Discover our top gifts for the water sports enthusiast in your life – from floating sunglasses to beach parkas and kayak
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Christmas is drawing nearer, and you might be in a kerfuffle about what to get that avid water sports fan in your life. Or maybe you’re a keen kayaker or water adventurer yourself, eager to upgrade some bits in your kit.
Here we round-up our favourite water sports items – from backpacks to parkas and paddleboards – so that regardless of whether it’ll be you or someone else enjoying these items, they’ll be sure to have the seal of approval.
The Surprisingly Useful: McConks Floating Sunglasses – £65
If you’re going to flip over while kayaking – and let’s face it, there’s every chance you might – it helps to have a pair of sunglasses that won’t end up in Davy Jones’ locker. This pair, designed by the family-run British company McConks, will bob to the surface, making them easy to scoop up if they fall off. Not that they’re likely to, because McConks have also designed them with sprung hinges, helping them fit tight to your face.
The frames are made of bamboo and layered wood – both more sustainable materials than plastic – and the polarized, UV400 lenses are designed to block out water glare and 100 per cent of ultraviolet rays.
Best of all, the brand is now offering these as part of a discount bundle along with their excellent dry robes and bobble hats – everything you need for a day out on the water. mcconks.com
The Luxury: Red Paddle Co. Adventure Waterproof Backpack – £114.95
It might sound odd to list a backpack as a luxury. After all, if you’re going on a kayaking trip, you’ll almost certainly need something to carry your kit. But this fully waterproof rucksack from British brand Red Paddle Co. not only looks fantastic, it also has a lot of high-end features, making it a ‘nice to have’ as well as extremely practical.
The shell is made from a highly resistant fabric by the brand called Armour Tech. This material is fully recycled. The roll top means it can serve as a drybag, while an internal laptop sleeve makes it just as suitable for city commutes. red-equipment.co.uk
The Essential: Aqua Marina Halve Inflatable Kayak – £799
For most kayakers, the invention of the inflatable kayak has been a complete game changer. Having a boat that you can pack down to the size of a backpack – in this case, a backpack weighing just 7.4kg –makes travelling with your boat a million times easier.
Suddenly, all manner of adventurous put-ins become possible. The Halve, from established watersports brand Aqua Marina, is built of super tough TPU material. Designed for two passengers, or a maximum payload of 140kg, it’s ideal for everything from gentle river or coastal cruises to longer, multi-day tours. aquamarina.com
The Luxury: Animal Hazey Recycled Waterproof Beach Parka – £120
British brand Animal has been producing wetsuits and surf clothing for decades. This parka-style changing robe is made of 100 per cent recycled materials, from the fleece lining to the waterproof outer.
The main fabric has a 5,000-millimetre waterproof rating, so you won’t get wet if it starts to rain, and Animal has added a whole host of well-thought-out, practical features, such as a fully adjustable hood, convenient side pockets and a zip with a tag that’s big enough to operate even if you’re wearing wetsuit gloves. animal.co.uk
The Essential: McConks Go Explore 11’4” GT Inflatable Paddleboard – £500
Founded by Andy McConkey and his partner Jen, McConks is a family-run business. It prides itself on producing paddleboards that are made with the most durable and sustainable materials available, and selling them at an affordable price point. The boards are designed from the ground up in the Cotswolds, built by trusted suppliers in Southeast Asia and sold directly to customers, allowing McConks to cut out shops and middlemen, and keep its prices low.
This 11’4” Grande Tourer is a versatile inflatable board designed for lakes, rivers, and touring. It has storage areas at the nose and tail with bungees and gear attachments, plus a nose runner and a 2+1 fin setup for extra stability. mcconks.com
The Surprisingly Useful: DryRobe Advance Long Sleeve – £165
Although their products are now used by everyone from kayakers to cold-water swimmers, DryRobe started out as a surf brand.
The idea is pretty self-explanatory. Simply throw this long-sleeved garment on to get changed into or out of your wetsuit without exposing yourself to either the elements or passers-by.
The inner lining is made of recycled synthetic lambswool, designed to be absorbent and keep you warm even when wet. The outer is recycled waterproof nylon.
dryrobe.com
The Essential: Animal Miki Winter Wetsuit – £75
A decent winter wetsuit is essential for cold-water surfing and the Miki model, by British brand Animal, ticks all the boxes. It’s got 5mm thick neoprene on the body and 3.5mm on the arms and legs for extra manoeuvrability.
It’s designed for water temperatures as low as 9°C, enough for winters in the UK (or Ireland) and while its full RRP is £180, it’s currently available at less than half-price from the Animal online store.
animal.co.uk
The Luxury: GoPro Hero12 Black Camera – £399
Buy here on Amazon
GoPros have become near-ubiquitous in all action sports, but these robust, waterproof and practically bombproof video cameras were first invented with surfing in mind. With a super-wide lens, capable of shooting a 156° field of vision in 5.3k quality, the latest version of their signature model, the Hero12 Black, is ideal for capturing dramatic self-filmed angles.
They also sell surfboard mounts (£20) and ‘floaty’ orange cases (£30), so you can find it if it’s knocked off by a big wave. gopro.com
