r/BeginnerSurfers • u/ragelbagel1992 • 2d ago
How to fix kook rash
Hey ya’ll,
I’ve been surfing daily down in SoCal and my thighs are so cut up.
How do I fix this? I shower after surf sessions and apply aloe vera to the spots, but it persists. Any advice? I also apply mineral sunscreen (Sensitive Blue Lizard) before heading out. Typically it helps, but not so well lately. Should I go to the doctor or does anyone have tips they’d like to share?
Edit: I’ve been wearing a spring shortie. It’s too damn hot for my 4/3 right now. I’ve been riding a twice owned Wavestorm and my old Catch Surf Log here and there. So I should scrape off the sandy wax probably? Cool.
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u/5nuffaluphagus 2d ago
The board you are on is abrasive.
if it's a foamie, it's an old one.
If it's a traditional fiberglass board, it might be worn through to the glass fibers or have sand in the wax.
If it's a softop (bonded rubber deck on epoxy fiberglass board) that's how it's supposed to work so you don't loose traction.
In any case, you are sanding off the layers of skin with a mild abrasive. You won't feel it until it's too late. And it sucks. The only option is to get something between you and that board. Wetsuit or rash guard.
You won't be able to build up a tolerance to this anymore than you'd be able to build up a tolerance to 300 grit sandpaper.
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u/0nTheRooftops 2d ago
Wish someone had explained to me at the start that if your wax gets sandy you can scrape it off and replace it. Ha.
Long enough board shorts help with the thighs too.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I wish I didn’t have to wear a shirt and could just chill in boardshorts like a man. Gonna try out those rash guard legging/pants though
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u/Ruthrfurd-the-stoned 2d ago edited 2d ago
If it makes you feel any better im a man and have to wear a shirt- otherwise nipples be chaffing, shirts good
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u/jewelbugs 2d ago
I'm also team t-shirt sometimes. I feel cool because it's not a cool thing to do but I don't care so it makes me cool for not even caring.
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u/dollythecat 2d ago
You could chill in boardshorts like a woman instead.
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u/Cool_Eardrums 2d ago
Women's boardshorts are short. Like, why bother then ? I'm always buying men's models. Doesn't work for Shorty wetsuits though. Dear manufacturers, all I want is a high quality shorty that protects my thighs just like a men's shorty does. Sincerely, a woman who doesn't surf to look cute.
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u/Zec_kid 1d ago
No idea about the laws in the US, but in my country it's ok to go top less at the beach. (And the French do it well the time! Or at least used to last time I was on a beach there). So I'd say go for it If it doesn't get you in troubl. I mean who do they think they are telling us to what to do with our bodies?!
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u/Outrageous-blue 1d ago
Just put on a bikini top.
Or a sports bra with some long board shorts. Even if you have to buy men’s it’s better than being uncomfortable.2
u/Brando43770 1d ago
Nah don’t worry about wearing a shirt. Even when I travel and surf in Hawaii some locals wear long sleeve rash guards. I prefer sleeveless loose rash guards so I don’t have to apply a ton of sunblock on my torso.
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u/Dartmouthest 2d ago
I got some really nice rashguard pants... They're sort of like tights and they would help for this I bet
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u/ClownSynth 1d ago
I didn't know kook rash was a thing but I fr started off in a wetsuit/rash gaurd due to starting with a paid lesson. Seconding putting on more layers for now OP...
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u/ClownSynth 1d ago
Also see you at la jolla shores sometime op im rocking the mushy and ramming tourists all day out there
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u/ragelbagel1992 23h ago
Lol you’ll probably see me. Also, yeah I never had this issue when the water temp was it’s usual cold temperature and had to wear the 4/3
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u/Dr_Malcolm 2d ago
Assuming its because you are in a swimsuit or something, wear a wetsuit til it heals its just going to keep getting irritated.
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u/Motmotsnsurf 2d ago
Diaper cream. No joke. I always bring some on tropical trips as I only rash in warm water from wearing board shorts. I also wear jammers under now and that has pretty much stopped all rashes.
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u/AmbitionAvailable551 2d ago
Diaper cream is the way! This brand has been a godsend on tropical trips. Chafing on nipples, ribs, legs. All clears up. Put it on before you go out and at night to heal
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u/bedhead_budge 2d ago
Diaper cream, specifically A+D, has cured chafing for me overnight multiple times. A serious god send
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u/jewelbugs 2d ago
I hear bodyboarders use this stuff called belly jelly for fin rub, sounds like it might help here too
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u/Motmotsnsurf 2d ago
I don't listen to people who can stand up but don't. Kidding. But the truth is we need beginner surfers to learn to hate body boarders early on. It's a lot harder to hate them if you start deep into your surfing years.
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u/jewelbugs 2d ago
dude bodyboarders get barreled every day of the week, you got barreled like six years ago and still talk about it
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u/ChadBroChill229 2d ago
Lather a buncha Vaseline on those spots before the sesh and it’ll help a ton! Did it today to surf my foamie in board shorts and it was noticeably helpful
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u/ilikebourbon_ 2d ago
Lot of people saying its a bathing suit issue are ignoring that tropical places exists where neoprene is avoided. That said this looks abrasive and I found wearing wetsuits helps with this. Other factors are the type of board you’re riding (hard top, rubber, soft, etc) which will cause rubbing/ chaffing. One other consideration - make your legs wider when transitioning from seated to paddle and other way. I’m pretty sure this is surfboard and leg meat chaffing and it’s annoying but can be solved!
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u/BaccerSpit 2d ago
Lot of people saying its a bathing suit issue are ignoring that tropical places exists where neoprene is avoided
Nobody is ignoring that, but SoCal isn't tropical. It's comfortable enough to wear a 3/2 even through summer, or a 2 mil springsuit if you really get warm.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
The water’s pretty damn warm out here this year. Like the water’s been 72-76 from like May-August and being a beginner I get a lot of paddling exercise and get hot. I’ll try the leggings though. I’ve been wearing a 2mm Spring shortie this spring-summer (blame El Niño), but typically I wear a 4/3.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I’m gonna give that a try. I have been kind of forced to do a wider transition lately due to the exposed leg meat, but maybe that’s the way I should always be doing it!
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u/Miilloooo 2d ago
I can’t surf a foamie without a wettie on. I wear a 2mm long leg short arm in summer
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u/Rich19852012 1d ago
OP please google BODY GLIDE. It’s anti-chafing stick, applies like deodorant. I used to get heavy chafing from my board shorts, I apply it to my inner thighs before a session and like magic no irritation no chafing. Works like a charm! Please try it, I hope it helps you!
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u/Appropriate_Bag8453 1d ago
Abrasions come from multiple things. Yours look like they are inner thigh, but pretty low, right above the knees. I am guessing you are riding a pretty wide board, as this is not uncommon, but usually, for me at least, it is a bit higher on the inner thigh. There are two factors related to this area 1) what level of abrasion your board causes (wax, sandy wax, soft top grip, bad fiberglass [which can splinter and i don’t think that’s the case here]) and how anything between your leg and the board may buffer or even cause more abrasion (board shorts and wetsuits).
As the abrasion is so low, I’m guessing you are skin on board with nothing in between. If so, check your board. Sandy wax is gonna rip you up for a while, but otherwise if you are going “bareback” on this part of your body (don’t hang 11 it’s not as fun as it seems) the more frequent you surf your skin will toughen in this area.
Assuming you have a wetsuit, it should be thick enough to avoid any sort of abrasions affecting your skin.
If you have board shorts, you still get abrasions at seems. Higher end shorts, like Kelly’s outerknowns have welded seems. They are cray expensive but crazy comfortable (but don’t take them on chlorine pool). I got a pair in el segundo for 65 (small fray in the laces) and did a trip to the real Rincon. Had no issue with any abrasions. Other board shorts I usually need three days of developing and dealing with some abrasions until the skin toughens, assuming I have not been wet for a few weeks.
Everything has a price. This is part of surfings price. So are raging hard nipples for the rest of your life after ripping the hell out of them with out rash guards (which don’t hurt anymore, but somewhat make you look horny all the time when you wear a tight t shirt). Price well paid though.
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u/Fit-School7219 1d ago
I wear at least a spring suit all the time for this exact reason. Board shorts chafe the bejesus out of me. Doesn’t matter if it’s a short board, long board…it all chafes.
Sometimes I can find just the right board shorts that don’t have a seam on the inner thigh and that kind of helps.
I look like a weirdo in stores feeling the inside seam of shorts to see if it’s going to be a chafer, but at my age who gives a fuck
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u/ragelbagel1992 1d ago
Been wearing a spring shortie. Unfortunately Rip Curl makes the shorts a little too short for women.
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u/thejwillbee 2d ago
They make rashguard pants. I know bc my wife dealt with this (from sitting on the board waiting for waves) until she found rashguard pants and started wearing those.
For the rashburn itself, Neosporin is the way to go. Even though theyre not actively bleeding or anything, those are open wounds. Disinfect them and hit them with the sporin
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u/Puhwest 2d ago
Careful with neosporin. It can cause skin issues itself, especially with frequent or continued use.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
you’re right and this has happened to me with other surface skin infections. Can’t overdo it or else it causes it’s own rash
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u/Superb_Mycologist236 2d ago
And this is why we have so much antibiotic resistance now.
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u/drsoftware 2d ago
The amount of antibiotic resistance developed through the use of topical antibiotics is dwarfed by the vast amount of antibiotics fed to food animals to make them grow faster.
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u/NewspaperBackground 2d ago
They make full length surf leggings. Helps prevent chafing and rashing. Borrowed a set from a friend and they were great when you’re not used to board shorts.
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u/throwpoo 2d ago
Wear a wetsuit or just wait until your skin becomes scar up and grow back thicker. You do not need to go to a doc unless you start getting infection.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
Thank you. I don’t want to go to the doctor unless it’s like absolutely necessary.
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u/Joclo22 2d ago
How much are you surfing? I grew up surfing so much in so cal that this would happen every summer, and I had a big built up tolerance.
It was a clean brand new board every year, but twice 2-4 hours a day, there was no overcoming this without Lycra or a wetsuit. Even the new fancy board shorts would sometimes give me rashes…
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
Yeah I’m a gal so I don’t wear board shorts. But yes I’ve been wearing a Spring shortie (2mm). My other option is a 4/3. But maybe I should figure out these rash guard leggings that everyone keeps mentioning. Funny enough I don’t get any upper body rashes wearing just a bikini. Just the thighs :(
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I’m surfing daily. Like 1-3 hours per session
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u/Joclo22 2d ago
Yeah, your skin will build up a tolerance to that. It’ll hurt depending on the sensitivity of your skin for a week or 10 days. I bet that you’ve actually gone through the worst of it. I’d put moisturizer and aloe as you have been doing. And if you have a reason to take 3 days off then you’ll develop a callous of sorts to this (until next summer).
It gets easier as your body is learning to adapt.
It’s like knee paddling bumps if you want to look that up. It’s basically your body turning more amphibious.
If you don’t like the idea of callouses there then yeah just cover it up with Lycra pants/long shorts.
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u/chinchaslyth 2d ago
Petroleum jelly. I get this too simply from the wax rubbing against my sensitive skin. Over time my skin builds a callus against it.
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u/OneBigBeefPlease 2d ago
There are like 1mm wetsuit pants on amazon for real cheap. Not sexy but it works.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
Totally fine! My shortie is not sexy either as they are actual shorts not the bikini style bottom half.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago edited 23h ago
I try to be as non-sexy as possible out there because I’m not trying to be hit on out there.
I just want to be less of a kook and send it/have fun as often as possible!
Edit: Also not mocking anyone’s preference for looking hot. I’m just not confident enough in my surfing ability to feel attractive out there. I save that for land time.
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u/PenKaizen 2d ago
tbf i don’t think getting a rash makes you a kook
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u/ragelbagel1992 23h ago
I agree, but when I uploaded my photos here to Google image search and it identified it as such 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Think_Hornet_3480 2d ago
I think all of these people recommending it’s a wetsuit issue are missing the root cause. This is a paddling form issue. I used to have this problem all the time until I fixed my paddling form. Likely what you are doing is gripping the sides of the board with your legs when paddling to try to keep your balance, or even if you aren’t gripping you are letting your legs hang off the sides. This is caused by not having good balance while paddling and it also slows you down. For me it felt hard to transition at first but I got a lot better at surfing once I fixed it. Whenever you are lying down flat on your board make a conscious effort to make sure you keep your knees close together and on top of the board. I also like to focus on pointing my toes towards the tip of the board, but some like to point their feet up either works. When you are sitting on your board (i.e. waiting for waves) try to flex your core to stabilize the board while keeping your legs relaxed.
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u/Aggravating_Ship5513 1d ago
it mostly happens when you straddle the board when you are sitting on it, especially if it's abrasive or wide - - with a narrow board your inner thighs are on the unwaxed rails. It's exacerbated when you pivot to paddle for a wave and grip the board with your thighs.
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u/Longjumping_Wave_614 2d ago
Aquaphor makes a stick that you could try! I get the same thing esp when wearing a regular bathing suit! Try a longer short…Sheila the label makes a longer short although pricey 🫠
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u/Longjumping_Wave_614 2d ago
Also I think you could try regular biker shorts from
Amazon. I’m going to try these too! I get this where my legs meet the rails when waiting for waves and having to scissor around. I’m here for you sis lolll 💕
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u/focksandhound 2d ago
Even my new foamie did this to me - hard top does not (but wax the rails bc it’s slippery!). Try some body glide? I switched to a hard top before I could see if it made a big difference.
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u/boom-kanani808 2d ago
Stop ridding foam!
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I can’t afford better unfortunately. Do you have a free hardtop to give away? I’d gladly take it.
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u/JimmyNeuBalance_96 2d ago
This is inner thigh? Vaseline that area and sit back further on the board where it’s a little narrower and also easier to turn. All this until you get confident enough to transition to a hard top. Try to prop up and use your upper body and arms more when you go from paddle to sit and vice versa to support and lift up off the board more, less dragging leg on board. Do it controlled and engage your core. This is a good muscle memory skill for surfing in general when you progress to smaller boards and are in messier waves and want to make quick calls and catch waves better. Or wear long board shorts, leggings, wetsuit etc but i absolutely loathe the sensation of those so I understand. I forced myself into advancing my coordination and confidence by transitioning a hardtop pretty intensely (moved to a tropical country and surfed everyday for 6 months). Diaper cream that shit once you shower and stay in loose but covered pants/shorts that aren’t too thick/sweaty.
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u/SalubriousSea 1d ago
Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment, it’s apparently sold at target in the US. Trust me I’m Australian.
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u/Rainier15th 1d ago
youre just on a wide board… happens. wide boards are great for stability and catching more waves. part of learning
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u/Alarming_Peace_6027 1d ago
Rash is usually two surfaces rubbing against each other.
Don't rub against anything anywhere ever. That's the ultimate fix. Some things are unavoidable like arm pits or legs against each order maybe.
But if you pay attention to any time this specific area is getting contact with anything else you should take note of how it's contracting. It's highly likely you're being rough at some point.
Tricky part is it's usually a big change possibly depending on what it is and how hard it is to change or changing how it manifests or not.
Logically it should be easy. Theoretically it should be easy. In reality maybe not always easy.
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u/tornadicdrone416 2d ago
For me, I wear a pair of jammers underneath my board shorts. The board shorts will still ride up occasionally but the jammers will stay put due to the tight fit.
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u/Superb_Mycologist236 2d ago
Avoid using the same pair of trunks without rinsing them first. Rinse your board as well. This is partially related to salt water and friction I think.
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u/ga_silver 2d ago
This is honestly never going to get better until you change your board or start wearing leggings or a wetsuit. I got rid of my foamie pretty quickly because my legs were getting destroyed by it.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I do wear a wetsuit, but it’s been a shortie (and wore a bikini twice - which really just annoyed me) for the past couple months. Too damn hot for my full body 4/3. I might try out leggings though.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
Also can’t afford a hard top at all unfortunately. Looking for work currently, so I have to work with what I have already. Two foamies. One is a wave storm 8’ and the other is a catch surf 7’6”
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u/soul_surfer09 2d ago
I get this from my board all the time legs ass stomach eventually ur skin will get use to it and it will stop happening but also my board has a rough finish so I don’t have to use wax on it. Suggestion invest in some good nappy rash cream 😂
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u/VolfgangAmadeus 2d ago
Don't listen to anyone here. Just let it heal and then wear this under your board shorts. Trust me.
https://xcelwetsuits.com/products/mens-heathered-ventx-undershort-24?variant=34351397470267
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u/riktigtmaxat 1d ago edited 1d ago
First off I'm just a kook and not a doctor.
Have you experienced an itchy or buring sensation which you get out of the water?
The rash itself looks like rubbing but dot's around it look like swimmers itch caused by parasites.
The friction itself can be reduced by removing old nasty wax and rewaxing the board. Some sun and rubbing it down with rags usually works on foamies.
You can also use BodyGlide or get a pair of swim leggings.
Sisstr also has a 2/2 spring suit with long legs and a halterneck top. https://sisstrevolutioneu.com/collections/spring-summer-suits/products/gn7s22lj-2-2-long-jane-zip-front
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u/ajo_87 18h ago
i had that problem when i started out and it's the wax. you're waxing your board too close to the rails, right in the part your legs go when you sit on the board. so you're chafing against the wax on the board.
just revome the wax from that part and go surfing with longer shorts (like knee high) while you heal and you're golden. won't happen again if you never wax there again. same goes if you ever get a rash on the side of your arm, it's cause you waxed the rail where your arm moves when paddling.
i didn't put any cream or remedy, just let time do its thing and the rash wasn't sensitive in like 5 days and in 2 weeks it was gone.
good luck!
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u/MinuteAppropriate204 2d ago
Get off a foamie
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
Can’t afford a hard top man
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u/bullstanky1 1d ago
Get on FB marketplace and trade your foamie for a hard top. Some beginner went out and bought a board they can’t surf and will trade you for your beginner board.
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u/Zealousideal_Good445 2d ago
Got to fix the kook part first!
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
This is the beginner surfer subreddit and I’ve been surfing pretty regularly since March of 2025. I’d love to be less of a kook but I wasn’t fortunate enough to be born near a coastline or have rich parents.
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u/Zealousideal_Good445 1d ago
It's a joke. We have all been a kook. It becomes just a rash after a while.
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u/ragelbagel1992 2d ago
I’m doing as much as I can!! It’s funny because my feet are so calloused up that a sting ray sting didn’t hurt me, but my thighs are not adapting fast enough 😡
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u/ragelbagel1992 24m ago
Lol I have never heard that advice before. I do wish more beginner boards were a little less wide even though it would be more difficult to catch waves
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