Surfers want to thrive, not merely survive, and now with the all-purpose SurfivalKit they can do exactly that.
“This kit is all the little tools and accessories a surfer might need to have a good session,” said the kit’s creator, Clarke Graves. “It is an essential bring-along for any surfer that contains all the things you might need for your lunchtime session, weekend getaway or Baja trek. It is also an amazing gift for those surf widows and friends of surfers who are looking for that something any surfer would like.”
A graphics designer and lifelong surfer who grew up in Ocean Beach, the 36-year-old Graves designed the kit to accommodate surfers of all ages and skill levels. But he said it’s particularly helpful for beginners.
“There are a lot of new surfers and the sport can be very overwhelming to them,” said Graves.
He said his SurfivalKit helps newbies get organized, as well as having all the accessories needed to “get them back in the water quicker.”
SurfivalKit has 12 accessories divided into three component parts that, Graves said, “at some point or another, every surfer needs.”
The kit’s surfer-care component contains lip balm, sunscreen, Mack’s ear plugs and Surfival stickers. The board-care compartment has surf wax, a wax comb, a Solarez ding kit and waterproof ding stickers. The performance compartment includes a skeg key, a leash string, a longboard fin plate and screw, and shortboard fin screws.
“It has everything you need outside of your surfboard,” said Graves. “Your stoke can get you in the water, keep you in the water and help get you back in the water.”
Best of all, said Graves, his tackle-box-like SurfivalKit is entirely customizable and transportable.
“You can add your own items and, instead of rummaging, you know exactly where every item is,” he said. “The kit almost fits in a glove box. It’s made to be with you whenever you’re out surfing.”
Graves started his company, Surfival Gear, with the support of his wife, Stef, and daughter Ashlyn.
After seven years of kicking around the idea, he and his family finally have the finished product selling for $29.95, marketed online at www.SurfivalKit.com.
Graves described his new entrepreneurial endeavor as a “dream come true” and “a fun side venture in a sport I love.”
But Graves’ new surf venture is more than just a business to him.
“I’ve found that surfing is very much a lifestyle,” he said. “If you’re not surfing, you’re thinking about surfing. It really occupies your mind.”
Toward that end, Graves said part of his intent in creating a surf business was to “build a community and movement of those who have learned the important elements of having a fun session whether you are new, a pro, a grom, an old-timer or a guy or girl.”
The “rules of surfival” posted on Graves’ website include: “stoke is contagious; work is a break from surf; give more waves than you take; surf with a buddy; never exaggerate the wave size; don’t mess with another surfer’s line; always carry some water to rinse; remember every surfer was once a beginner; leave any feeling about having a bad day on the beach; surfing is a lifestyle; always let friends tell their surf stories no matter how many times you’ve heard them and, most importantly; it’s always better than it looks.”
Part of mastering the art of surfing is mastering the art of survival, which is something Graves is hoping to share with fellow surfers with his SurfivalKit.