Surfing without a wetsuit chaps my thighs...

[tomthetreeman]

I’m 6’1”, 190 and have tried the longest board shorts out there, but the motion of going to and from a seated position on a longboard absolutely wrecks my thighs. I see plenty of surfers out there in shorts, on regular boards with wax... what’s the deal? I’m looking into swim tights (read: men’s yoga pants lol) to go under my shorts. In full disclosure, my sessions are usually 3+ hours, so I guess that could be a part of it. Anyone else have this issue? TIA,

Tom

[BaNZ]

I wear yoga pants underneath my shorts too. It definitely helps with the sunburn. During summer, I can be in the water for 5-6 hours. Also stops jellyfish from getting you.

Some people just have much rougher skin that can deal with the friction. Once you start getting scars from the rash, then it will toughen up the skin. In extreme cases, I also use vaseline around my balls to stop the rash.

[oldmansurfer]

don't wax out to the edge of your board where your thighs go? I don't know never had that problem. Perhaps you could do groin stretching exercises so you thighs don't try to clamp the board?

[tomthetreeman]

I don’t wax all the way out, and it’s not from clamping... It’s the motion of going in and out of a seated position. It’s like a short movement where my inner thighs drag on the board. I’ll try a narrower wax job, and be a bit more conscious of it, but I think I need to go full yoga pant to prevent it lol.

Tom

[waikikikichan]

Just wondering:
1) is your board a Softtop ?
2) are you waxing the rails ?
3) no rash on top your thigh ?
4) have you checked the seam/stitching on the inside of your board shorts ? Could be rubbing you wrong literally.

[tomthetreeman]

The only times it’s been warm enough up here, I’ve been on a fiberglass board... Not waxing the rails. It could potentially be the shorts, I hadn’t thought of that. I’ve only surfed sans-wetsuit a handful of times, so I literally forgot about it until it happened again the other day. I’m going to try a narrower wax job & check the shorts. Thanks, fellas!

[Blackvans1234]

I got chafage actually from the fabrics of longer shorts, rash guards too on my inner bicep, and in my armpit from tank tops . Then I’ll go topless to get some nipple chafage.

Just rotating the chafage

[jaffa1949]

Agh Vaseline, rots wetsuits, and should it escape further adds great hilarity with pop up and standing on the greasy spot take offs..
Good but nasty trick, reshape a cake of soap as a block of wax! Similar results!

[Blackvans1234]

Good but nasty trick, reshape a cake of soap as a block of wax! Similar results!

Why is the water so bubbly!

[tomthetreeman]

Just rotating the chafage

[Onelove]

Rash shorts work wonderful for me. Specifically designed for this. Might still get some right above and inside of knees, but they work.

[Ratfinksurfer]

I have exactly the same issue tomthetreeman. In the winter I wear a wetsuit but now that it's nice and warm I get to enjoy some surfing with boardshorts! Well my first 3 hour surf left my inner thighs red and chapped. Also my chest and nips too to be honest.

But now that it's scabbed up and healed it's fine. It's just tender skin that's not used to wax and salt water being scoured into you. It'll toughen you up! I also have really hairy legs, maybe that's part of the issue?

[oldmansurfer]

I used to get nipple rash back when I was learning to surf. I never got rashes anywhere else. But after a while my nipples toughened up and I quit getting rash or maybe I learned to surf without rubbing my nipples all over the board. I however learned on a shortboard originally. The second time learning I was on a longboard and never got any rash at all but then never did 6 hour surf sessions like I used to.