Since I live at 7,000 feet and about 1,000 miles from the closest ocean, I checked in with Megan Abudo, transplanted Hawaiian, pro surfer, and Roxy team rider: “There聮s nothing better for an active surf session than a functional suit that looks good and doesn聮t fall off,” she told me. “I love the Cosmic Bloom Criss-Cross halter ($40) because it doesn聮t hinder your performance in the water. I wear it with the Widewinder bottom ($36) because I prefer a wider cut with ties on the side.”
Abudo’s new teammate Rachel Evan Spears, also surfs with Criss-Cross halter, but prefers the String Bottom ($38). 聯Surfing demands a lot out of a suit,” she says. “It has to stay in place while thousands of pounds of pressure come down on it.”
If a string bikini is too itsy bitsy, try Surfboarder Tankini (athleta.com). The tie halter ($59) has a “meet-and-greet” style that covers your belly and comes with a bottom ($44) that’s flattering, but not quite a bikini.
Or go back to the Gidget era with Tamarindo Tie Back Top ($35), which has an especially flattering cut for smaller-chested women, and the Belted Bottom ($35), with a retro, removable belt.