So, I’ve been asked to do a Sorensen Surf Watch Review, and the first thing to say is that I don’t like wearing a watch, never have done, in or out of the water, same with jewellery, rings, earrings, chains etc, it’s all stuff that just gets in the way for me.  The watch thing might have originally come from some desire to not be constrained by the chains of time, maybe a mild form of rebellion against the 9-5, who knows, I can’t remember now, but lately it’s also been because there’s just no need, with a phone in your pocket or the radio on, or by looking at the sun in the sky, or remembering how long you’ve been awake, it’s rare you’re going to have no idea what’s going on with the time.

BUT… occasionally, even for me, there is a need to, a really important one too. Those days when the surf is pumping and you’ve got to go to be somewhere else! and you can just about squeeze a session in before work starts, or the ferry leaves or the match kicks off or you have to pick the kids up from school. In those circumstances, every second counts, and knowing how much time you’ve got left before you absolutely must get out could be the difference between waiting for the next set and catching that wave of the day or limping off earlier than you needed to on a mushy one.

Over the years I’ve been that annoying bloke constantly asking everyone what the time was, or sometimes I’ve got out too soon and kicked myself at missing out on those extra 10 minutes I could have had in the water as i watched a killer set roll in whilst getting changed, or, and this is the most common occurrence, been horribly late for some important event because I stayed in way too long after misjudging the time (it’s a well known fact that time is an abstract concept and flows differently depending on your point of view, and it is always moving at it’s fastest when you’ve only got time for a quick surf)

So, finally getting to the point of this blog, I’ve got a surf watch now, in fact, after having none for years, I’ve now got several (i’ll explain why that is annoying in a bit). And the maker of one of them, Rasmus at Sorensen watches, has asked me to share my thoughts on his new creations.

Sorensen Surf Watch Photo Gallery

Having read the above i might seem a strange person to be asking to review watches, but we’ve worked together in the past when i reviewed his ‘Surf Jimmy’ products, and he must have thought that I did a good job and that it was worthwhile for his business, as he’s asked me again now.

The slightly annoying bit, as mentioned above, is that Rasmus contacted me and offered a watch for me to review, exactly a week after I’d finally given in and brought a new surf watch to replace the disappointing Breo model I’d owned which had annoyingly stopped working after getting wet (first thing i look for in a surf watch is the ability to get wet and still tell the time, especially one that had cost me about fifty quid). So I’ve now gone from having no working watches at all to having one for each arm!

So what about the Sorensen watches then, my review has three key points, firstly they tell the time the old fashioned analogue way, which i still prefer, and it just seems more appropriate, surfing is an analogue experience after all, and I really like the total lack of distracting buttons and features that all the digital watches seem to have in abundance these days.

Secondly, and this is a really good point, they still function after surfing! This comment is made after a few autumnal surfs, I can and will come back and comment on how it has performed after a whole winter surfing in the cold waters of the UK coastline, but so far, so good.

And thirdly as an added bonus, I think they look really good too and can be worn after surfing if you like that sort of thing (I chose the red and black hooped strap, to match my favourite football strip, the ‘Dennis the Menace’ QPR away kit) and I could even see myself wearing one on a regular basis.

Being picky and practical, I would have preferred a velcro strap for getting the watch on and off before and after surfing, especially as we move into winter when your hands are cold and numb and a normal strap is a bit fiddly. (that might be an option they consider for the future?)

To learn more about the watches, find dealers and purchase them online etc, you can check out the newly launched website sorensen watches.


©2015 Jason Swain, All Rights Reserved

The photos on the site are all © Jason Swain with All Rights Reserved. The images are not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer. Please contact me via email photo@jasonswain.co.uk if you want to use it in any way or license it for your own project.

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