Blue Mind: Vortex Visions brings together years of Scottish cold-water surfing, Thurso East barrels and first-person footage from Lunasurf co-founder Ian Battrick. Behind those moments is equipment shaped by the same surfing life.
From warmth in the water to the connection between feet, board and fins, this is a closer look at the Lunasurf equipment used across the sessions featured in the film.
Watch the film and read the story behind Blue Mind: Vortex Visions.
Warmth and movement: Core-X 4/4 Hooded ARC-Zip
Waiting for the right wave is part of surfing Thurso East. Once in the water, warmth and freedom of movement both matter.
The Core-X 4/4 Hooded ARC-Zip wetsuit uses 100% Japanese Yamamoto limestone neoprene, with an integrated hood and an arcing zip entry system designed to keep the closure away from high-movement areas.
It is one of the suits featured in the film, rather than a blanket recommendation for every Scottish session. Choosing the right thickness depends on the water temperature, wind, session length and how you personally feel the cold.
Cold-water boots and gloves
Cold feet should not be what brings a good session to an end. The Lunasurf 8mm Yamamoto surf boots are built for serious cold-water surfing, combining substantial 8mm insulation with 100% Japanese Yamamoto #39 limestone neoprene and a plush thermal lining. This is our cold-water workhorse: warmth, comfort and a secure fit, shaped by time in demanding conditions.
The high-top design overlaps with the wetsuit, while the reinforced fastening strap keeps the boot secure. A grippy sole and ankle pull loop complete a practical setup designed around the realities of winter sessions. From waiting for sets to the walk back across a frozen shoreline, every detail has a job to do.
Explore the construction and compare our 4mm and 8mm Yamamoto surf boots.
For hands, the 5mm ArmorFlex Palm surf gloves combine neoprene insulation with a reinforced palm designed for durability and grip.
These are practical parts of the equipment behind the film, helping Ian stay comfortable while waiting, paddling and surfing through changing conditions.
Front and Tail Pads: Full-Deck Grip
The film also features different Lunasurf traction setups across the boards used.
The A-51 Tail Pad in Black provides rear-foot traction, while the A-51 Landing Pad is a four-piece front-foot pad. Both use Lunasurfs unique EVA foam formula in line groove and 3M PSA adhesive.
The Xplor five-piece traction pad in Arctic Camo offers another rear-foot setup, with a layout that can be used as five pieces or reduced to three.
The separate pieces allow spacing to be adjusted to the board and the surfer’s preferred stance.
Full-deck grip is lighter than wax, grippier, easier to move around the board when in boots. Front-foot traction comes into its own in cold conditions, without having to deal with wax that feels too hard in the water.
Using front and rear traction for a full-deck grip setup also takes waxing out of the routine. No changing wax for different water temperatures or trips, no scraping it off and starting again, and no melted wax spreading through the car or inside a board-bag. The pads also provide a layer of cushioning underfoot that can help reduce pressure dings/denting beneath the front and back foot if you sink boards heavy footedly.
Once fitted, there’s no wax maintenance. Just grab your board and go. Grip you can rely on whatever the temperature.
Fins: Aurora and New Frontiers
The Aurora L1 thruster fins in Medium/Large are Ian’s go-to set across his boards, in surf from 0.5ft to 8ft and beyond. The L1 pairs larger side fins with a slightly smaller centre fin, combining a broad base for drive with a refined tip for response and release.
Ian reaches for the Large New Frontiers on wider-tail boards, boards with extreme tail rocker, or epoxy surfboards that sit higher on the water. On those setups, he finds the extra fin area helps provide the drive and hold he wants.
The New Frontiers template is designed around drive, stability and flowing turns, with three equally sized fins within each set.
The Medium New Frontiers give Ian an option to scale down the fin area on his step-up boards. With their narrower, more pulled-in tails and shapes already designed to hold in powerful surf, those boards can need less fin surface area. For Ian, the Medium NF complements the hold already built into the board without adding unnecessary drag or making the setup feel too stiff. But would also be a great go to for lighter surfers.
All three linked sets use single-tab fittings. The right choice depends on the board, surfer and conditions, rather than simply copying one setup from the film.
Leashes
The equipment featured also includes the LITE 6ft 6mm leash in Black Yellow and the 6ft 7mm leash in Army Green.
Both feature stainless steel double swivels, a soft ankle cuff and a slim rail saver. Leash choice should suit the board and conditions; appearing in the film does not make either model a recommendation for every wave shown.
When conditions step up, Ian uses the TRAVEL 8ft 7mm leash in Army Green. You can see it in real-world research and development at 18:55 in Blue Mind: Vortex Visions, when Ian takes a beating at the Bagpipes keyhole and gets blown out of it. It is a glimpse of the demanding sessions behind the equipment, not just the waves that come together.
Shaped by time in the water
Lunasurf grew from a simple idea: make dependable equipment that surfers genuinely need.
Ian’s years spent surfing and living beside waves like Thurso East feed directly into our product development. The equipment in Blue Mind: Vortex Visions is part of that ongoing process, used across real sessions and refined through experience and feedback.
Made by surfers, for surfers. Less hype, more time in the water.
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Blue Mind: Vortex Visions | Scottish Cold-Water Surfing