Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to Get Sick Surfer Hair Without Stepping Foot in the Ocean

Tavis Beck/ Unsplash

Re-watching Point Break (the original, not the abomination of a remake) inspired equal parts envy over Johnny Utah’s and Bodhi’s badass surfing skills and their rad, salt-baked, wind-whipped manes. After all, the artfully rumpled surfer hairstyle strikes just the right balance between scruffy and overly groomed, making it perfect for summer. “It’s a much lower maintenance style for guys who enjoy a free and adventurous lifestyle,” explains Baxter Finley barbers Erik Taylor and Carmen Serna. “There is not much upkeep so it’s great when you’re on-the-go or want to spend less time on styling.”

While the most obvious method for replicating their Cali beach bum texture is to actually get up on a board, salty seawater does tend to leave locks parched and crispy. To avoid these adverse effects and assist those who want the look, but have no intention of riding a wave or even lounging by the shore, we asked Taylor and Serna how to fake a beachin’ texture.

Length Matters

“Your hair needs to be long enough to run your hands through it,” says Taylor. As long as you have some length, whether it’s just on top or all over, you can easily rock this style.

Adjust for Length

Because the goal is to get texture without any excessive crunch, modify the amount of texturizing spray you use based on your hair. That can vary from three pumps for shorter, finer hair to eight for thicker, longer manes. “You want to use just enough to leave your hair with a lived-in look,” says Serna.

Mess It Up

You don’t want to smooth over this style, so skip the comb and up the dishevelment a bit by roughing your hair up with your hands. If you’re taking the beach bum look more literally and not washing your hair for a day or two, you can refresh it by hitting it with a spritz or two of texturizing spray.

Here are a few products to help you score the look sans swells.

Best Surfer Hair Products

Triumph & Disaster Karekare Sea Salt Spray – $28
triump and disaster karekare sea salt spray how to get surfer hair

Containing Epsom salt, sea beet, and willow hHerb, this sea salt spray hair tonic from Triumph & Disaster, a New Zealand grooming brand, removes excess oil, volumizes hair, and nourishes the scalp, all while offering that textured, sun-kissed look every wannabe surfer aspires to.

Get It

Baxter of California Clay Effect Spray – $27
Sufer Hair Sprays

Serna and Taylor helped develop this clay-in-a-spray, which offers hair the right amount of grit and thickness without making it feel fried thanks to a blend of natural oils.

Get It

Lavett & Chin Sea Salt Texturizing Mist – $35
how to get surfer hair

One of the founders of this indie brand personally wanted a product that could deliver devil-may-care hair and so he made one, a sea salt- and algae- infused mist.

Get It

Byrd The Texturizing Surfspray – $16
byrd texture spray

Because salt water provides hair with the desired texture but saps it of moisture, this spray is rich in hydrating coconut water and sea buckthorn extract. Bonus: It’s scented with sea salt, coconuts, and pineapple so your hair smells as if you’ve been sitting seaside sipping on a tropical cocktail.

Get It

R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray – $26
Sufer Hair Sprays

This spray roughs up your hair in a way that suggests you spent the day at Rockaway Beach (hence the name) while a blend of Sicilian lemon, tangerine, and tree moss makes it smell like you summered on the Amalfi Coast.

Get It

Now that you’ve got the right hair, it’s time to book the right surfing vacation.

Article originally published by Katie Dickens on July 25, 2017. Last updated by Chase McPeak on June 5, 2018.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Katie Dickens
Katie Dickens is a Manhattan-based beauty and grooming writer. She has held staff positions at Glamour, In Style, People…
Everything you need to know about jaw fillers for men
A guide to jaw fillers
jawline

For the past few years, New York City facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lesley Rabach has grown a roster of male clients who come to her downtown office in a steady stream to strengthen their jawlines.

Rabach uses an injectable filler that costs $2,500 per two-syringe treatment, and most clients visit four times a year. She tells The Manual, “It sounds like a lot of money, but the confidence these guys have after makes a tremendous difference. They feel spectacular.”

Read more
How to whiten teeth at home: A guide to natural and OTC remedies for pearlier whites
An evidence-based guide for how to whiten teeth at home: Get a brighter, whiter smile, sans dentist chair
man in bathrobe smiling in the mirror

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. However, you can make a strong case that the teeth actually are. Hear us out: You flash your chompers when you’re happy and grit them when you’re mad. People see them when you’re talking. You want to show off a bright, pristine appearance. However, age, dietary and other lifestyle habits, and medical conditions can turn those pearly whites into anything but. The good news: You can hit refresh and whiten teeth at home. That news is even better when you consider that professional teeth whitening can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000 on average.

Skip the dentist's office chair and whiten your teeth in the comfort of your bathroom. Here are the top tips on how to whiten teeth at home.

Read more
How to get rid of acne once for all
Adult acne happens — this is what to do about it
man with green acne cream

Acne is one of the last conditions an adult wants to or expects to deal with. It’s seen as a teenage problem. Though adult acne is more common in women, research shows that men can also experience it.

Again, likely not the news you wanted to hear. However, knowledge is power. Knowing men can get adult acne allows you to take steps to prevent acne so that the condition won’t rear its ugly white or black head the day before a majorly photographed event.

Read more