Eco-Travel Gear of the Year 2013 ~ Surf Nominee

Surf Gear of the Year 2013 ~ Eagle Ascent Surf Vest

Having surfed for a while, I developed a sharp pain in my ribcage. It would get so bad I could not paddle and sometimes not even raise my arm. It is hard to stay out of the water, so I would surf again before it would heal. This went on for quite a while until I had to stop surfing for several months. I spoke with other surfers and they had either knew a buddy who suffered from the same malady or experienced it themselves.

I searched the Internet for a solution. I looked all over for a padded surf vest and could not find one. I even tried equipment for baseball and football but it did not protect me quite like I needed. Then somehow I found Eagle Sports and they made the exact product I was looking for. Eagle Sports primarily manufactures high-grade neoprene wetsuits for waterskiing and wakeboarding, but they have a couple products for surfers as well.

Eco-travel gear ~ improving your travels, showing kindness to the environment

I contacted them and they agreed to send me what they call the Eagle Ascent Surf Vest. They asked for my measurements, as each surf vest is custom made. It arrived and I have been testing it out at various surf breaks here in Bali and I have to say it is a fantastic product. Nothing else seemed to work but this surf vest has really helped me. I am quite surprised that such a common surf injury did not have a product manufactured as a solution. Thanks to the folks at Eagle Sports for recognizing the need for this quality product.

As a bonus, they also were kind enough to send me one of their Eagle CoolPlus Hoodies. It’s a super lightweight fabric that blocks UV rays and when wet acts like air-conditioning. Its perfect for the fair-skinned guests on our surf trips that are vacationing from less sunny climates and susceptible to sunburn while out surfing.

Eco-Travel Gear of the Year Winners

The winners of the Eco-Travel Gear of the Year for 2013 will be announced in December. Sign up for our award winning newsletter to be sure not to miss any of the eco-travel tips, travel discounts and news. Search our site for “Eco-travel gear” to see all of the other nominees.

The best surf tours in Bali

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Full disclosure: As mentioned above Eagle Sports sent me some of their products to test free of charge and with no stipulations. Financial compensation was not received for this post, sales of products or anything else. Opinions expressed here are my own. Photos of surf gear courtesy of Eagle Sports. Read our full disclosure policy.