Gear Archives – wetsuits, boards, fins, tech - Page 2 of 6

Review: O’Neill Women’s Hyperfreak 4:3+ Chest Zip Steamer (Tested To Death)

Derek MorrisonApr 28, 2021April 28, 20210

When it comes to wetsuits, women and children usually draw the short straw: below-tier taping, average linings and warmth, comfort … seemingly not so important. O’Neill’s women’s Hyperfreak 4:3+ Chest Zip turns that on its head. The 2019 O’Neill Hyperfreak designed for women really changes the game. It takes O’Neill’s...

Emerson’s Search For New Zealand’s Underground Chargers

Derek MorrisonJan 25, 2021February 25, 20210

New Zealand Surf Journal is excited to launch our nationwide Search For New Zealand’s Underground Chargers … powered by Emerson’s Brewery, of course. Yep, you read that right. We’re on the hunt for those surfers in New Zealand who drop tools when the swell starts maxing out. We’re talking big-wave...

Board Review: Have We Found The Missing Link?

Derek SearanckeNov 11, 2020November 13, 20200

Hughes Surfboards, Link model, is the result of multi-generational shaping minds, but is this the board that’s been missing in your surfing journey? We send the 40-something-year-old Derek Searancke out on one to find out. My scenario is not uncommon among a generation of surfers entering their late 40s. Given...

Board Review: Hughes Surfboards SB19 Custom

Brett WoodNov 4, 2020November 11, 20200

Lockdown forces Raglan surfer Brett Wood to rethink his quiver of international brands. He returns to New Zealand-made boards with the Hughes Surfboards SB19 Custom and opens up a whole new world. His journey may sound familiar to many of us. It’s 1989. Pottz is the champ and every surf...

The Great NZ Surf Journal Board Giveaway: How It Works

Derek MorrisonOct 15, 2020January 13, 20231

As part of our commitment to New Zealand surfboard shapers we’re collaborating with a bunch to bring you the chance to win one of their latest board designs. Here’s how it works … and how you can win yourself one. Step 1: We ask a local New Zealand shaper to...

Shaper Walkthrough: The Link With Luke Hughes

Derek MorrisonOct 14, 2020November 24, 20200

Shaper Luke Hughes, of Hughes Surfboards, walks us through the Link model. Designed by his father the late great, Craig Hughes, with tweaks by Luke, the Link is designed to take intermediate surfers from fun boards into the performance realm. The Link is also the ideal model for those heavier...

Watch: Lost Track, A Surf Adventure Through New Zealand

Derek MorrisonSep 10, 20200

Lost Track follows two Byron Bay mates surfer Torren Martyn and filmmaker Ishka Folkwell as they embark on the journey of a lifetime throughout New Zealand in search of perfect waves and life long memories. Their three-month motorcycle surfing adventure takes them into the depths of our great southern land...

New Zealand Surf Journal Scores New Toyota Highlander

Derek MorrisonSep 1, 2020September 1, 20200

New Zealand Surf Journal lands a tidy new Toyota Highlander and $10,000 media package through the Toyota and Mediaworks Small Business Driver promotion. Designed to help businesses who suffered as Covid-19 took its grip on New Zealand in March and April, the Small Business Driver was created by Mediaworks and...

Review: Solite Custom 3mm Heat-Moldable Booties

Derek MorrisonAug 13, 20200

Love them or hate them, booties are like the necessary evil when it comes to year-round surfing in New Zealand. Solite reckons its Custom 3mm heat-moldable booties have taken winter surfing to a whole new level. We bought a pair to find our for ourselves. But before we get into...

Watch: Solitude, From New Zealand’s Newest Wetsuit Brand

Derek MorrisonJun 30, 2020July 28, 20200

Born of New Zealand, Coastlines Wetsuits, officially pulled up a chair at the global rubber buffet when they launched just a few short months ago. NZSJ discovered they have some heavy hitters on their team and their heart’s in the right place. A few months before the brand launched, former...