If one ignores the fluorescent day-glo disaster that was the 80’s, surfboards and wetsuits have tended towards the dull. Boards are white, wetsuits are black. Perhaps an understated tint of colour here and there to break the monotony. Sure, Trident is generalising here, but even a casual glance at surf equipment or following a conversation in the lineup will reveal the inexplicable: despite their rebellious reputation, most surfers are more conservative than a monastery with their board and wetsuit colour choices.
“I don’t like bright colours.”
“I’m a minimalist, bru.”
“I only watch old movies, all in black and white – so why should my surf gear be any different.”
“I’m a member of the Night’s Watch. Black cloaks and white snow.”
EPS Foam eventually resembles the hue of old rat skeletons you may find in a corner of your most under used cupboard.
When they first came out, EPS foam boards initially struggled to make an impact on the South African surf market. Slowly but surely however, they were accepted into surf culture, eventually becoming something of a status symbol. Yet, status symbol or not, after a few years those hard-as-nails white boards slowly deteriorated into a dull yellow resembling a nicotine-stained tooth. Sure, the performance remained unaffected, but the board’s hue resembled old cardboard you may find in a dingy, forgotten part of an abandoned garage.
These days, EPS boards are less affected by time. However, leave your brand new EPS foam, epoxy resin board in the sun for a day, and your board’s surface will resemble bubble wrap in no time. As for PU boards after time… Two words after their once pristine white foam has been sun exposed for a few years: rancid butter.
Colour in surfing remains an underrated but profound influence on all your gear. Nowadays, the full carbon wrap boards are de rigeur. They look cool as hell, but are desperately impractical. Even the most casual student of science knows that black absorbs all the light spectrum. Or something like that. White reflects all light, black absorbs it all. So black boards, carbon wraps etc – are the equivalent of leaving your board on a braai.
“Rainbow ball” by @Doug88888 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Black is hot. White is cool.
Conversely, white reflects all light. Yet, Trident owns no board bags that are white, and several that are blue, silver and black. Seriously. Wtf. What’s up with that surfboard manufacturers? Why not pastel peach or something? Why are board bags for example, often only available in black – a colour guaranteed to absorb all the sun’s heat and subsequently do more damage to your board than a blowtorch.
“Chessboard (again)” by rbrwr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Hence full carbon boards, or black boards in general, being more efficient generators of solar energy than actual solar generators. So black wetsuits make sense then. Extra heat generation. And white wetsuits make about as much practical sense as black boards.
Apart from black boards, something else that is currently very popular are rainbows. Damn it team. We have a whole spectrum of colours out there. You just gotta know what works in a sport where heat can do some actual harm, and how colour influences that. Don’t be offended folks. It’s science, remember? Facts matter, feelings don’t.
