Board shorts are a wardrobe essential for when the sun begins to blaze bright—or the ocean tides start to grow higher. But these swimsuits aren’t just for surfing greats like Laird Hamilton. Whether you’re hitting the beach, lounging poolside, or just chilling out on balmy days, nothing says summer style quite as convincingly as board shorts—and the best board shorts for men in the market right now are a tapestry of style, comfort, versatility, and

Swim trunks are a bit more suited for on-land lounging by the pool or on the beach, but board shorts are designed to perform in the water – and these are the best ones we're adding to our getaway bag now.

There are a lot of board shorts out there, but not all of them are worthy of your summer plans. Here are nine of our favorites, including vintage-inspired trunks for surfing to high-performance board shorts for beach workouts.