BLISS by Melisol

Continuing with my search for the best surf bikinis on the market, I came across this special BLISS edition surf bikini by Melisol Surfwear.

BLISS special edition surf bikini

Check out the photos above and below of Jessica (owner of Bliss Surf Adventures) modeling the new limited edition bikini.  Jessica collaborated with Melisol (one of her favorite surf bikini brands), to produce the BLISS - which includes the standard, tried and tested features of a Melisol surf suit, but is a stylish monochromatic mint green (the signature Bliss color).

Here is why Jessica rates the Melisol surf bikinis so highly...

"They are really comfortable to surf in.  I think that is the best way to describe them, because when you are in a Melisol you don't have to worry about your top shifting over and flashing anyone.  And the bottoms stay on consistently through every duck dive and wipeout.  I feel like I can truly focus on my surfing, because my attention doesn't have to shift to my suit every minute."

All the Melisol surf bikinis come with a comfortable and secure cross-back design and a waist tie to ensure that the bottoms stay put.

The BLISS edition bikini costs $65 and will be available in January exclusively through the BLISS Surf Adventures camp (in Nosara, Costa Rica) and in the US through their online boutique -  www.BlissSurfAdventures.com.

It is a limited edition, so if you want to make sure you get hold of one you can pre-order by emailing Jessica (Jess@BlissSurfAdventures.com).

I hope to find out more about Melisol and the designs that they offer.  If you have a Melisol surf bikini, write in to tell let us what you think of it!

Cross-back - BLISS special edition surf bikini

Surf Bikini Forum - Desi's Bikini Boutique

This month I was in Playa Guiones (Nosara) for a week, where I met the very friendly and very welcoming local girl surfer and surf instructor Tinis Gomar.  Every time I met her, she was wearing a different and very cute surf bikini - all of them from local Nosara-based designer  Desi Morffe.  Tinis could not say enough good things about these bikinis, so I went to check them out.

Desi Bikini - Nosara, Costa Rica

Desi's Bikini Boutique is located on the main street in Playa Guiones, between Cafe de Paris and Banco Popular (there is also another boutique in downtown Jaco as well). The boutique was packed with so many gorgeous bikinis (not all of them suitable for surfing) that we spent over an hour in there trying everything on.

The bikinis come in many different styles and patterns, and are mostly one-off designs.  Some are good for beach or pool lounging, and looking pretty.  Whilst others are designed for surfing - with cross-back straps and secure ties at the waist.  The neck straps tend to be slightly thicker than other brands, which I find more comfortable.  The bottoms come in many different styles - you can go for sexy shorts style, brazilian cut, fuller coverage, etc..  The price range for the bikini line is from $50 to $90, depending on the design and the materials used.

Due to budgetary constraints I only walked away with one bikini that day, but I could have easily purchased many more!  I have since surfed in my Desi Bikini in large and small waves, and I can confirm that it is very comfortable and stays put.

To see more photos of Desi's lovely bikinis check out her Facebook page.  Desi is originally from Caracas in Venezuela, but has been living in Costa Rica for 13 years.  As well as bikinis, she also designs summer dresses and other beach wear - all of which are made in Costa Rica.  

Thanks to Tinis Gomar for letting me use photos of her

wearing and surfing in some of her many Desi Bikinis!  Tinis is the Program Director and Lead Coach for Women's Surf Adventures by Billabong in Playa Guiones.  She keeps very busy, as she also helps out at the delicious Italian restaurant at Refugio de Sol in Playa Pelada, where her boyfriend cooks up a storm.  Make sure to check out their menu if you are ever in Nosara!

And thanks to Surfing Nosara and Nosara Shack, who let me use their surfing photos of Tinis.  Have a look at the Surfing Nosara Facebook Page and the Nosara Shack Facebook Page for more photos of the locals and visitors enjoying the waves of Playa Guiones.

Tinis Gomar, surfing in a Desi Bikini - photo by Nosara Shack

Tinis Gomar at Playa Guiones, wearing a Desi Bikini - photo by Surfing Nosier

Tinis Gomar (on the right) wearing a Desi's Bikini.  On the left Sofia Mulanovich, former ASP Women's World Champion - Nosara, Costa Rica

Tinis Gomar wearing a Desi's Bikini - Nosara, Costa Rica

Tinis Gomar at Playa Guiones, wearing a Desi Bikini - photo by Surfing Nosara

Tinis Gomar at Playa Guiones, wearing a Desi Bikini - photo by Surfing Nosara

Tinis Gomar at Playa Guiones, wearing a Desi Bikini - photo by Surfing Nosara

Neon Wetsuits - add some color to your wetsuit collection

Neon Wetsuit Design - photo by Kate Czuczman (http://czucz.tumblr.com/)

A friend recently put me on to Neon Wetsuits - these are beautiful, bright, custom-made wetsuits from Newquay in Cornwall, UK.  They are designed and handcrafted by Elsie Pinniger.

As well as being a talented designer, Elsie is a top surfer who knows the importance of comfort and functionality when it comes to creating wetsuits that people want to wear in the waves.

You can choose any style of wetsuit - full wetsuit, long-sleeve shorties, wetsuit tops, or the one I am going for - the wetsuit swimsuit!  All you have to do is choose your style, select your colours and send in your measurements and Elsie will get working on your custom-made, one-of-a-kind wetsuit.  

Prices start from £50 ($77) for the swimsuit and £95 ($150) for the long-sleeve, short wetsuit.  Check out Elsie's facebook page for more information and to contact her - Neon Wetsuits Facebook Page

You can hear Elsie talk about her designs and surfing at Slowcoast.co.uk.  (See below for a note on Slowcoast.co.uk, which is itself a beautiful website worth exploring)

I will be picking up my custom made Neon Wetsuit swimwuit in September, when I return home to the UK to see the family for a couple of weeks.  It will be just in time to try it out in the cooler temperatures that come with the rains in October in Costa Rica.  I will let you know how it goes!

Prue trying on a Neon Wetsuit design in Elsie's workshop - photo by Kate Czuczman (http://czucz.tumblr.com/)

Elsie in Neon Wetsuit swimsuit design

Neon Wetsuit Top

Neon Wetsuit - long-sleeve shorty

Neon Wetsuit - long-sleeve shorty

Neon Wetsuits swimsuits

Elsie Longboarding in Cornwall

 A note on Slowcoast.co.uk - 

Slowcoast.co.uk is a website that documents Nick Hand's cycling journeys around the coast lines of the British Isles.  It beautifully documents his journey and includes soundslides of the craftsmen and women he met along the way.  The journey was undertaken to raise money for the sufferers of Parkinson's Disease - find out how to donate at www.slowcoast.co.uk. 

Bikinis, Bikinis, Bikinis

Art by Margriet Zwart of the Zwart Art Cafe

We are still on the hunt for the best surfing bikinis out there.

Coming up in the next month we will have reviews of a few more surf bikini brands for you - Surfkini Australia, Sensi Bikinis, Jolyn and Soriya Bikinis.

In the meantime, if you have a little gem of a bikini that you love, that fits and sits perfectly, and that looks great... we would love to hear about it.

Let us know about your favorite surf bikini brand by clicking on the Contact Us page and sending us details.  Send in photos too if you would like to star in the review!

Calavera Glam Line Tested on the Lovely Long Waves of Matapalo

Previously, I told you that my neighbour (Benny) has fallen in love with her new Calavera Glam Line bikini - for more details on these take a look at the Surf Bikini Forum - Calavera post.

To prove her point (that these bikinis both look good and stay on), Benny sent me this link of her video on You Tube - see below.  During the last big south swell Benny took off down south in search of some long rides, and came up trumps in Matapalo on the Osa Pensinula, Costa Rica.

Captured on her Go Pro - see Benny enjoying the long point-break rides of Matapalo sporting her favorite new bikini!

You can see more videos from Benny and from Costa Rica Surf and SUP (the surf tours and surf camp business that she runs) at http://www.youtube.com/user/costaricasurfandsup?feature=watch

Check out the Costa Rica Surf and SUP website for more information on the tours and camps that they offer. 

I would love to hear from other girls out there who have a favorite, never-fails surf bikini - send in details and photos!

Surf Bikini Forum - Calavera

Evie surfing in purple Glam Line Calavera Bikini

 

This is the second installment of the Surf Bikini Forum, and this time we are talking about Calavera.  A lot of my friends have gone crazy for Calavera, but in particular the brand's Glam Line bikinis.

Just like the Tica Surf Bikinis (featured last week), these bikinis have been designed specifically with the surfer in mind.  As Anna Jerstrom, the founder of the Calavera brand tells us - the bikinis have been created to allow girls to focus on waves and not on wardrobe malfunctions. 

 
The Calavera brand actually came into being in Jaco, Costa Rica and all the initial prototypes were tried and tested in the heavy waves of Hermosa.  Now the brand is 100% developed and manufactured in the USA.

The designs are slick and stylish, using unique and edgy fabrics, and design elements to help the surfer girl keep her bikini on - some designs use velcro, there are various designs of tie tops which reduce stress on the neck and pull ties on the bottoms to ensure they stay in place.  You can mix and match top and bottoms to create your own style combination. 

Glam Line Bikini Top

 The Glam Line, as you would expect, is the most elegant and sophisticated design to date.  It comes in red, purple and black - all of which look great.  For the bottoms - you can choose between a fuller coverage hipsters, skimpy or string tie design. 

For me, the Calavera designs have just got better and better - so I am really looking forward to the new designs coming out in 2013.  For the moment though, the Glam Line is my favorite of the Calavera selection. 

Margriet surfing in black Glam Line Calavera Bikini

The Glam Line bikini is $90 if you buy at www.calaveraswimwear.com.  Or you can buy the top on its own for $48 and the bottoms for $42.  The string tie bottoms are $49. 

My neighbour, Benny, told me that she is completely in love with her Glam Line bikini.  She initially bought the red bikini and then very quickly decided she needed the purple one too. 

Benny in the red Glam Line Bikini - photo by Scott Rinckenberger (scottrinck.com)

Evie and Margriet wearing Calavera

Surf Bikini Forum - Tica Surf Bikinis

Veronica surfing in a Tica Surf Bikini

This post, the first of the Surf Bikini Forum, is dedicated to Tica Surf Bikinis - one of the most popular and ubiquitous bikini brands in Costa Rica.

Every girl surfer here in Santa Teresa seems to have at least one 'Veronica' bikini.  Veronica is the owner and designer of this 100% Costa Rican brand.  They are all made in the country, so if you are here visiting and you purchase one of these bikinis you can be happy that your dollars are supporting both the local design talent and the local economy.

Ask any of the local girls and they will tell you that these bikinis stay on... through thick and thin... and what's more they look pretty darn cute as well.  They come in a huge variety of colors and patterns, but in the same basic style.  You can choose halter neck or cross back (my favorite), revealing bum or a fuller coverage (depending on your tan line/modesty preference).  All the bottoms are designed with a band across the waist, with a clip tie on either side - I pull these as tight as possible to ensure there is no budging during duck diving.  And the bikinis are all reversible, which really gives you two bikinis in one!

The price for a bikini is $60.  Check out Veronica's page on Facebook - Tica Surf Bikinis  They are also on sale in the US via MGSurfline.com

Tica Surf Bikini - halter neck

Tica Surf Bikini - Bottom

Local girl, Taylor, shredding in a Tica Surf Bikini

Tica Surf Bikini

Next up on the surf bikini forum is the brand Calavera.  My next door neighbor just purchased one of the Glam Line Calavera bikinis (the latest model) and tells me that she is in love with it.  More on that soon!

Veronica of Tica Surf Bikinis

Seeking Sleek but Sturdy Surf Bikini

Being a beach bum you would have thought that I would own a whole ton of bikinis - at least one for every day of the week.  Well, I don't.  I need more!

OK, that's not strictly true.  I do have a ton of bikinis, but for some reason my selection of surfing bikinis has precipitously dwindled to almost only 3... and since I'm surfing at least once a day, that's not enough!

So, I am on the hunt for the best surf bikinis out there.  And when I say the best surf bikinis I mean bikinis that look good, feel comfortable and won't leave me cursing and pulling up my bottoms after the first duck dive or pulling my top back into position after my first wipe out.

I have been asking friends for help in my hunt.  They have been sharing their favorite brands with me, which I will in turn share with you on our new Surf Bikini Forum.  I would love to hear from readers about their favorite surf bikinis - send in details of your favorite, with pics if you like!

Starting off the forum tomorrow - Tica Surf Bikinis.  If you have been to the beach in Costa Rica you are bound to have seen these bikinis.  In Santa Teresa it seems that every surfer girl has at least one.
 Tica Surf Bikinis is a 100% Costa Rican brand.  The designer and owner, Veronica Quiros, lives and surfs here in Santa Teresa.  They are cute, bright, comfortable and stay on!  More on this tomorrow.