So I just wanted to resurrect this thread with an update. A few months ago I picked up a watch from Aulta, the Acuatico black. I've been wearing it a few months now, surfing, freediving, paddling, you name it, and I absolutely love it. I know a lot of you (most of you) are cool with no watch, or a $10 Hello Kitty watch. But I like nice watches, and this is a watch that looks good in business casual clothes yet also works with boardshorts. Retail is $235 but they're running a 20% off promotion that brings it to $188 with free shipping. Again, I know that's a lot for most of you, but for an automatic watch with the Acuatico's features it's a very good value for the money. https://aultasurf.com/ Flikr doesn't seem to want to cooperate, so here's a pic from the Aulta website.
Nice....I notice it is water resistant down to 660 ft....that means it will keep on ticking wayyyyy after you implode on a dive......
It is good to know the time 'round these parts, agreed. More importantly i can tell you exactly how long my hardcore all-time badass "session" was, like i surfed from 4:22 and 38 seconds a.m. until 9:38 p.m. today, only getting out once for an acai bowl and quick yoga session with my yogi, even though i am including all the **** i literally did before i left my house and after when i got back home, so i was actually only paddling for/taking waves for an hour or two. In one foot slop. Epic session. Dude. I do like wearing a watch surfing for many i think good personal reasons. I think it helps me. I ain't proud. I ain't cool. Keeping track of time while surfing is ok for me, and does not limit my enjoyment at all, ever. If you are the douche who somehow thinks it makes you somehow superior to not wear a watch surfing, think again. Everyone should be unique, and trying to impress your bs on others is wrong. Nobody cares. Nynj is for real, funny, because he is honest. Eventually people without a watch will ask me what time it is if it is any good. Shark freestyle the original style cheap one is good enough for me.
I don't not wear a watch to be cool. It's just a comfort thing. I don't like the feel of a watch under my suite. And it's funny because I always have a watch on out of the water. I'm sure I'd get used to it I just never tried.
I wear a watch over my suit. I always have someone waiting for me to take them somewhere or work on something so can't just surf and forget about how long I've been out. Freestyle watch bands are plenty long for me.
The aulta I posted above fits comfortably over a 5 mil glove. I've found I don't like wearing a watch under a 5 mil glove under a 5 mil wetsuit.
I was going to recommend a Velcro watch band for the guys who can't fit their watches over their suites, but I can't imagine someone buying a $200 watch replacing their band with a Velcro one. But there's some pretty cool designer Velcro bands out there actually. Count me as a guy who's never worn a watch in the water, and hasn't worn one at all in 5 years. I have phones that do that for me now.
They make something called a nato band that works much like a Velcro band but is a bit classier. I've always liked nice watches. Not Rolex nice, but citizen nice. And I like dive style watches. I find the bezel endlessly useful. This watch is a nice compromise between nice and truly functional. But I totally get not wanting to wear a watch surfing, or one worth any kind of money. It just suits my lifestyle.
