Wetsuit In the UK, a wetsuit is essential.  Consider if you will be in the water in winter or summer, because this will affect the amount of time you will be able to spend in the water.  A wetsuit is made from neoprene, and works by trapping a layer of water between the suit and your body, which gets warm.  If you go under water, the warm water is flushed out, and the warming process begins again.

Hence you need a wetsuit that fits snugly, with tight fitting wrists, ankles and neck.  Ensure your suit is comfortable and you can move quite freely.  Do not get it so snug that you cannot move.  The thickness of the neoprene determines how warm the suit is.  A summer suit will often be a 2/3, i.e. the suit has some parts 2mm, e.g. arms for better movement, and some parts 3mm, e.g. torso for more warmth.  A winter suit can be a 5/4/3.  5mm for the chest, 4mm for the arms and legs, and 3 for joints.

There are two styles of suit available; the full suit - long arms and legs, or the shortie - short arms and legs.  Combine this will the thickness of the neoprene, and you will see there are a few factors to consider.  Your best bet is to go to a surf shop with a decent range of suits, and ask for some help in choosing one.

When wearing your wetsuit, you may get a rash.  To combat this, you can by a rash vest.  This is a short or long sleeved lycra vest to wear under your wetsuit. (This can also give you an extra layer of warmth).  Or you can use vaseline in the tender spots.  I tend to smear my neck with vaseline to protect from rash and to improve the seal with the suit, which cuts down on cold water flush-outs.

After use, always wash you suit in fresh water, and dry out of direct sunlight.

SocksGood neoprene socks will keep you feet warm and free from the abrasions that fins can dole out. Look for flat seams to prevent rubbing (glued & blindstitched). Decide if you are going to wear socks all year round, or just the winter, and buy the most appropriate thickness. One philosophy is to get good winer socks and wear them all the time, if you find your feet are to hot for the odd day in summer then you can afford to go barefoot.

Fins If you're going to take bodyboarding seriously then a decent pair of good fitting fins will be essential. You will find that fins will help you get out into and past the waves with more ease and will give you that kick start when catching waves. Be very fussy when buying fins, don't buy them to small, if you do your feet will cramp, and/or blister. Don't buy them to big or you will lose some of the power as you kick off (your fins will flap! or worse still come off your feet). The same applies to trying fins on as does when you are buying shoes, do it when your feet are hot, thus they will be slightly swollen, and try them on with neoprene socks. In the UK it is better to have fins that fit best with socks, after all you will probably wear socks more often than not. The fin should feel comfortable. Avoid letting the foot be bent in the fin & make sure the ankle strap isn’t too tight on the back of your ankle. If you have a wide foot or high instep then look for a fin with a wider foot pocket. The more you pay the better the fins will be, as long as you rinse them out in fresh water after use, the longer they will last. Try to pick a fin that is stiff in the blade and soft, comfortable and well fitting in the foot pocket. Don’t forget, you’ll need "fin savers" - little velcro leashes for each fin to prevent you losing your fins in the wild waves the first time you paddle out!

Leash The leash is very important it keeps you and your board together, if you ever find yourself in difficulty you will want to have your board with you to keep you afloat whilst waiting for help, or you get you back on to the beach. So buy the best you can afford...look for one which is coiled, flat ones get in the way and flap and flop all over the place, the leash is attached to either the wrist or bicep so it is important to keep it tidy. Also look for swivels, these help stop the leash from tangling. Make sure the velcro strap is strong and doubles back on itself so theres no chance of it coming off your wrist. Always check your leash is in good condition, and check where the leash is attached to the board.

Bag Look after your board by keeping it is a bag, look for strong seams, a reflective bag will keep the heat away from the board if stored in a hot car, a padded bag will help prevent bumps and bangs.

If you've got this far then a quick read about etiquette will help...

There are rules on the waves just as there are rules of the road.

THE DROP IN RULE - put very simply - the person closest to the curl of the wave has right of way. So if someone has beaten you onto the wave, then you have to give way. This rule is here mainly for safety reasons, but also like the highway code once you know the rules it is easier to co-exsist in harmony with other wave riders.

PADDLING OUT - In your attempts to get through the masses of incoming waves it is important to be aware of other riders who may be coming towards you on a wave. They have priority! Try your hardest to get out of the way either by paddling quickly over/through the wave thus giving the rider clearance, or, if you think that will result in a collision head for the broken water behind the ride. It's better to be trashed by a wave than a surfboard. Be decisive in your move don't fanny around thinking about getting out of the way, just do it!! When you are riding a wave there is nothing worse than having someone floundering around in front of you, making you not sure of their move. This will result in a collision!!

So there you have it, simple rules for what most of us is a way of life. Remember if you do make a mistake, learn from it, apologise and be friendly! and don't do it again!! But most of all ENJOY IT!! Bodyboarding is a great sport!

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