Gift Guide for Surfers and Beach Lovers | Rider Shack
The gift of surfing — for everyone on your list
Finding the perfect gift for the surfer or beach lover in your life just got easier. Rider Shack has been Los Angeles's family-owned surf shop since 2006 — we know what surfers actually want, because we surf the same breaks they do. Here's our curated gift guide organized by budget, with honest picks from our actual inventory.
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Under $25 — stocking stuffers that actually get used
The best stocking stuffers are things a surfer will use on their very next session. These are the items that run out, get lost, or get worn down and need replacing constantly.
Surfboard wax — Sex Wax Quick Humps and Sticky Bumps. Every surfer needs wax. Always. A 3-pack in the right temperature rating is a genuinely appreciated gift.
Sex Wax SPF 30 Lip Balm — one of our best-selling products. Surfers' lips take a beating from sun, salt water, and wind every session. SPF lip balm is the practical gift that sounds small and gets used constantly.
Face sticks and sunscreen — Sun Bum, Raw Elements, Vertra, and Zinka face sticks from $8–$18. Compact, practical, reef-safe.
Fin screws and keys — fin screws get stripped and lost constantly. A spare set is the kind of thing a surfer is always glad to have.
Hats and beanies — Dogtown Cross Logo trucker hats, Rider Shack snapbacks, and Hecho en Venice locals — all in the $25 range. A great gift for a Venice Beach regular.
$25–$75 — upgrade their surf routine
This is the sweet spot for practical surf gifts — enough budget to get something genuinely useful without overthinking it.
Changing ponchos — the post-surf parking lot change is a ritual. A good poncho makes it civilized. Nomadix, Slowtide, and Rider Shack ponchos from $35–$65.
Wetsuit change mats — Block Surf change mats keep the wet sand and gravel off the wetsuit during the post-surf change. One of the most underrated practical gifts for regular surfers. From $30.
Surf wax care kit — a wax comb, wax scraper, storage box, and a few bars of wax. Everything to keep a board properly waxed. Under $50 all-in.
Surfboard leashes — leashes wear out and need replacing regularly. A quality leash from Dakine, Veia, or FCS runs $30–$60 and is always useful.
Sunglasses — Blenders and Suncloud polarized sunglasses from $35–$60. A beach essential that most surfers have broken or lost recently.
Surf candles and air fresheners — Sex Wax coconut candle, Sticky Bumps scented candles, Dogtown air freshener. Gifts that bring the beach into any room. From $12.
$75–$150 — premium gear they'll use every session
At this budget you're getting into genuinely performance-impacting gear — the kind of gift a surfer will think of every time they use it.
Traction pads — Dakine, FCS, Veia, and Channel Islands traction pads from $40–$80. A traction pad is a personal piece of gear — most surfers have a preference. If you know what board they ride, ask us in store and we'll point you to the right size and shape.
Surfboard fins — a new set of fins genuinely changes how a board feels. FCS II and Futures fins from $50–$120. Single fins for longboarders, thruster sets for shortboarders. If you're not sure what fin system their board uses, a gift card is safer than guessing.
Boardshorts — Rider Shack, Florence Marine X, O'Neill, and Rip Curl boardshorts from $40–$85. A great gift for the surfer who always seems to be wearing worn-out boardshorts.
Rashguards and sun shirts — Florence Marine X, O'Neill, and Rider Shack rashguards from $40–$90. Practical for both in-water sun protection and everyday beach wear.
Stanley coolers and water bottles — the Stanley Adventure Water Jug 2G ($50) is one of the most practical gifts for any regular surfer — fill it with fresh water, bring it to the beach, rinse your wetsuit and board after the session. The IceFlow flip straw bottles and Quencher tumblers from $35–$55.
Surf skate wheels and bearings — Orangatang wheels and Bones Reds bearings from $20–$65. A great upgrade gift for a surfer who already has a surf skate.
$150 and up — the gift they'll remember
At this budget you're in wetsuit and surf skate territory — genuinely significant gifts that will be used for years.
Wetsuits — Rip Curl and O'Neill wetsuits from $150–$450. A wetsuit is the most important piece of gear for surfing in Los Angeles. The right wetsuit extends the season and makes cold morning sessions genuinely enjoyable rather than something to push through. If you're buying a wetsuit as a gift, come into the shop — sizing matters and we'll help you get it right.
Carver and Slide surf skates — complete surf skate setups from $180–$350. For the surfer who wants to train their turns on land between sessions. Carver C7 and CX trucks, Channel Islands and Lost collaboration shapes.
Surfboard travel bags — Veia JJF wheeled travel bags, Block Surf coffin bags, Creatures of Leisure Quad Wheely from $150–$350. For the surfer who travels with their boards. A coffin bag is a genuinely significant gift that protects an expensive quiver on airlines.
Surfboards — new surfboards from Channel Islands, Lost, Firewire, Pyzel, and Torq, and used boards from our consignment selection. The biggest gift of all. Come into the shop — we'll match the board to the surfer, not just a price point.
The gift card — when you're not sure what to get
If the surfer in your life is particular about their gear — and most serious surfers are — a Rider Shack gift card is the most useful gift we sell. Available from $25 to $1,500, redeemable online and in store. Digital delivery available instantly.
Why shop at Rider Shack?
Rider Shack is Los Angeles's family-owned surf shop — three-time Fox 11 winner of Best Surf Shop in LA. We started in a 500 square foot garage in Venice in 2006 and we've been growing ever since. Every person on our team surfs. When you ask us for a gift recommendation, we're speaking from experience, not a product catalog. Come into our Venice Beach shop or shop online — we're happy to help you find exactly the right gift.
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