The Best Swimsuits for Water Sports: Surfing, Paddleboarding, and More

If you love invigorating water sports like surfing, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, swimming, kayaking, and anything in between, you need a suit that can keep up with you. Not all swimsuits are comfortable and durable enough for water sports, so make sure you have the perfect sporty suit for this season. Check out the best kinds of swimsuits for water sports below!

Comfortable Coverage

Whether you’re surfing, paddleboarding, or just swimming laps, you must have a bathing suit that stays in place and keeps you covered. Many low-cut or flimsy suits can ride up or down during water sports, forcing you to tug and adjust all day long. Or worse, you may have an accidental slip while trying to have fun. The best swimsuits for water sports have extra coverage and are super comfy.

Consider a one piece swimsuit with shorts that will keep you covered in all the right places. These one-pieces are stretchy and comfortable, and wearing a pair of swim shorts over them gives you an extra layer of security. High-waisted bottoms, one-pieces with high necklines, and long tankini tops all offer excellent coverage so you can enjoy watersports without a care in the world.

Swim Shorts and Shirts

Womens board shorts are the perfect item for intense water sports, ensuring you feel comfortable and mobile. While men almost always wear swim trunks, swim shorts are a wonderful option for women who want to have fun in the water without fidgeting with their bathing suits every five seconds. There are also mens swim shirts and rash guards for women that are not only comfortable and flexible, but they can protect you from scrapes while surfing or scratches when you’re scuba diving by a coral reef.

Bikinis and tiny one-pieces are fabulous for casual beach days when you want to lounge in the sun or relax under an umbrella. But when it comes to surfing wild waves or kayaking for hours in the ocean, these suits are not ideal. Swim shorts and shirts are ideal for water sports because they protect you in several ways and ensure total coverage, even more than one-pieces. And for something a little more feminine and fabulous, you can wear an adorable swim skirt over a comfy one-piece.

Durable and Long-Lasting

Water sports can get intense. You may spend hours in a pool swimming back and forth or a whole day in the sun riding your paddleboard. You need a suit that can handle everything you do, from swimming laps to catching waves. The last thing you want is a suit that fades after one summer or stretches out to become loose and ill-fitting. The best suits for water sports are highly durable and made to last years, not weeks. Chlorine resistant swimsuits will stay vibrant and stunning season after season of exhilarating water sports.

You can also opt for suits made from LYCRA Xtra Life spandex, a premium type of spandex fabric that will stay flexible and fitted even after dozens of washes, lasting ten times longer than most swimsuit fabrics. The best suits for water sports resist breakdown from chlorine, sunscreen, and sweat, so they’ll handle whatever you throw at them. And many sporty swimsuits use UPF-rated fabric that blocks harsh UV rays, protecting your skin from damage even on the hottest days.

Supportive and Secure

Lastly, you need a bathing suit that is supportive and secure. Women especially need suits that will support their busts and stay in place no matter how active they are. Many of the best bathing suits come with soft cups for gentle support and comfort or underwires for extra support and shaping. Sporty suits should be stretchy but not loose, as you want them to fit well so they stay in place. But you also don’t want something too tight that may cut into you in certain positions.

Try to find the perfect balance between fitted and stretchy to ensure you get the best of both worlds. Other supportive and secure features to look for include adjustable straps, cord drawstrings, removable soft cups, tummy control linings, stretchy waistbands, and built-in panties or briefs. Small features like these can make you feel more confident and free in the water than ever!

Get Sporty This Summer