Natural hair protection tips for a surf vacation

[piratejenny]

So.... I will be going to a surf camp in a couple of weeks here.
:cheese:

Yes, I am 40 years old and so far have never stood on a surf board, but this is something I've always wanted to try and since I figure it will not get any easier the longer I wait and since the opportunity presented itself I decided to go for it :cool:

I am starting to wonder, though, how my hair will react to that little adventure. What should I do to protect my locks from sun wind and salt water? I'm trying to stay away from chemicals in my routine and would prefer not to use a lot of product and I was thinking along the lines of french braids and maybe some oil. I don't have much experience with oils, so I'm not sure on that one.

Any long haired surfers out there who would have some advice?
:silly:

[Arya]

When I was in the Bahamas, the salt water made my hair beautiful. I went from a 1b/c to a perfect 2a/b with zero frizz. It was so soft and manageable. But maybe that's just the Bahamas.

[blondie9912]

No experience with surfing, but if I were in your shoes I would try applying loads of coconut oil to dry hair and then making two French braids along the side/back of your head. Since coconut oil isn't incredibly heavy, try adding some olive oil to your ends/mid length to ends if you're finding that the coconut oil has been washing off by the end of the day. Good luck! That sounds like an amazing experience :)

[Hyacinth]

I was spending time at the ocean recently (from the Midwest). Good thing I read LHC threads beforehand. From what I can understand, coconut oil seems like an excellent choice. :D

[caiti42]

That sounds like a lot of fun!

I'd also use a heat protectant to help protect you from the suns rays

[Malibu Barbie]

If you can get your hair wet with water before you braid it or after you braid it, this will help prevent your hair from absorbing to much salt water. Just make sure it's wet with fresh water before you hit the ocean. Also they have many different leave in conditioners on the market that have sunblocks in them. The problem I always ran into is your hair will dry while out sitting on the board waiting for waves sometimes. The sunscreen in most products does wash away with long times in the water. When you finish your day rinse your hair well afterwards and apply a spray in treatment if you hang on the beach afterwards.
This always worked for me, have a great time!!

[Vanilla]

I really love Palmer's cocoa butter gel oil SPF 15 in my hair and scalp, and then French or Dutch braid my hair. I COed my hair nightly to add moisture.

It worked when I vacationed in Hawaii and was in the salt water constantly. My scalp burned a little towards the end of my trip, but my hair didn't get dried out.

[teela1978]

For me the main thing is to rinse out the salt as soon as possible. My hair does not appreciate being let to dry salty :) But, ymmv. Different hair responds very differently to things.

Braids are also a good idea. I don't surf, but I often swim in the ocean and life is easier when the hair is all contained.