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    • Buying Boardshorts

    The beach, pool, or lake are places where you're probably going to get wet, but you also want to look good. If you're not swimming competitively, boardshorts mays be the most comfortable thing to wear.

    Surfing 'arrived' in California about 1961, and surfers needed simple, durable shorts with a pocket to hold their car and house keys. Originally cotton canvas, nylon and polyester eventually took over, but the general concept of shorts worn long, fashionable and durable enough to be worn every day all season still hold true.

    Polyester vs. Nylon
    Polyester fabrics are hydrophobic and so perform better than nylon for moisture management. Nylon threads will absorb more water than Polyester, water requires more heat energy to warm and evaporate, so nylon will feel colder when wet, and stay wet longer, and when saturated impede breathability. The downside for polyester is odor retention and durability. Nylon is stronger yet weighs less than any other commonly used fiber. It is resilient and responsive to heat-setting. Nylon fibers are smooth, non-absorbent and dry quickly. Dirt doesn’t cling to the smooth fibers nor is it weakened by chemicals and perspiration.

    Some manufacturers have begun using Lycra and Spandex blend fabrics for improved range of motion, even though these fabrics are not as durable and can degrade over time with frequent exposure to chlorine.

    Sizing

    Men's boardshorts are sized by waist and length, as measured on the outseam, not the inseam as most other shorts and trousers are measured. To figure out what length may work best for you, measure with a yardstick from the waist of your jeans down toward the knee. Traditionally, they should be long enough to protect the hair on your thighs from the sticky surfboard wax. Your measurement and preference may vary.

    Products describing themselves as women's boardshorts vary so widely that at this point almost any women's shorts that can be worn while swimming are in the category, and sizing can be general (XS, SM, MD), numeric (2,4,6,8), or specific (waist + length), so fashion will be the main guide in that selection.