The Top 10 Surf Shops To Support In 2026

In 1952 Jack O'Neill opened the first-ever "surf shop" in Santa Cruz, a novel idea that soon spread throughout California and Hawaii. It took some years more before there was enough demand to warrant an industry but Mr. O'Neill was ahead of the curve in many ways.

Today there thousands of surf shops around the world and it ain't exactly easy to stay afloat. Competition from online shopping, gentrification of coastal areas and the rising rent and real estate costs, and soft tops from Costco...