Womens clothing at Boardworx, Kent's largest surf shop, on Beach Walk in Whitstable. Patagonia, Rip Curl, O'Neill, Mystic, Weird Fish, Fox, Dakine and Stance — £10 to £279, in the shop and online with free UK delivery over £50.
Patagonia is the largest part of the womens range, and the reason is the repair guarantee — they will fix a jacket rather than sell you another one. Down Sweater and Torrentshell jackets £170 to £279, Retro Pile fleeces £109 to £175, Baggies shorts £54 to £59, organic cotton tees from £19. Recycled fabrics, Fair Trade sewn.
Rip Curl and O'Neill cover the everyday surf wear — tees from £18, quick-drying boardshorts from £20, hoodies and fleeces £56 to £79. Reef for flip flops, with Weird Fish, Fox, Mystic and Hurley alongside.
This is the bit people underestimate. Whitstable in October is colder than it looks, and standing about after a swim is when you actually get cold.
Beanies from £23 — Patagonia, Dakine, Rip Curl, Buff and Stance. Buff neckwear from £16, including merino and fleece-lined for winter. And a changing robe if you are getting in and out of the water, which beats a towel every time.
Worth saying plainly: a wool beanie is for the walk back, not for wearing in the sea. If you want to keep your head warm in cold water you need a neoprene hood.
Stance socks from £10, in crew, slouch, low tab and mid tab. Combed cotton with an arch band and a reinforced heel, and they keep their shape after washing — which is most of why people come back for more.
Sizing varies a lot between these brands. A Patagonia medium and a Rip Curl medium are not the same garment, and we would rather spend ten minutes getting it right than process a return. We are on Beach Walk in Whitstable — Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 17:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 in summer.
