DakineIndo Surf Hat

Purchased this for my surf trip to Nicaragua, and I have a bald head. Worked great, kept my head shaded, and the strap was strong enough for all the duck dives. Buckle held the whole time and the strap didn’t loosen during the duck dives. Simple and effective to cover your dome in the water.

That quality is great. The shoulder are strong and provide good sun protection.Unfortunately the size fit is quite small. I use to take hats at size 57-58 and this hat is quite tight.Once in the water it stretches feels ok.

I am writing this long review, as I had a really hard time choosing the right size. I hope this evaluation will help others.I bought the hat as sun protection when surfing. I bought two sizes of the Dakine Indo surf hat (L/XL and XXL) and ended up choosing the larger XXL size. I tested the hat this past weekend in 2-3 foot SoCal waves – so no stress test, but a good sense of how the hat is working. Here is my assessment:Sizing is tricky. My size would be L/XL according to Dakine’s sizing chart on their website (head circumference 59cm = 7 3/8" hat size), but that size was very tight. I think the hat stretches a tad when wet, but I was looking for a hat that I could also wear out of the water, and the L/XL version felt simply too tight. The chin strap of the L/XL size choked me quite a bit at its full extension without the ability to extend it any further. If Dakine would add an inch or so to the strap, it would provide more flexibility and would probably fit more people.On the flip side, the XXL size is a smidgen too big (it lifted up a tad when duck-diving), but compared to the L/XL size it was simply the better fit for me. If there were a size in between with a long enough chin strap, I would have chosen that size.The bottom line to sizing is that the “true to size” statement on the product page is misleading in my opinion, unless the hat will stretch more with more time in the water.Additional observations:- The hat is nicely designed and appears to be well constructed.- While it lifted up a bit, the hat stayed on as I was duck-diving around two dozen times and had a few minor wipeouts. I never had the feeling that I would lose the hat. Duck-diving feels a bit strange at first, but I got used to it quickly. As I was duck-diving the brim above the forehead created some weird turbulence, which pushed water up my nose. Maybe it’s just happening to me, but it felt a bit odd at first.- The chin strap covers the ears and its stretchy material is very comfortable. If you wear earplugs, you do not have to worry about losing them. In the XXL size, the chin strap is long enough to be adjusted to be longer/looser (which was not possible for me in the L/XL size).- The neck flap is just long enough to overlap the collar of my wet suit. I like the fact that it’s not too long but provides enough coverage to protect my neck.- The hat does not come with a leash.- The hat floats.- Interestingly, the hat provides some warmth, which is a nice benefit in cold weather.I hope this helps anyone who is considering this hat.

2nd time purchasing this hat. Use it for boogie boarding and it works well. Fits comfortably and the chin strap keeps it on yet it isn’t too tight.

That’s what I got on 5/25/21 to remove a spot of melanoma skin cancer from my scalp. Thankfully that was it and the rest of my body is good. For now! So you bet your bottom dollar I’m doing everything I can to protect myself from UV rays going forward. This hat is exactly what I was looking for to continue enjoying outdoor activities from surfing to kayaking to paddle boarding and even enjoying a float down the river. The band is snug without being uncomfortable, and the straps are adjustable for that perfect fit. The straps and neck flap can easily be tucked up into the cap when you don’t need them, and you don’t even notice they’re there! I have a gigantic melon (7 1/4 in cowboy hat measurements if you’re into that) and big curly hair, so I went w/ the large. It fits comfortably, but snug, so it won’t fall off easily even if I don’t have it strapped. Protect yourself early!

I ordered the XXL. Normally I would wear an XL hat but this XXL seems TINY! It would hurt to wear all day and the chin strap doesn’t reach. Their sizing seems way off. Otherwise it could be. Great hat.

When I first got it, I did not like it, but since I've been wearing it, I like it very much and would buy it again.

Wore it out in the surf and got battered a few times and it stayed on with the strap. Just had to readjust before the next wave.I was worried that the strap would catch me on the throat and choke me, but it can be snugged up enough to stay under your chin.large/ extra large size circumference = 22 1/4.