When I found out I was going to Florida I knew all I would need was a good pair of boardshorts, but after wearing the same pair for a few days that gets old. Normally I can only ever find a bathing suit that feels comfortable the first time I wear it and then starts to drastically become less and less comfortable until I say screw it and invest in another. Of course that investment is usually only a few dollars more than a six pack, but you get what you pay for, even for boardshorts. When you first look at the price tag of the United By Blue Stillwater Boardshorts, $68, some of you may be turned off, but when you get a pair of these shorts in your hand, even before you slip them on, you’ll immediately feel the difference.
Not only are the Stillwater Boardshorts supple and soft like an old t-shirt, the construction is from a four-way stretch performance stretch fabric, so even if you’ve had an extra large po’ boy while waiting for the tides to change, they’ll still fit as well as when you first tried them on. The shorts are lightweight enough to feel like you’re not even wearing anything down below, which is a great feeling when you’re cruising the wind-less estuaries in Florida on a 95 degree day, with an estimated one billion-percent humidity factor, if I remember correctly. The shorts are also so quick-drying that you can be soaked while wading a flat and then be dry and comfortable back in your truck by the time you paddle back to the launch and pack up your stuff to head to the bar.
Photo: United By Blue’s Stillwater Boardshorts are soft and comfortable for even the hottest days on the water.
Another gripe I always had with my cheap bathing suits was the durability. When I’m jumping in and out of my boat to wade the flats on Cape Cod, MA, scraping against the rigging on the boat, sliding down rocks by or just climbing all over my truck, my boardshorst apparently take a serious enough beating to start fading after only a month. That’s bull. After fishing all spring and what feels like an early start of summer, these boardshorts don’t show a single sign of fading or tearing, even after dropping the occassional treble hook into my lap (yikes).
Crafted from a blend of recycled polyester and spandex, the shorts use less material, which helps protect the environment, but it’s the United By Blue ethos that goes even one step further. For every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from our world’s oceans and–that’s something every angler can get behind. Anglers will also be able to get behind the keeper elastic key loop located in the single back pocket, so you can make sure you can still drive home after a long day on the water. If you’ve been waiting for a company to step it up with a pair of boardshorts that anglers will be able to depend on, the folks over at United By Blue have done it with their Stillwater Boardshorts.
United By Blue Stillwater Boardshorts Features
– 4-way performance stretch fabric. Lightweight, quick-drying, and durable
– Single back pocket with button closure and interior elastic key loop
– Fixed, self-lined waist with a ladder-lock flat drawstring closure for extra hold
– Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish sheds moisture and resists staining
– 20″ outseam / 9″ inseam
Available in Navy Stillwater or Red Stillwater. For more information about United By Blue, or their Stillwater Boardshorts, check out their website, UnitedByBlue.com.
