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Review of the Surf Munkey Surf and Stand Up Paddle Hat |
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By: Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
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Thursday, 20 October 2011 |
 Your search for the ultimate stand up paddle friendly surf hat may end with this review of the Surf Munkey surf hat. With over 68,000 cases of skin cancer reported last year and almost 12,000 deaths attributed to skin cancer, sun protection for surfers and stand up paddlers is definitely a must. In this product review we'll look at a piece the construction, features, and our overall impression of the Surf Munkey surf hat .
The Surf Munkey construction is solid. Usually one of the first things to go in any product is the stitching. Even after tugging at the seams in all directions and all angles of the hat, the stitches remained tight and strong. The fabric is a strong an lightweight nylon that dries quick and looks good. The chin strap is double stitched into the inside rim of the hat for comfort and durability. Hat size is adjusted with a heavy duty velcro strap in the back for a custom fit. We didn't find any weaknesses in the construction.
The Surf Munkey surf hat is the simplest surf hat design we've seen. It's so simple that once you play with it you say to yourself, “Now, why didn't I think of that?” First of all the shape of the hat itself fits snugly to your head, perfect for allowing water and wind to flow around it. Velcro adjustment in the back makes every hat a perfect fit. The chin strap is simple and comfortable. The length is fully adjustable and the with a low profile buckle that easily clips under your chin without rasping at your neck. When the chin strap is hooked, you can't even feel where the buckle is. The most prominent feature of this hat is the flexible and brim that can quickly and easily be folded up and stuck to the hat with Velcro or pulled down to shade your eyes.
For the traditional surfer, when paddling out to the lineup, just push the brim in the up position for easy duck dives or turtle rolls under the whitewater. Then, when you reach the lineup, pull it down for sun and glare protection. This solution for keeping the brim out of your face is a patent pending feature of the Surf Munkey surf hat.
Stand up paddlers in flat water will usually leave the brim in the down position, however, those who are catching waves, may want to flip up the brim for better visibility while surfing. The low profile design of the hat makes it the best option we've found thus far for stand up paddle racing. The simple design leaves little to mess with. The hat stays in place and won't get caught by the wind. While paddling into a strong headwind, you may want to flip up the brim so it doesn't blow down into your eyes. But the wind has to be pretty stiff for that to be an issue.
Our overall impression of this hat is excellent. We'd like to call it the iPad of surf hats. Why? Because it's clean simplicity is it's greatest strength. The hat comes in black, slate gray, and khaki. Visit www.surfmunkey.com to watch videos see additional photos and order your Surf Munkey surf hat. Or get after your local retailer to order some for the shop. We give it 2 thumbs up!
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GEAR INSIGHTS 
November 01, 2011
68.118.34.2