Surf & beachwear

The Gulf isn't a real surf coast most days, but it has a real surf scene anyway. Local shops carry the brands, the gear, and the swimwear that holds up to actual saltwater and sun.

What the locals buy here, briefly

• Swimwear that survives season after season. Cheap suits don't last. The local shops carry the brands (Maui Jim, Roxy, Quiksilver, O'Neill, Vissla) and have a real fitting room.
• Rashguards and sun shirts. SPF clothing is the move once you stop pretending you don't burn. UPF 50 long-sleeve. Locals wear them. So should you.
• Hats with chin straps. Gulf wind takes hats. Chin strap solves it.
• Polarized sunglasses. Cheap polarized > expensive non-polarized. Costa, Maui Jim, Smith — the local shops will steer you right.
• Reef-safe sunscreen. Mineral-based zinc, no oxybenzone, no octinoxate. Better for the water; required at some FL state parks; not negotiable.
• Sandals that don't lose to the Gulf. Olukai, Reef, Chacos all hold up. Cheap flip flops won't.

Where the surf shops are

Multiple surf and beachwear shops along Perdido Key Drive and Perdido Beach Boulevard. The bigger operators have multiple locations. Specific shops to come as we verify them — the operators rotate frequently in the strip-mall economy.

Pensacola Beach also has a deeper surf scene than Perdido Key; the historic surf shop scene there is a 20-minute drive east if you want a serious board purchase.

Boards

If you actually want to surf the Gulf, you want a longboard or fish — the wave doesn't usually have the power for a shortboard except on storm swells. Rentals available at several beach shops in season. Buying used through local Facebook groups is the move if you live here.