Board shorts (often shortened to boardies) are shorts that were originally designed for beach life. The fabric used is designed to dry quickly from the sea, be robust in the sand, and are light and easy to wear in the heat of the sun. They are available in all sorts of different sizes and patterns. They tend to be longer than normal shorts or Speedos and come down to the knee in length, or just above or below. You can get board shorts that are a lot shorter to your thigh but usually only available for women.

Most board shorts have waist adjustment tie cords or Velcro so they can fit you perfectly, although most people recommend the tie cord option. All board shorts come with pocket holes, so you can still have pockets in the shorts but when swimming the water will drain out of them so you do not come out of the water with a pocket full of water!

Who wears board shorts?

Not only surfers wear board shorts, skaters, kayakers, windsurfers and many more wear them too. People sometimes wear them to purely look trendy and if it is hot weather they are nice to wear because they are so light so you don't get too hot. Due to the popularity of board shorts increasing many shops now sell them as well as many websites, all different brands such as Billabong, Quicksilver, and Ocean Pacific.

Why are board shorts so popular?

Board shorts are so popular because you do not need to wear underwear underneath them, oppose to most shorts you wear. This adds even more to how comfortable and easy to wear they are. Even when you go swimming there is no need to wear anything underneath, the fabric they are made out of (usually light weight smooth polyester or nylon material) are designed to dry quickly and be durable on the beach and in water. Board shorts do not have lining in them (this is usually preferred) but you can buy them with lining as well, this is more down to preference to what is more comfortable for you.