SO San Diego: These beach lifestyle brands were born in America’s Finest City

SAN DIEGO (FOX5/KUSI)–From reef-safe sunscreen to handcrafted surfboards, several beach day essentials were born in sunny San Diego.

Known for its surf culture, the city has served as a launching pad for several iconic beach lifestyle brands–many that are now household names.

Here are 10 brands that started in San Diego, sharing the city’s laid-back vibe with the globe:

Founded in 2010, Sun Bum’s West Coast office is nestled along Coast Highway in Encinitas, with its only other office located in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Although Sun Bum products tend to be easy to find at retail stores and surf shops, the Encinitas concept shop sells exclusive merchandise and regularly hosts community events, making it a local staple.

Sun Bum produces personal care products for those who live and love in the sun. Their primary product line includes environmentally conscious sunscreens with various SPF levels, but they also sell hair care products, candles and everything in between.

Also created in Encinitas, Sticky Bumps surf wax —the No. 1 selling wax —has been a surfing essential since 1971. Today, the brand continues to manufacture in Vista, maintaining its San Diego roots.

The high-performance, non-toxic wax formula revolutionized the industry. From professionals to beginners, surfers around the globe have trusted Sticky Bumps for decades to keep them on their boards in any water temperature and in all conditions. Its products are sold in surf shops worldwide and sometimes at local grocery stores and gas stations too.

This family-owned jewelry brand traces its roots back to an Escondido garage in 1998.

Get Back Necklaces became well-known for reviving the St. Christopher surf medallion, which is a 1960s-era symbol of protection for travelers and surfers.

Now headquartered in Oceanside, the brand has grown a loyal following. Its physical storefront recently closed so the brand could focus on business operations, but Get Back’s designs are still available online and at many surf shops across the globe.

Rusty Surfboards is one of the several surfboard brands born in the area. It was founded in 1985 by shaper Rusty Preisendorfer, a legend in the surf world. After shaping his first board in La Jolla in 1969, Preisendorfer started Rusty in 1985 and went on to build a global brand and produce over 40,000 surfboards for surfers of all levels.

At the time, he was the most in-demand shaper with his boards ridden by more than half of the world’s Top 16 surfers. Today, Preisendorfer continues to shape in La Jolla, and products are found at various local retailers and custom orders are welcomed.

What started as a dream between three former San Diego State University students working in a call center has become a go-to brand for ecofriendly gear. Founded in Pacific Beach in 2014, the company sells apparel and accessories, specializing in sand-resistant towels and beach blankets.

Sand Cloud gained national attention with their mission to reinvent an old-age product, the beach towel, and give back to ocean conservation. 10% of all profits are donated toward marine conservation. There are several Sand Cloud storefronts worldwide, including Pacific Beach, and products are sold at local retail stores and surf shops.

Sector 9 Skateboards was also born in La Jolla. It started in 1993, but the founders parted ways with it in 2016. After changing ownership several times, the iconic brand returned to the hands of its original owners in 2024.

The company specializes in manufacturing high-quality skateboards and has become one of the most respected brands in the industry. From Amazon to local surf shops, Sector 9 products are stocked nationwide.

Vuori, a contemporary clothing brand, was inspired by the active Encinitas lifestyle in 2015. It is evolving the definition of traditional activewear by combining fitness, surf, sport and art.

The brand values connection, balance and the pursuit of extraordinary life, and it is focused on continuing to build a brand that reflects those values. Vuori products are sold at storefronts and retailers worldwide.

Brixton also began in a San Diego garage, started by three friends in Oceanside in 2004 who were inspired by the diversity of cultures that surrounded them. Although the apparel brand was born in Southern California, the brand highlights its inspiration from the world.

Known for its timeless designs, Brixton products obtain their inspiration through several generations of workwear. Brixton isn’t only seen in surfer’s closets; products are enjoyed by mariners, to cowboys and beyond.

REEF sandals were established in 1984 in La Jolla by two brothers with a mission to share their love of surf and beach culture with the globe. REEF sandals are designed to be suitable to support every step, every season.

The brand focuses on creating durable products that can be enjoyed in various environments, from the streets to the sand. REEF sandals can be purchased at retail and surf shops worldwide, from Walmart to Jack’s Surfboards and everywhere in between.

Focused on creating premium, sustainable wetsuits and apparel, Matuse originated in La Jolla in 2006. It created the limestone-based Geoprene™ rubber, an alternative to petroleum-based neoprene, supporting its goal of making wetsuits warmer, lighter and kinder to nature.

The company’s commitment to sustainability and quality has earned popularity across the world. Matuse wetsuits can be found at Matuse’s warehouse, Matuse’s website and many local surf shops.