Okay so i bit the bullet and bought a West surf hat. I went with the wide brimmed one that has the hard piece in the front. Just for those days when its mid day and hot.
SO yesterday wore it for the first time for a few hours. I was surprised the ear patches and the under chin strap didn't bother me but the hat itself. Well i thin it was to tight and my head started to ache but i also found the brim was terrible when taking of trying to look down the line was hopeless. It made me look and feel even more of a kook. So does anybody else have any experience

Yes i agree they look stupid but at 40 with cancers already cut out i now have a i don't care attitude to looks..

FCS or West?

I wear a hat every surf unless it's early morning, I just don't like getting burnt and really don't care how much of a kook I look like.

Have tried wide brim and baseball style fcs.. And baseball west caps. Found the wide brim ruined my periphial (sp?) vision. And the baseball caps sat too high on my head and came off every duck dive.

The best cap I've found is the headhunter 'infantry' style surf cap. Sits lower on your head and the peak is shorter so duck diving isn't as annoying. Still shades your face and ears. But leaves your neck exposed. So need to zinc that up!

should have gone the fcs shack....they have a more supple brim and you can bend it to shape so it does not interupt your peripheral vision...and thats the most important bit with wearing any surf hats imo....if you allso get the fcs rashy they have a tag on the back of the colar that you attach the little leash thingy on the back of the hat so you dont loose it....good for when you want to catch a few waves without it....I surf in mine without the chin strap...if it blows of mid ride it just hangs on your back....they are worth getting used to no matter how kooky they look I reckon...its really good to come in after a long session and not be fried...and if you have ever had severe sun burn to the tops of your ears...well enough said.

I wear a hat. Broad brimmed, either fcs or west (can't remember). Sometimes I just wear a baseball style cap. Just grab it before getting slammed. I find I have to remember to push head down when duck diving so it stays on.

Yeah I found I had to learn the habit of ducking my head when duck diving and I flipping the brim up when I turn to paddle for a wave (better vision).

I'm too old to give fork what i look like - I used to be cool - now I'm just happy to surf and not get cancer.

found one floating 3km out to sea near my favourite reef pass in the NW,...still haven't used it.

I went for the west hat and to be honest i wasn't that happy. I will try the FCS bucket style next.

I guess you'd get used to it but i found it really put me off for a bit. The last thing i need to is surf worse..

Finding a shop that has a good supply was the hardest part. I did find a few at Vidlers last week so maybe will have to go back there..

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Zuke said...

FCS wet bucket hat for me.

http://www.surfstitch.com/product/fcs-wet-bucket-hat-gun-metal

Wear it every surf except for early mornings. Don't care what I look like in it!

This hat is the Bomb when its the middle of the day, and its so hot it hurts to blink.
But I don't wear it anything over 3 foot just in case
I have also got a few Slubbie caps, but don't wear them at the risk of being beaten up in the line up.

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Locky24 said...

Zuke said...

FCS wet bucket hat for me.

http://www.surfstitch.com/product/fcs-wet-bucket-hat-gun-metal

Wear it every surf except for early mornings. Don't care what I look like in it!

This hat is the Bomb when its the middle of the day, and its so hot it hurts to blink.
But I don't wear it anything over 3 foot just in case
I have also got a few Slubbie caps, but don't wear them at the risk of being beaten up in the line up.

Whats a slubbie cap Lockie?

Surf life savers cap.
The word Slubbie, speedo wearing clubbies.
Don't know where it came from but when we were groms that's what they name called.
We didn't like them very much as gromies [}:)] and used to try and piss them off as much as possible

wore the white bucket hat at dreamland a few years back, I felt & looked like a kook who just come off a lawn bowling game. Was not much fun getting caught on the inside wearing it over the face. Had a classic take off while adjusting the brim on a overhead one so I could see, the plus is I never got my head lookin like a lobster but I come close to ditching it a few times.

Have an FCS Bucket I use for Kiting, been surfing more in mornings so havent' worn it in the surf.