While we’re still talking on the topic of safety, I feel the need to recommend Surfco noseguards. The great thing about this product is that it does not affect performance in any way, yet can greatly reduce the risk of losing an eye. The pointy tip on shortboards creates an extremely dangerous hazard especially when getting rolled around in turbulent whitewash or when the leash causes the board to spring back toward the unsuspecting surfer.

Surfers have shared their horror stories with Surfco and all of them explain that if only they had used noseguards, they would have avoided major injury. If you visit the Surfco shop in Pearl City, Hawaii, there’s a book with testimonials complete with uncensored photos of surfboard doing plenty of damage. A California surfing rep pulled into a closeout barrel one day and as he was getting rag dolled, the surfboard snapped back towards him and the tip punctured through the side of his jaw all the way through his tongue! You could see all the stitches required to sew his jaw closed and the sickening image of a tongue resembling a shredded doughnut.

I wish more people used noseguards for the safety of themselves but more importantly for the safety of others. I recall one incident when a shortboarder snaked a wave from me by dropping in behind me and as he was flying down the uncontrollably and ended up colliding with me full speed. The tip of his shortboard stabbed my butt but miraculously I didn’t surfer any gashes. A few inches to the left and we would have been talking about a slightly different version of Gerry Lopez’s colon bag story. If that guy who collided with me had a noseguard it would have substantially decreased the risk of serious injury…kamikaze surfers like that should be required to use noseguards in all of their boards.

If you’re one of the macho types and don’t like people knowing that you use noseguards, Surfco offers noseguards in white or clear colors to help match your board and they also come in a Super Slick formula which doesn’t stick in your surf bag. Noseguards are available for the following types of boards:

Shortboards (Flip nose boards)
All other Shortboards (Retro/Older style boards)
Longboards
Funboards