Hi, I’m Katrien, co-founder of Cult Surfing. I spend half the year in the Canary Islands and the rest traveling in my van, chasing waves and running my business on the road. My background is in design, so everything we make at Cult is tested in real life. That means salty mornings, muddy afternoons, and plenty of drives between surf breaks in a soaking wetsuit. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that waterproof seat covers are not just a nice extra. They are part of my essential surf setup.
Surfing has a way of pulling you into the moment. When you’re out on the water, nothing else matters. You’re watching the waves, feeling the wind, and moving with the ocean. It’s one of the few times in life when you’re truly present. You can’t be half in it. You’re either focused or you’re falling.
But being a surfer doesn’t just mean riding waves. A big part of it is chasing the right conditions. Here in Lanzarote, I’ve had so many sessions where everything is perfect, then the wind suddenly changes. One minute you’re having the time of your life, the next it’s blown out and messy. That’s when I run back to the van, still dripping, and drive to the other side of the island where the wind is offshore and the waves clean up. I just sit in the driver’s seat, wetsuit and all, and go. Thanks to my waterproof seat covers, I don’t even think twice about it.
It’s the same in Galicia. The coastline there is full of bays pointing in different directions. If the wind turns, you can drive 10 or 20 minutes and find a sheltered spot that’s still firing. I’ve done those drives plenty of times, still wet, still sandy, just to get another good session. Again, no towel, no drying off. Straight into the car, no worries.
Even in places I haven’t surfed, like the UK, I can picture it. Cold days, icy water, and the best feeling, jumping into the car after a winter session, blasting the heating, and driving home with the wetsuit still on so you can take it off under a hot shower. That’s when waterproof seat covers really make sense. You can warm up while driving and not care about the mess.
Before I had them, it was a different story. I’d throw an old towel on the seat and hope for the best. It would slide around, get soaked through, and sometimes freeze in winter. The saltwater would soak into the seat fabric and it never seemed to dry completely, so they always had that slightly damp feeling. And the sand, once it was in there, it was impossible to get it all out. In summer, when it’s hot, I’d put my surfboard in the backseat and the wax would melt just enough to stick to the fabric. I ruined a seat like that once.
That’s why I now think of seat covers as part of my surf kit. Board, wetsuit, wax, and seat covers. And for people who carry their boards inside the car, the backseat covers are a lifesaver. They stop melted wax from sticking to the seats and keep the car looking clean.
I know seat covers might not be the first thing surfers think about, but they solve a real problem. They protect your seats from salt, sand, water, and wax. They stop that constant damp feeling in the fabric. And they let you focus on surfing, not cleaning your car. For me, that’s worth it.
It’s also about freedom. Surfing teaches you to adapt to the moment. You can’t control the ocean, the wind, or the weather. All you can do is be ready. And that’s what the right setup does. My van is ready for salty wetsuits, muddy days, and sandy feet. I don’t have to stop and think about whether I’ll ruin my seats or spend the next week vacuuming. I just go.
Being present doesn’t mean standing still. Sometimes it means driving across an island to find the next good wave. Sometimes it means sitting in your car, dripping wet, with the heating on full blast. And sometimes it just means knowing your gear and your car can handle it.
If you want to see the waterproof seat covers I use, you can check them out here. And if you want to know more about me and Cult, you can read my story here.