A Surfer's Delight: Gadgets + Gear For Design Loving Surfers

This content series is in partnership with smartwater. smartwater, good taste travels well. Click here to learn more.

We found Chris Garrett diligently shaping a new, cutting edge (literally and figuratively) Finless Board in Indonesia. We also found the pro team at Volcom hanging out on their new Half Pipe Boat off the coast off Hawaii. Another great find? Over in France, Nixon has debuted their Supertide Watch which will track the tide levels. After a closer look at these surfing innovations we knew we needed to call upon some expert advice. We caught up with master chef, art gallery owner, and the funnest guy to have a laugh with on a night out in Santa Barbara, Oliver Parker. Why is he our expert? Oh yeah, because he's also a professional surfer. Parker chimed in on some of these gadgets, even adding tips on how to make your own homemade versions. Enjoy beach babes!

Brooklyn, NY- Boutique bag company Baggu came up with a simple, yet clever idea for carrying your board. Throw your board over your shoulder with the Surf Sling, then fold it up and pack it away once you get to your surf spot.

Oliver Parker: This is totally cool and very useful. I find that many longboards these days , are not only heavy, but also too wide to fit under many peoples arms. This seems like a stylish answer to the long haul to any beach.

Hawaii - Volcom made one of their dreams come true recently. They had an idea to build a half pipe on water, after some sketching and schematic planning, the team constructed their first Half Pipe Boat. The boat floats outside the break, and can be used to mesh the worlds of skateboarding and surfing!

Oliver Parker: I wonder if this half pipe comes with a scuba diver? or did they design skateboards that float as well...

Bali - Ok, the name says it all… It’s a finless board. Surfboard shaper ChrisGarretoriginally designed a similar version of the Finless Board for a close friend of his, but has now designed a newer version for Deus Ex Machina - to release to the masses.

The new board has a fuller nose entry that flows into a double tit swallowtail with all sorts of channel bottom goodness, more grip than slip. Built for carving rail turns, giving you hold, while allowing you the freedoms of a spinning turntable. you really got to ride it to believe it.

Oliver Parker:I love that there is a movement towards alternative wave riding vehicles. It seems like these avant garde trends are coming and going though, probably because in order to have a good session you need to get really Cosmic! check out this video of Derek Hynd the original preacher of the finless foam board.

France - Time your surf sessions right and you don't even have to think. And who wants to think? Dissolve your brain in saltwater. Get lost in the explosion of a backside bash. Or a frontside slash. Escape life on land and head for the water. With the rhythm of the tide displayed in high-resolution detail, The Supertide Watch syncs you up with the motion of the ocean so you know exactly when to go!

Bengkel - The talented team of surfers, shapers, and motorcycle makers at Deus Ex Machina took an ol’ 76 Honda C70 and completely re-worked it a beach bum's dream. The team say's "The old engine, all 70 cc of it, ran a 6 volt system electric system, something almost unheard of today. Add two parts of just plain ‘old’ and stir in a generous portion of ‘unreliable’. Fold into the mix that sourcing parts was proving to be a bit of a bastard. And you got a recipe for change."

USA - The HD HERO2: Surf Edition is the most advanced GoPro camera yet. Amazing new photographs are being captured in surf photography as the HD HERO2 grabs up 10 frames per second. Wearable and surfboard mountable, waterproof, capable of capturing professional full 170º wide angle 1080p video and 11 megapixel photos! ($300)

Florida - The new Darkfin Gloves are webbed gloves that make swimming, surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving a great deal easier. The durable latex rubber is seamless, with amazing flexibility and superior grip capabilities. Word on the street is that it takes a little while to get used to, but once you are accustomed to the gloves it will give more strength as you paddle out. ($25)

New York - One of the surfing community's favorite artist Joe Hodnickicreated a new series of hand crafted Hand Boards for those who like to body board. The series of Hand Planes were created for the Surfing Heritage Foundation, Hodnicki refers to the boards as 'Guppies', adding that there are "plenty of “guppies” in the sea."

Oliver Parker:So you're going on a business trip near a good wave or a honeymoon in Hawaii and don't want to lug around your surfboard. With one of these little bad boys, and a pair of swim fins you will find yourself body surfing like never before! If you are caught in a bind with good waves approaching and no board you can always use a plastic cafeteria tray found at taco bell or In-N-Out.

Venice -  Hand Shaped by Todd St. John, the Indoek Wax Kit, is a beautiful and functional case to hold our sticky bars. Indoek says the "unique design is reminiscent of surfboard shaping planes."

The container well is approximately 2.75 inches and is a perfect fit for most circular wax molds, and the comb tines are on the bottom edge and the scraper is a detachable lid! ($105)

San Diego - The Wheel Bicycle Surfboard Carrier makes lugging your oversized surfboard to the beach a breeze. The trailer attaches and detaches to any bike quickly and easily, and comes equipped with a handy luggage area to carry wetsuits, gear and other beach supplies hands free! ($200)

Italy - Our favorite reason to keep out the rays; SUPER's new VISIVA series! Revisiting the hand-crafted prints seen in Spring taken from 70’s and 80’s beach postcards, scientific illustrations and tropical-themed photos. The Summer outing of the VISIVA range sees the same retro-kitsch prints revived on a top-notch resin crystal acetate. ($295)

Australia - On summer's eve, 17 Strongbow surfers descended on Bondi Beach in custom made glow-in-the-dark surfboards + wetsuits as an official "welcome to summer." Hundreds of onlookers lined the beach & the Bondi Icebergs balcony to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.

UK - Orlebar Brown is celebrating their 5th anniversary with a series of photographic swim shorts, these ones titled Bulldog! The shorts are a limited edition collaboration with the Getty Images Archives, with vintage pictures hand selected by a panel including people from Getty and Orlebar Brown. Our favorite part about the collection is that 10% of all proceeds going to the Blue Marine Foundation.

Oliver Parker: These shorts are Rad, also check out the line of shorts Niel Barrett designed for Sundek! The trend seems to be moving towards a cleaner simpler design for shorts these days. I must say shorts that stop right before my knee are always more comfortable than the super baggy shorts of the 2000's.

New York & California - Admit it ladies, wetsuits never looked so good! We're not just seeing this Cynthia Rowley / Roxy collaboration pop up on the beaches, we are seeing it on the cover of international fashion magazines. The Geode Wetsuit is the latest of woman's wetsuit shorts, where Rowley used a patchwork technique to add strength and style to the garment. ($195)