If you’re like me, you may get stuck wearing the same surf gear time and time again, whether it’s boardshorts or active shirts.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
But as my latest surf gear has become worn from the sun and saltwater, instead of looking at the same surf brands, I wanted to try something different.
Photo courtesy Lydia Sawyer-Chu
I’ve known about Helly Hansen’s winter gear for awhile. There’s no doubt they’re the leader when it comes to staying warm in the snowy, chilly and rainy elements — including ski jackets – and I wanted to see how their gear stacked up.
First, Helly Hansen’s Backstory
A TRADITION OF INNOVATION FOR OVER 140 YEARS
You read that right: whereas many brands we know and love today are only decades old, Helly Hansen dates back more than 140 years. Pretty impressive, right?
"In 1877, Captain Helly Juell Hansen saw a need for better protection from the harsh Norwegian elements. He and his wife, Maren Margarethe, began soaking coarse linen with linseed oil. This state of the art process resulted in water resistant clothing for workers at sea. This is how Helly Hansen was born."
Take a look at history through books or museums, and you can spot Helly Hansen gear. For example, I was blown away to learn there’s actual advertisements from 1913 about their leisure clothing!
Today, Helly Hansen combines all of that history and knowledge into not just leisure and work products for harsh elements, but also for the surf.
Photo courtesy Lydia Sawyer-Chu
I’ll be honest with you: my two biggest pet peeves with boardshorts in general is them not having a stretch factor, and also the utility pocket being on your backside, resulting in you sitting on your keys or items the entire surf session.
That’s what I loved about Helly Hansen’s boardshorts: it’s as if they were made for me!
Designed to reach just above the knee, and constructed with 4-way stretch material, they had the perfect amount of stretch that not only made them feel comfortable; I didn’t notice them the entire surf session, which is exactly what you want in a pair of boardshorts!
But that’s not all.
With the utility pocket being on the side, I didn’t sit on my key the entire session, which was a breath of fresh air. The amount of times I’ve been waiting on waves and sitting on keys is too much to count.
The pocket was safe and secure, so I didn’t lose the key, which my wife and kids would have not been stoked about.
The best part about these boardshorts? At a $49 price point, they were extremely affordable.
Learn more about the Helly Hansen boardshorts.
Helly Hansen LIFA® ACTIVE Solen T-Shirt
Photo courtesy Lydia Sawyer-Chu
If you’re a dad like me, you don’t just come to the beach for a few hours. Instead, you get all your kids and gear in the car, and set up shop and stay at the beach all day.
At my age, and whether I'm in Huntington Beach or New Smyrna, I’ve learned that during these long beach days, I need more than sunscreen, though I personally don’t like long sleeve shirts that make you feel hot.
I’ve tried a few active shirts in the past, but didn't notice too much of a difference: a sunburn still made its way through the shirt and when I surfed in it, I felt wet for hours afterwards. So all that to say I didn’t have great expectations for Helly Hansen’s Active Solen Shirt, but man was I surprised.
Not only is the shirt UPF 50, which protected me all day — no sunburn, baby!
It was cool, comfortable, and was quick to dry after surfing. Plus, the shirt didn’t get damaged by brushing up against the wax on my surfboard.
Similar to the boardshorts, the price point for this Active Shirt was extremely affordable at just $60.
Learn more about the LIFA® ACTIVE Solen T-Shirt.
Yes, Helly Hansen is known for its snow gear. But their boardshorts and active shirts are just as good, and based on my experience here, their surf and beach clothing is only going to get better.
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