It’s often the little details that either doom a product or propel it to success. A pocket zipper on a climbing jacket might cause painful rubbing beneath a harness, or it might enable a convenient level of access that makes summiting significantly more enjoyable. The No-Tie Fly in O’Neill’s new Hyperfreak Hydro Boardshorts is one of those little details.
Instead of using some combination of laces and snaps, O’Neill built a Velcro fastener that locks the waistband tight. The No-Tie Fly produces a range of minor yet consequential benefits: it creates a system that won’t come untied in the water; it’s flat, so there’s no knot grinding on your stomach while paddling to a break; there aren’t any laces to fray or get gummed up with surf wax. Additionally, the boardshorts are made of a stretchy water-repellent fabric and include a welded zipper pocket.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Billabong Tribong Board Short ($55)
Vissla Solid Sets Boardshort ($60)
Patagonia Stretch Wavefarer ($69)
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