Northcore Seat Cover Review

Posted on April 25, 2013 by info@boylos.co.uk

One of our favourite products here at Boylos.co.uk is the Northcore Seat Cover Range. Available in both a single and a double the Northcore Seat covers are made from super durable, waterproof material that’s designed in a way so that it fits pretty much any seat whether it be a Van, Car or 4×4. Check out Jake’s Brief review below of the Northcore Seat Cover:

The great part of the Northcore Seat Cover is its’ diversity. Unlike some of the other brands the Northcore Seat Cover pretty will pretty much fit anything and everything. With two stretchy panels on the rear this waterproof seat cover is allowed to stretch around even the biggest of chars.

As well as the stretchy panels this waterproof seatcover from Northcore comes with Velcro arm rest cut outs and on the double a seat belt cut out. As well as this it has a cut out to make accessing your recliner easy and an elasticated skirt to prevent it from slipping up all the time.

Over at Boylos.co.uk we love this seat cover. It does exactly what it says on the tin and makes your life better. A great product and at only £19.95 a great price as well. Check this Northcore Seat Cover out and buy it today.

Starboard Drive 10’5 Review.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Jake@boylos.co.uk

Stand Up Paddle Boarding or SUPing, is really taking hold of the UK’s watersports scene. The massively inclusive, easily accessible and highly versatile sport has captured the attention of thousands of watersports lovers and newbies alike and is getting more people on the water everyday! Demand for better Paddle Boards has gone up and the level of equipment is so much higher now than it ever was. Starboard are one of the biggest names in the business with their high performance models winning tonnes of both racing and wave events year round and their entry level boards proving to be tremendously popular with the masses. Throughout the vast range of Starboard SUP’s there is definitely a board to suit anyone’s needs and abilities, but it is the Starboard Drive that is taking the lead on popularity and we are about to explore the reasons why.

Starboard Drive 10’5 review

The Starboard Drive is proving yet again to be one of Starboard’s most popular shapes and is the best selling shape in the UK! All this popularity happens for a reason and when you start to look into the design and performance of the Starboard Drive it’s very easy to see why so many people love the shape! The Starboard Drive is designed to be a superb all rounder with the ability to be an efficient flat water paddler and also a lively and agile wave rider. The blend between flat water and waves is seamless with the Starboard Drive and it is this versatility combined with the ease of use that makes it so popular amongst us SUPers here in the UK.

The Starboard Drive’s great all round performance is at the core of it’s popularity.

The intermediate rocker and wide standing area provide the glide you need for flat water paddling and make the Starboard Drive great for touring around on flat days. The rounded pin tail and rounded outline make for a great surf shape though so you can quickly switch from flat water to waves on the same board. A mono concave in the nose gives the Starboard Drive plenty of speed which then blends from the flat middle into the V bottom in the tail, making it a great carving board and really giving it a lively, agile ride. Especially for a board with so much flat water stability!

Wave riding is where the Starboard Drive truly excels!

The Starboard Drive comes with a 2+1 fin set up: Starboard’s Hexcel 210 center fin and M4.5″ side fins to provide it with plenty of drive for speed and grip for smooth, drawn out carves.

The SUP specific fins on the Starboard Drive give it plenty of direction for flat water and tonnes of performance for wave riding!

As with many of Starboard’s models the Starboard Drive is available in a variety of constructions. The Brushed Carbon Construction is Starboards performance construction with minimal weight and maximum strength, this would be the perfect construction for those looking to really exploit the Starboard Drive’s prowess in the waves. The Wood construction from Starboard is gorgeous to look at and really gives you a sense of occassion when riding the Starboard Drive. An EVA foam deck pad covers the standing area for grip and board protection. The AST candy and white share the same shape with the AST silver. However, the Candy has a full EVA deck pad and the White has Starboard’s startouch deck grip. The AST white is the basic level construction and offers the best value amongst the constructions.

The AST Silver construction is a great design concept from Starboard. What it does is add a mast track for attaching your windsurf sail! Windsurfing on your Starboard Drive is a fantastic way to further extend the versatility of your board and open up a huge range of water conditions and opportunities using just one board! We absolutely adore this construction from Starboard and when mixed with the versatile, popular shape of the Starboard Drive it makes for a true all round winning SUP!

Ultimate Versatility! The Starboard Drive AST Silver is awesome, flat, wavy or windy and any mixture of the three!

So if you’re looking for the perfect SUP for getting out on the water as much as possible, flat water, waves or wind; then the Starboard Drive is exactly what you’re after! A true Boylo’s favourite, the Starboard Drive is one of the must have items for your ‘waterman’ Lifestyle! Check out the Starboard Drive by following this link: Starboard Drive

If you would like any more information or advise on which construction or which shape would suit you best then please do get in contact with one of our team members via the contact us page of the website.

Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid Review

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Jake@boylos.co.uk

It’s nice to see the weather warming up and the water too and for many people this is the time of year to start venturing back onto the water for this summer season. The sailing season is starting and kayaks and canoes are making the most of the calmer, warmer days. Whatever your watersport it can be vital or mandatory to wear a buoyancy aid and though some of them may be a little restrictive, there are buoyancy aids designed to help you make the most of all your extreme sports. The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is exactly that buoyancy with performance being at the core of it’s design, it will let you perform at your best with none of the restrictions of some of the lesser standard products.

The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is a high performance product designed to offer minimal restrictions for you allowing you to perform at your max!

Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid Review

The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is a great looking buoyancy aid for a start, with the sleek black colourway and the subtle red gill stripes it has a professional and sporty appearance. The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid has a close, high fit with low volume and minimal bulk to give plenty of room for sports that require a harness or gear to sit below the buoyancy aid. For kayakers this is perfect when using a skirt as the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid doesn’t get in the way or restrict your body’s movements in anyway. For kite surfers, windsurfers, trapezing sailors and alike, it means that you can comfortably wear a harness and hook into your equipment without feeling restricted by your buoyancy aid. Adjustable length shoulder straps ensure that everyone can find the fit that is perfect for them from the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid. Gill show their experience by encasing the straps and buckles in neoprene padding to guarantee your comfort allowing you to fully focus on your sport.

The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is performance orientated and great for a wide range of watersports.

The Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid meets the EN ISO 12402-7 50 fifty newton approval rating which is necessary for all personal buoyancy aids meaning you can enjoy the water in the confidence that your Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is adequate to keep you afloat. Reflective piping across the back of the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is great for low light visibility and essential for those who go out on to the water by themselves.

Reflective stripes and the 50N rating provide essential safety aspects for going onto the water.

The performance characteristics of the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid talk for themselves but it is in the attention to detail on this product that Gill really show their experience. A front zippered pocket with a mesh drainage system and an internal loop for securing valuables provides the perfect means of carrying some essentials with you like a sailing knife, a waterproof mobile phone, etc.

The front zippered pocket on the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is great for carrying water going essentials.

On the side of the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid you’ll find the side zip entry which enhances comfort and mobility when out on the water and the ladder lock side adjustment for a secure fit to give you utter confidence when putting the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid through it’s paces.

The ladder lock adjustment system and the side zip ensure a perfect fit from the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid.

In summary, the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid is a high performance, high mobility buoyancy aid that is perfect for a massive range of watersports and is great for sports that require a harness or skirt, e.g. kayaking. A true stand out performer and a must have item for any keen water enthusiast. To view the Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid simply follow this link to the website: Gill Pro Racer Buoyancy Aid

O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot Review

Posted on April 18, 2013 by jake@boylos.co.uk

Chilly waters but warmer weather, mean that whilst the blue skies and waves may look appealing, you still need to be kitting yourself out in order to make the most of the water in our late spring to early summer. Luckily there are a lot of good products on the market designed to let you enjoy the surf, without worrying about getting cold. Today we’ll be reviewing one of the Boylo’s favourites, the O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot.

O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot Review

The O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot is a superb product for year round surfing, but it particularly suits our UK climate and water temperatures. The 3mm thickness may not be as thick as some of the other boots on the market, but thanks to the high quality build and great features you’ll struggle to see much of a difference in warmth. Whats more, with the reduced thickness comes a greater sensation from feet to board. So whether your surfing, windsurfing, paddle boarding, kite surfing or any other watersport, your feet will feel more connected when standing on your gear, giving you a better base for balance and control.

The O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot is perfect for UK watersports.

The O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boots boast some great features to enhance their performance. Their split toe is a truly great design and gives you a much more locked in and snugg fit from the boots and feels great when performing boardsports, as you get full use of your big toe and other toes seperately meaning superior feel and balance. The split toe also prevents your foot from rolling around in the boot when moving, this is further enhanced by the horizontal torsion control system on the top of the foot of the boot, which prevents the boot from over twisting or rolling about on your foot. All this means that you notice wearing the boots less and less and can therefore focus better on the sport you’re doing.

The Split toe and torsion control system provide a really secure fit and let you focus on your sport.

O’Neill are all about surfing in colder waters and there experience shows when it comes to making their products warm. The O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boots are made from O’Neill’s fluid foam material, which is vitally warm and yet incredibly supple giving you more feeling without losing warmth. All the seams in the O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boots are Glued and Blind stitched, which prevents any water from getting through the seams. By not passing the thread all the way through the material when sowing and therefore not making a hole, there is no where for the water to get through. The glue is then placed over the seam for good measure and what you end up with is a waterproof seal. This combined with the top shin strap that prevents flushing water into the boot, means that very little water actually gets to your feet, keeping you warmer and importantly, in the water for longer!

Clever design like the shin strap to stop flushing and little details like the loop on the heel of the shoe for getting them on, show just how well thought out the O’Neill design is.

The attention to detail shown in the design and manufacturing of the O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot is testament to O’Neill’s vast experience of making cold water surf products. The Durable rubber sole on the O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot is evidence of this, you’ll take for granted the ease with which you can walk over pebbles, reefs and rocks on your way to the surf, thanks to the thoughout design of the O’Neill team.

Textured, durable sole provides comfort and grip when you need it most.

All in all, a superb wetsuit boot and one that the entire Boylo’s team highly recommend for your watersports needs (Many of the team where these boots themselves!). At just £29.99 the O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boots are incredibly good value for such a high performance boot! If you would like to view the boots simply follow this link to the website: O’Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Wetsuit Boot

Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit Review

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jake@boylos.co.uk

Seeing as the winter has clung on a little too long and spring is only just joining us, the need for a good winter wetsuit is as high as ever, as believe it or not, just when the air starts to warm up the water is at it’s very coldest! Getting into a good winter wetsuit though, can extend your water sessions dramatically. Today we’ll be reviewing the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit for your viewing. The Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is widely regarded as one of the best value winter wetsuits on the market.

Surfing in the cold waters could mean getting the best surf all year! Worth getting a good winter suit then!

The Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is a quality, high performance winter wetsuit for a ridiculously affordable price! For just £119.99 the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit could be yours, so let’s see just how much you get for your money.

First of all is the name on the front; O’Neill are one of the most renowned and well loved wetsuit brands in surfing and their suits have always been considered to be battling at the top of the performance pile. So you get plenty of pedigree and with it, tonnes of wetsuit making experience. O’Neill use this experience to build a full line up of awesome wetsuits like the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit to keep you in the water for as long as possible.

The Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is one of the most popular winter suits on the market!

The Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is packed full of features from O’Neill and it’s a combination of genius designing and superior build quality that make this one of the most impressive wetsuits on the market. Features such as the O’Neill Blackout Zip, with offset teeth to minimise water entry and the slick, close fitting neck closure to minimise and almost eliminate the occurence of flushing demonstrate O’Neill’s knowledge of whats needed when in cold waters.

A slick close fitting neck and O’Neill’s Blackout Zip ensure that flushing is kept to a minimum and warmth to a maximum.

The attention to detail on the design of the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is superb and everywhere you look there are signs of carefully planned craftmanship. The sewn on wrist seals give a snug fit to the arms of the suit and make it far less likely to fill with water or to lose it’s form.

Intelligent designing as always from O’Neill.

The seams on the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit are Glued and Blind Stitched (the sew doesn’t pass fully through the material and then glue is placed over the seam) which ensure that no amount of water can pass through the wetsuit seams, which is vital for keeping warming when in the water for long periods of time. To add extra durability, high stress parts of the wetsuit have tape on the seams to make them incredibly strong.

Glued and blindstitched seams.

O’neills’ Firewall chest piece on the inside of the wetsuit works in the same way a thermal rashvest would and wicks away moisture leaving you dryer and toastie warm!

Firewall insulation keeps you super snugg!

O’Neill have taken time to think about your body’s movements too and have kept the seams to a minimum and focused on getting the seam placement right. During surfing a large amount of time is spent sitting on your board, so they have used one large panel on the rear and upper legs to maximise stretch for comfort and minimise water entry for warmth. They also built strategic paddle zones under the arms to make movement comfortable and unrestricted.

Strategic seams make movement for surfing and other watersports easy and comfortable.

Showing all of their experience, O’Neill include a key pouch onto the suit for your car key whilst you surf, placed on the inner calf, it keeps your key safe and well out of the way, it doesn’t limit your movement in any way.

Key Pouch is perfect for a surf sesh when you don’t know where to stick your key!

We are super impressed with the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit here at Boylos! With the awesome list of features and the high performance design it is an absolute steal at £119.99 and we simply can’t say enough good things about it! If you’re after a suit to keep you warm and enjoying yourself in our chilly waters then the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit is definitely for you! You can check out the Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit and place order’s by following this link: Mens’ O’Neill Epic 5/3 Winter Wetsuit

If you have any more questions please feel free to get in touch through our website. See you on the water!

Look after yourself this summer.

Posted on April 12, 2013 by info@boylos.co.uk

Summer is long over due and we’re all very much looking forward to it, if not desperate for it! The thing is though with the increase in temperature and direct sunlight comes both good and bad effects. When out on the water, the sun’s rays are reflected back up meaning that they are twice as likely to affect you. This is great for a tan but can be bad for those who burn. Buying a few simple items and using them this summer can ensure that you don’t get any of the bad and are free to enjoy the sunny weather to the fullest!

Summertime Watersports are what we all long for but if you don’t look after yourself the negative sides to too much sunlight can hamper your fun.

First thing you need to look after would be your hydration, you’d be amazed to know how quickly you can get dehydrated when out on the water so make sure your drinking plenty of fluids when doing a lot of watersports in the sun. Lecture over, it’s time to see what summer products you should be looking to purchase to make your sunshine watersports 100% fun.

Sun cream is of course great for protecting you skin from UV rays, the thing is though it’s hard to find good sun cream that continues protecting even when out in/on the water without making you look like an aussie cricket player with that big white stripe across your face! A good alternative for watersports lovers is a good UV protective rash vest or top. So many watersports companies are clued into this and there are literally hundreds of different UV rashies for you to choose from. Bright colours tend to be the fashion and going for a brand with a bit of heritage definitely helps your kudos on the water. Oxbow are a massive name in watersports and their waterman concept is leading the way in the watersports scene at the moment, their Terlizzi rashvest is perfect for looking and feeling good on the water this summer!

The Oxbow Terlizzi Rashvest is perfect for enjoying the sun and the water safely.

Coupling the Rashvest with a decent pair of Boardshorts will ensure that you will be comfy when splashing around in the water all day. Boardshorts can get very technical with new materials, better designs and pro rider signature series, but there are a few key things to look for when buying your boardies. Top of the list is getting a pair that fit right! Going to big or small might not be too much bother when on land but once you are active in the water it will make a massive difference to your session. Second is finding a pair that either have a swimming net on the inside or a pair that won’t rub in the wrong places when you swim. Nothing worse than getting an unwanted rash half way through an epic session. Sticking with Oxbow we’d pick the Baka Boardshorts. Their unique pattern and perfect fit make them ideal for getting in and out of the water all day.

The Oxbow Boardshorts – Baka are wicked looking shorts and ideal for getting the most out of your time in and out of the water!

Last must have item is a great pair of sunnies, when looking over the glare of the sunshine on the water your eyes can take a bit of a pounding. Getting a pair of Polarised sunglasses filters out the glare from the water and helps your eyes to relax. VonZipper Sunglasses are renowned for their lenses and for their unique attitude to styling which makes them easily identifiable and has helped them gain a reputation for making epic sunglasses! A true Boylos favourite is the VonZipper Fulton Sunglasses – Tangerine, the bold square frames and bolder orange/red lenses look epic in the sun!

The VonZipper Sunglasses – Tangerine are a Boylos favourite and a summer must have!

To Seat Cover Or Not, a quick review of the Northcore Seat Cover and O’shea Seat Cover.

Posted on April 10, 2013 by info@boylos.co.uk

Just a quick fire blog post. We get asked a lot in store and online about Seat Covers…. With the forever changing shape of seats it can be a bit of a nightmare getting one that fits your seat the right way. Down here at Boylos.co.uk we’ve worked with two types of seat cover. The O’Shea Seat Cover and the Northcore Seat Cover. Both do a similar job but at the same time are a completely different product. Let’s have a brief summary of these seat covers:

The O’shea seat covers look great. They come in several prints and offer something different in the market. They are made from tough 600D nylon and are fairly waterproof (not entirely). The problem with these bad boys though is the fit. They are damned tight! We think they are too tight really and that it makes it pretty tricky, almost unnecessarily, to fit them. Also their longevity is questionable. You’re looking about a year before they start suffering.

The other brand of seat cover we work with is Northcore Seat Cover. The Northcore seat cover is a little simple with its technology BUT it does what it says on the tin. They fit pretty much anything and everything as well as being 100% waterproof. They have a nice simple logo printed on the head rest and boast features that you would expect such as the arm rest cut outs etc. The best thing about them is that they last forever as well!

So…. in a nutshell seatcovers are a must to keep your van tidy. And if our money was to go into a corner it would be on the Northcore Seat Cover. A great product at a great price. Please have a look on our website and if you have any comments we’d love to hear them.

If you need any help or advise then please just hola. We’re on the phone 7 days a week (01297 444666).

Take a look at the Northcore Seat cover. We give it an A*

Written by info@boylos.co.uk

Go Go Gadget paddle board!

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Ellie Boyle

The level of technology being used in watersports is always increasing and with new ideas and new constructions being developed each day, it gives us as the consumers an awesome selection of equipment to choose from. One of the best areas of development in our eyes is the use of inflatable equipment. Usually if someone had said about using an inflatable paddle board you would imagine standing on a lilo that folds in the middle as you desperately try and keep dry. The thing is though, with all the advancements in materials and construction, inflatable paddle boards are turning out to be amazing to use!

The Red Paddle Co. are probably the biggest name in inflatable SUP’s and with great reason. Their boards are the most rigid, most durable and most high performance inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards we have ever used! We’re not the only ones to think this either, hundreds, if not thousands of people completely agree with us and can’t understand anyone not wanting one of the Red Paddle Co. SUP’s!

The benefits of using a Red Paddle Co. SUP are epic and once you see the light, you’ll be amazed you didn’t try one earlier. First of all, the boards are incredibly portable! Deflated they roll down to fit in to a hiking sized backpack along with the pump, repair kit and some room for sandwiches! This is perfect for those who like to do a bit of travelling and finding new spots as whether your travelling by air or simply on a road trip the Red Paddle Co. SUP’s don’t weigh much or take up much room making them perfect for flights and for sticking in the boot of a car, or simply on your back if you want to cycle!

Having your SUP on your back and paddle in hand allows you to find new locations with ease, get exploring!

Once you’ve arrived at your destination pumping the boards up takes minutes and if your willing to put in a couple of extra minutes of effort can pump up to 25psi using the hand pump provided! This makes the board incredibly stiff and along with the patented Red Paddle Co. construction means that the inflatable boards remain very rigid allowing for a good level of performance either for flat water paddling or for wave riding. Another massive bonus of the Red Paddle Co. SUP’s is that they are practically indestructible and their robust nature makes them awesome for sharing with family and friends or for teaching with. Also if your going to be paddling somewhere with a rocky shoreline or hidden submerged objects then you don’t have to worry about dinging your hard board as the solid Red Paddle Co. SUP’s will simply bounce off them almost unscaved!

Pushing the performance and build quality of their SUP’s, Red Paddle Co. have a New Zealand testing team who have taken a particular liking to charging down rivers and rapids on their paddle boards! the footage simply has to be seen to be believed but it looks so awesome! So there’s no doubting the ability of the inflatable boards. Save room, get an almost unbreakable board, pay less than a composite and still get tonnes of performance! What is stopping you from buying Red Paddle Co. Stand Up Paddle Boards? See you on the water!

Double your water time by keeping your hands and feet warm!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Ellie Boyle

Thankfully we’re now well into spring and their have been some positive signs of the sun poking it’s head out more. Longer day’s and bright sunny skies are perfect for making the world of watersports a whole lot more appealing. The thing is though with all the cold weather through the winter and not much warmth through early spring, the water is simply as cold as it will be all year! This can have massive effects on the amount of time you get to enjoy the water. Fortunately the level of cold water equipment on offer to solve the problem is so high that the water temperature needn’t be a problem at all.

When you start getting cold your body focuses on keeping your vital organs warm and concentrates it’s efforts on warming your body and focuses less on your extremities. When out in the water, it’s always your hands and feet that get coldest first and there have been hundreds of sessions cut short because hands and feet are cold, but not necessarily the rest of you. Our biggest bit of advice for making the most of cold water is to look after your extremities. Obviously a good winter wetsuit on your body is a must, but if you don’t have a good pair of boots and gloves on then your session may be cut short even if your body is still warm enough.

First off you need to look after your feet, there’s no point standing up to surf and having no connection with your board because your feet are so numb. A real Boylos favourite are the Xcel Infiniti Drylock winter boots. Possibly the best winter wetsuit boots on the market, the Xcel Infiniti Drylocks are packed full of technology and have tested to extreme lengths by the Xcel team in some of the coldest surfing conditions in the world. Liquid sealed, and blind stitched the drylocks let minimal amounts of water to get into the boot keeping you dryer and warmer. The split toe design gives a superb fit and prevents the boot from rolling around on you foot. Xcel’s attention to detail is fantastic and the rubber material between the split toe that stops you snagging your leash is a clear example of this in depth design. The superb fit, watersports specific features and almost unmatched warmth is what makes the Xcel Infiniti Drylock Boots stand out amongst the rest of the industry and makes them a firm Boylos Favourite!

Xcel Infiniti Drylock Boots are a firm Boylos favourite!

The Drylocks sole is robust and flexible, giving you protection and feel.

Now that your feet are toastie let’s get something for your hands. There are so many glove variations out there on the market that getting the right pair can be incredibly confusing! Thing is though if you know what you are after then it’s a pretty simple choise. In almost all watersports at some point you are going to have to use your hands to hold, push or in anyway interact with your kit. Lots of winter wetsuit gloves can be very thick and this gives great heat but not much feel, it can also make your hands and forearms fatigue quicker if your using them all the time. The O’Neill Psycho DL Glove 1.5mm is perfect for making the very most out of cold UK watersports sessions. The liquid sealed seams and awesome fit keep the glove snugg to your hand and the water seapage to a minimum. Clever things like the placement of the seams and the small wrist band on the inside of the gloves entry make the O’Neill Psycho DL Glove 1.5mm very comfortable, easy to move in and very warm, especially for the thickness. By keeping the warmth in a lower thickness O’Neill provide you with a glove that allows you to use your hands normally without the loss of feel whilst still keeping your hands toastie and giving you more time in the water!

The Psycho DL Glove 1.5mm are our Boylos favourite wetsuit glove and with good reason; they’re EPIC!

Little details like the water stopping barrier in the wrist are what make the Psycho DL Glove 1.5mm such an epic product!

So if you’re looking to get on the water this spring and early summer then it’s worth investing in some epic boots and gloves to keep you out there and enjoying yourself for as long as possible! We’ve got an epic range with tonnes more products coming in all the time, if you’d like some advice on which boots, gloves and hoods would suit you and your lifestyle best then feel free to get in touch through the website and one of our Boylos team members will do everything they can to help. See you on the water!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding for pro’s!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Ellie Boyle

Stand Up Paddle Boarding is becoming increasingly popular and it’s the leisure and health side of the sport that is truly excelling. Many people are thoroughly enjoying the relaxation of taking to calmer waters on a paddle board and keeping the work rate chilled and the on water experience super mellow. This is a great way to experience the water and there is nothing more relaxing than a calm SUP. Thing is though for a lot of us, the joys of doing watersports is the rush of adrenaline that you get from movement across different water states on which ever equipment suits our skill sets. So what has Stand Up Paddle Boarding got to do at the top end. How high performance is high performance SUPing?

Chilled out leisure SUPing is huge, but what about the opposite end of the adrenaline scale?

What’s great about Stand Up Paddle Boarding is that there are a few disciplines within the one sport for you to choose from. One of the most popular and most exciting disciplines is stand up paddle racing. Competitors subject themselves to numerous different challenges and race types and the competitive aspect of racing heightens the adrenaline and boosts the enjoyment through the roof! Within racing itself there are a few different types of racing to further the diversity of this all inclusive sport. Sprints, long distance, downwind and the massively challenging battle of the paddle which see’s competitors follow a course in and out of the surf and across the beach!

The Battle of the paddle see’s competitors racing from the flat water outside through the surf and along the beach!

Downwind racing in particular is probably the most extreme side of stand up paddle boarding and it originates from the paddle crazy Hawaiian islands. The race starts from a point miles upwind and then racers charge out into the ocean and ride and race the rolling ocean swells for distances that begger belief! Some races go from island to island! This kind of competitor vs nature competition is an awesome concept and gives the thrill and rush of the racing as well as the self pride and achievement satisfaction of simply completing such a voyage.

Downwind SUP racing is one of the most extreme and pure tests of man and nature.

Away from the racing, Stand Up Paddle boarding see’s more and more high performance equipment and riders ripping up the waves of the world. Specially designed, ultra slick surf style paddle boards have been designed and made with the sole purpose of getting the worlds elite shredding on the waves. From seven foot shortboard style designs for hacking and turning on the spot to streamlined terrifying guns designed purely to get the riders into the most intimidating surf in the world. The high performance wave riding capable on SUP’s is awesome and give tonnes of adrenaline and stoke to those wanting to take part.

Wave riding on SUP’s is an awesome feeling!

Racing and wave riding may still not be enough for you though. You may be the kind of mad man that looks at skydiving and says “it’s a bit safe” or “dull”. If so you will love what people have started doing on inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards…charging rivers! Not calm, placid rivers, this isn’t racing. The rivers we’re on about are white and frothing and very fast, over rocks. Pretty intense right? Well it’s happening and more and more people are sticking on a crash helmet and tightening up their leash to start charging down more and more demanding rapids. High performance SUPing? HELL YEAH! See you on the water!