Discover Coral Reef

Coral Reef Wetsuits – the Perfect Fit

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com

Drive down Beach Boulevard in Westminster and you can’t miss Coral Reef - a surf and wetsuit shop that’s a tropical oasis on a busy street.

Adding a splash of vibrant color to the neighborhood, Coral Reef has been in the same location (14161 Beach Boulevard, Westminster, CA 92683) since 1979. It’s known for its custom wetsuits (“Made in the USA”), surfboards, beach clothing, island décor, and much more (www.coralreefwetsuits.com).   

Owner Tony Jones, the person front and center at Coral Reef, is a legend in the wetsuit industry.

Jones’ wetsuits are custom designed and he tailors them for a perfect fit. “We build the best and fix the rest,” Jones told SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel. Coral Reef guarantees its wetsuits for a year and some have lasted as long as 10 years. The wetsuits have gained a reputation as the “Longest Lasting Wetsuits on the Planet,” a phrase Jones trademarked.

Mike Parque getting fitted for a wetsuit

Jones, a strong supporter of the Surfrider Foundation, offers discounts to Surfrider members. Just bring in your current membership card and Coral Reef will waive all custom fees on wetsuits, giving you a custom-tailored wetsuit of your choice for the standard rack price...a savings of about 50%.

Some of the surfing legends who have used Coral Reef wetsuits include Corky Carroll, Greg Noll, Rabbit Kekai, Mickey Munoz, Guy Takayama, and Eve Fletcher.

Coral Reef’s Gallery of Surfing Legends

One of the fun things about Coral Reef is checking out the gallery of autographed photos of the surfers and celebrities who swear by Jones’ wetsuits. Take a look and you’ll see Dean Torrence of singing duo Jan and Dean and Surf City fame.

A dedicated surfer with a love of tropical islands and rainforests, Jones has filled Coral Reef with island-themed products –

tikis and mirrors handmade from coconut palm...

Hawaiian furniture...

posters and framed art...

Karla Chidester drove down from Bakersfield to pick up these pictures

fabrics, T-shirts and board shorts...

Sunny couldn’t wait to try on her new Coral Reef T-shirt

surf accessories, surfboards, and skateboards.

Jones, who is also an inventor, created the first solar surfboard.

During his travels to remote surfing spots Jones had problems charging the batteries for his electronic devices. It turns out there aren’t many electrical outlets in the middle of paradise. But, then he met a scientist who made lightweight solar panels. That’s how Jones’ idea for his Outback line of solar panel-equipped surfboards began.

“The solar panel is so light that it doesn’t add extra weight to the surfboard,” Jones explained to SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti. “The Outback Surfboard charges small electric devices – cell phones, iPods, smartphones, digital cameras and flashlights – off the solar panel grid embedded in the board. And you don’t need adapters or have to worry about compatibility from country-to-country.”

Jones was so pleased with his solar surfboard creation that he added solar tables, chairs and surf bags, too.

For another project Jones teamed up with John Folliott, a surfboard shaper who owns Biohazard Custom Surfboards (www.biohazardsurfboards.com), to design and make special surfboards that are half the weight of regular surfboards.

John Folliott and Tony Jones

The Biohazard boards have 25% more buoyancy, which makes them perfect for senior surfers. The inspiration for them came from when Folliott was a medical materials manager.

Jones, who seems to spend as much time inventing as surfing or making wetsuits, even designed a motorized bicycle for those who bike long distances along the beach.

Whenever you get tired or just want a break, turn on the motor and enjoy the scenery.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect wetsuit, board or accessories or want to add some islands’ flair to your home, Tony Jones can fill the bill.

Patti,Tiki and Sunny

SurfWriter Girls discovered that getting away to a tropical oasis can be just around the corner…at Coral Reef.

www.surfwritergirls.blogspot.com