Kid's Board Shorts (Swimwear)

Length and seam finish are what make a board short a board short. Youth inseams usually run 9 to 12 inches, putting the hem at or near the knee. The side seams are either flat felled or bonded so no ridge stands up against skin. The name comes from surfing, where a rider spends hours lying and sitting on a board and any raised seam sands a raw patch into the thigh within a session.

Closures separate them from ordinary shorts too. A short fly, closed with hook and loop tape or a couple of snaps, sits behind a lace-up cord that ties in a stitched eyelet panel. That gives a waist that stays shut under the pull of a breaking wave. Fabric is a woven polyester, and the better versions blend in a small amount of elastane for four-way stretch. This means it gives both across and along the leg. Stiff, unstretched versions look correct and restrict a child climbing back onto a board. Almost none include a mesh liner, so a swim brief or a snug pair of trunks goes underneath.

Beside Swim Trunks, the differences are length, seams and that missing liner, and each one exists for surf rather than pool. Pair them with a Rash Guard and the two together cover everything from wrist to knee. Next to a Sun Suit, board shorts guard the thighs against sun and board rub while leaving the entire upper body to fabric you buy separately.

Surfing, boogie boarding, skimboarding and long days on rocks and sand are the natural home. Older children who want their thighs covered often prefer them for that reason alone. Three weaknesses count against them. Wet board shorts hold real weight and drag hard against a swim stroke, so they are poor pool clothing. Without a liner, a bare leg meets a wet seam and rubs, which is why the hem is the first place a child complains. The thick waistband also stays damp long after the legs dry, which makes the whole garment feel wet for hours.