Towels are a necessary part of any surfer’s kit for obvious reasons. Due to their cumbersome size and weight, they are often a pain to carry around. Knowing this, a cool company called Tesalate, from Bondi Beach Australia designed one that is both lightweight & sand-free. We were sent one to review. We got to say… it didn’t disappoint!
At Still Stoked, we always choose function over fashion. So features that make our lives easier are considered highly when making purchasing decisions. Coming from a mountaineering background and after paying thousands in excess baggage fees, “lightweight” is a feature that we always seek out. Combining that with a compact size profile, the Tesalate towel ticks two major boxes.
This is an extra-large towel that doubles as an awesome blanket on the beach or outside the van! Key features include:
- Lightweight
- Super compact
- Sand-free
- Ultra-absorbent
- Quick drying
- Does’t smell after getting wet
Super absorbent & quick drying
One thing that we really liked about the towel was how absorbent it was. One wipe down and you were pretty much ready to attempt putting your jeans on… which any surfer knows is a frigging nightmare to do when your skin is clammy! Being so big, we were able to wipe down our bodies and then have a large section of the towel to also wipe down our surfboards before putting them in the van. This is definitely one benefit for opting for the XL size which is a square 160x160cm over the smaller towel at 160x80cm standard size
Didn’t smell when left in the van wet for days!
This is where we admit just how feral us van-driving surfers are! The van is essentially a dumping ground for all our gear and that includes wet towels. A normal wet towel would start to smell pretty bad after a few days but this one didn’t, instead, it was pretty much dry when we next went to use it. Saying that, it didn’t need washing as regularly as a normal towel so this is another huge benefit.
Lightweight & compact
We just flew down from Byron Bay with our XL towel wrapped around our surfboard in our surfboard bag. Not adding to the weight made travel to and from the airport that much easier. Weight is a huge consideration when you travel and to be honest, I always opt for a sarong instead of a towel due to the size and weight benefits. Sarongs are really crap when used as a towel though so often I’m forced to drip-dry in the tropics. It’s actually awesome to have this towel as part of our essential kit. The lightweight and compact features are what really make it unique.
The XL size means it has multi-uses
Our next trip is a sailing trip to Lord Howe Island which is likely to be a 5-6 day sail from Sydney. I’m excited to have this towel as part of my essential gear. Not only will it fit into my small backpack and not add to the weight, but the XL size of it will also be a great extra blanket to wrap myself in during night-watches, or use as a picnic blanket when on land. Being sand-free means I won’t be the annoying crew member that brings the sand back on the boat!
Overall, the guys at Tesalate have designed a super functional towel that is also pretty cool to look at (there are two reversible designs). For the XL size, it is a bit of a financial investment at $149 Aussie smackeroos but, given that it is quality and will last, we are always of the impression that it is better to invest in quality and buy once, then buy cheap and have to replace often.
We would definitely recommend checking these guys out. They would make a great gift to any surfer!
