. Yoga Mat

The surfer in your life may not be into yoga but having a soft mat to stretch on before and after surfing will definitely come in handy. Stretching is important to help keep a surfer from getting hurt while they weave and twist amongst the waves. There are so many patterns to choose from, but we think an ocean-themed yoga mat is the best way to go.

6. Massage

If you didn’t properly stretch before your surf or if you just don’t get on your board as often as you’d like, you will definitely be feeling an intense surf session in your muscles. That’s why a gift certificate for a relaxing or deep tissue massage is the perfect creative gift for surfers.

7. Custom Surfboard

What better way to show a surfer you care than the gift of a new custom-made surfboard? This one may be difficult if you don’t know their surf style. There are many different types of boards, from 5-foot fish boards to 10-foot-long boards. You may be better off buying your loved one a gift certificate to their favorite surf shop or, better yet, take them shopping.

There is a popular surf shaper in Tamarindo called Che Boards that designs custom boards and has been for over a decade. You can even have a board shaped by Robert August, the star of the classic surf documentary “The Endless Summer”, who still surfs in Tamarindo and shapes surfboards for Robert August Surf Co.

8. Surfer Jewelry

Coastal Costa Rica makes jewelry with the surfer in mind. They create surf-inspired bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces with the look of whale tails, the moon, and their popular wave design. Their stainless-steel jewelry is ion coated, which is perfect for those who are always in the ocean. Plus, they donate a portion of their sales to the Clean Wave Foundation, which hosts beach clean-up events and participates in zero-waste projects in Costa Rica. Coastal Costa Rica just opened a new shop in Tamarindo and it can be purchased online.

9. Shark Repellant

While you have a better chance of getting hit on the head by a coconut during your trip to Costa Rica than getting attacked by a shark, it may give some first-time surfers peace of mind to have shark repellant. Sharkbanz makes a bracelet that uses a strong magnetic frequency to deter marine life, including sharks. It does not require charging or batteries and was developed with help from marine biologists.

Other available shark deterrents include electrical, scent-based sprays, and acoustic.

10. Waterproof Smartwatch

You can spend hours out on the water waiting for that perfect wave, but that doesn’t mean you have to be entirely unreachable. With a waterproof smartwatch, you can receive and send texts even while surfing. Not to mention checking the time if you have someplace you need to be later, like meeting your friends for sunset drinks. A smartwatch can also be helpful for going online to check weather and wave conditions and even tracks your activity so you can see how many calories you burned during your surf.

11. Reef-Safe Sunscreen

There are two types of sunscreens – physical and chemical. Physical sunscreens use minerals like zinc oxide that sit on top of the skin to block the sun’s ultraviolet light, while chemical sunscreens use several ingredients to melt into the skin. While both are effective at blocking UV rays, surfers tend to favor pure zinc oxide, especially on their face, because it doesn’t run when it gets wet and it’s water-resistant.

No matter which type of sunscreen you choose to gift a surfer, make sure it is reef-safe, broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB), and has an SPF of at least 50. We suggest gifting New Body sunscreen, which is available at Iguana Surf Shop. Made in Tamarindo, it’s completely natural, reef-friendly, and works great. In fact, it’s a favorite of our surf instructors.

12. Surf Lessons

A surf lesson is a great gift for the loved one who has always wanted to surf but never had the opportunity, or the loved one who has never even considered surfing before! This gift is great for a friend or family member who lives by the beach or plans to visit in the near future.

Surf lessons at Iguana Surf are two hours long and are taught by certified and bilingual surf instructors. They include the use of a rash guard, soft-top surfboard, and a changing room with a locker. You can participate in a group lesson for $45, a semi-private lesson for $65, or a private lesson for $80.

Consider giving creative gifts for surfers this holiday season. Your gift could be responsible for developing a lifelong passion!

Written by Jennifer LaCharite

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