A bit of a quandry.

More to do with the 'nads' actually I guess...

OK, as some will know or others don't, I've got a fairly large holiday coming up in a few weeks, no drama there, it's going to take some time off work and lot's of money but I'm quietly confident. I'm taking things one step at a time and trying to eliminate potential issues on the horizon as and when I can.

Currently I need to focus on my nads, as the increase in required waveage is going to hurt regardless because it's a lot of sitting day after day to get the waves in the distance before I complete the holiday, this is to be honest the one area I am worried things can go pear shaped fast and without me being able to do much about it.

I've haven't lost any weight since I started surfing and it's now without doubt starting to show and is being reflected in the fit of some shorts, especially the nad area. This is good news though, well sort of, it's great for my self confidence and all that but it means I need to start replacing my shorts instead of investing in a surf board upgrade again for a while.

So, I've been upping my waves and going through the board shorts I have to see which ones are comfortable beyond my usual 5 hourwave ride zone and as expected the cheap Chinese fake board shorts are launched out the back of the pack and are no good, they've earned their place in my affection for allowing me to get to where I am surfing and are still going strong but they are not comfortable for long waves or prolonged hours on the board. Credit where it is due, they have done a serious amount of waves and lasted but the end is nigh as I push beyond the wave size they are capable of.

The shocker was the Team O'Neill shorts which I used to find so comfortable are now also out the back with the Chinese shorts as the nad area is too thick for longer rides, it just wont sit right and I can't get comfortable with it and if I go down on the nose it's seriously unpleasant, so they are a non starter.

I did the 125 waverer last week wearing the Quicksilver kit (Genuine) and the nad area was pretty good, not 100% comfort but not killing me either, it's probably the firmest my nads have been and they seem to be of a uniform thickness. It is however from a fairly old set of shorts, the 2005 surf season so I'm wondering if they'll have change my nads and if the new ones are better or worse?

Lastly the regular Billabong board shorts, these are so so up to 75 waves, rode in them yesterday to see how they did and not as comfortable as the Quicksilver but more comfortable than the Team O'Neill , odd but there you go.

Based on what I have, have surfed in and felt like I'm guessing a firmer nad works better for me, and as I am having to replace my board short fleet (TM) anyway I am going to go about it this time properly and get quantity of post over quality. Last year I needed it the other way around as the smaller waves often required more but long rides were not such an issue.

So, as I'm sure you have worked out by now I am after your views on large nads or shorts makes that would be suited too riding longer larger waves back to back in and lots of them through summer and will not only last but also be comfortable from century one to the last of the year.

I am prepared to spend a decent amount but don't get silly and think this post is too long or think that involves the heady insane heights of hundreds of pounds for one pair, there is a budget restraint but I'd rather start the process of homework now while I am putting cash aside ready for when I can make a more informed decision.

Thanks in advance.