Looking for the best surfing showers? You’ve come to the right place!
Surfing showers are very handy tools, which allow you to rinse off the salt and sand from yourself and your surf gear after a surf session.
There are loads of brands and different types of surf showers out there, and I know choosing one can be tricky.
Should you choose a portable pressure shower or an electric one? One with a heater or without? And what water capacity do you need after a surf session?
In this article we will answer all those questions and more. We go over exactly how portable showers work, what you need to take into account when choosing one, their use in surfing and reviews of the best surf showers to choose from.
So what are you waiting for, let’s dive in and find the perfect surfing shower for you!
Using a portable shower after a surf session
What is a portable surf shower?
As the name suggests, a portable shower is a shower that isn’t connected to a plumbing system, and you can therefore carry around with you.
There are different systems and styles, but generally speaking they come with a small tank that you have to fill beforehand and a shower head you can use.
Some portable showers need electricity to work, either by connecting them to a power socket or through their own battery.
Others (like the one we have and that is pictured in this article) are simpler and work with a manual pressure pump.
There are also surfing showers with heaters to warm up the water, although these resemble more camping showers and you’ll need a gas source for them to work.
Different showers obviously come with different price tags, depending on how fancy or not you want it to be. The best surfboard outdoor shower for you ultimately depends on your budget and needs.
Our 10-litre portable surf shower
Do you need a portable beach shower for surfing?
Is a portable shower a surfing essential? No.
Will it make your life and surfing journey easier? Yes.
A portable shower isn’t something that will make or break your surfing experience, but it will definitely make things easier for you when you get out of the sea.
Sand sticks to everything, and having a surfing shower will allow you to rinse yourself and your gear from both sand and salt. It helps keep your surf gear clean, and your car sand-free.
Whether you have a tiny surfboard or a big beginner surfboard, you’ll want to rinse the salt and sand off it after a session.
Using our surfing shower after a surf session
Things to consider when choosing your portable shower for surfing
Choosing the best surfing shower can be tricky, not because it’s a particularly technical product, but because there are so many different brands and types out there, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Personally, I wouldn’t say there’s one single best portable surf shower. At the end of the day, they all do the same job. You just need to find the right one for your budget and needs.
We have listed below some of the things to take into account when choosing the perfect portable shower for you.
Size
How much water do you want it to carry? How much space can it take up in your car or usual transport mode?
A big shower with lots of water capacity can be tempting, but bear in mind that the bigger the shower and the more water it holds, the heavier it gets to carry around.
Using our surfing shower
Heating
Do you want your portable shower to have hot water? Some portable showers come with heating systems.
These tend to be bigger and more complicated, as they are usually more like camping showers, which you need to hook on to a gas source to warm up the water.
They’re more expensive and a bit faffier to use, but especially for people who surf in cold weather, a nice hot shower when you get out of the cold sea can be pure bliss.
Click here to purchase a portable shower with heater!
Our 10-litre portable pressure shower for surfing
Electric vs pressure systems
Some showers come with an electric system, which you either have to recharge or which works with solar energy.
Others have a pressure pump that you manually have to pump to get water out of the shower. It sounds more complicated, but it’s pretty straightforward and these showers tend to be cheaper.
Plus, knowing myself, I know I’d forget to charge the shower and then have it not work when I need it the most.
Price
How much do you want to spend? This is obviously one of the biggest factors to consider with any purchase.
Generally speaking portable showers aren’t very expensive, but some of the higher end ones with electric pumping systems and heating can get quite pricey.
The simpler the shower, the cheaper it will tend to be.
Click here to find the perfect surfing shower for you!
How to use a portable shower with pressure system
Our portable surf shower reviewed
We use a 10 litre portable pressure shower, and it works very well for us. It’s simple and very affordable, especially when compared to some of the fancier showers with heating or electric systems.
The pressure system means that, once empty, it also takes up less space. You just have to fill it, pump some air in with the handle and you’ll have a constant and fairly powerful water stream to shower with.
It’s not a particularly fancy or high end shower, but for the price and ease of use, we can confidently say that it’s a great portable shower for surfers.
Most of the time we used it paired to our surf changing mat, to minimise even more the amount of sand we bring back.
Click here to purchase a portable pressure shower for surfing!
Using a portable shower after a surf session
Final thoughts on the best surf shower
There you have it, the ultimate guide to portable showers for surfers! Have you used a portable shower before? How did you find it? Let us know in the comments below!
Like I said earlier in this article, a surf shower isn’t really an essential that will help you progress through the surfing levels, but it’s definitely a handy tool that will make both your life and surfing journey easier.
Being useful, but not essential, is also what makes it such a popular gift for surfers. Trust me when I say, you’ll be glad to wash off the sand and salt after a long surf session.
In this article we tried to give you an impartial overview of what you need to look for in a surfing shower, reviewing our own portable surf shower and sharing useful tips in selecting the best one for you.
I hope you will find it useful in picking the right surfing shower for you! If you have any questions, just let us know in the comments below.
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