These are the nicest board shorts I've had. They are soft next to skin and a little bit of stretch makes it easy to move no matter what activity you're pursuing on land or in the water. The small zippered pocket is super convenient for carrying small necessities like keys. They certainly run a little small. I usually wear a 28 in Patagonia but found a good fit in size 30 for these.

I gave it as a gift to my boyfriend, he says it has a perfect fit but maybe the sleeve is too long, he loves that it dries quickly. I bought the radar blue and the color is fantastic, in the pictures looks a little darker but the product looks amazing.
He usually is a 34 in shorts but for Patagonia's ones he always has to buy 36.

I own a few pair and they're my favorite board shorts. I not only wear them in the water to surf and sup, but they're also my gym, mountain biking and hiking shorts. They run a bit small and I usually wear a 34 but wear 35 in these.

Definitely runs small so size up, but the fit is great if you get the sizing correct. I wear 34's in other patagonia board shorts and 35's in these. Other than that i have no complaints. Nice and stretchy with a closer fit in the leg, which i prefer. Drops directly above my kneecap.

Just recently decided I needed a new swim suit and I had seen this one on the site many times. I liked the Beryl Green color so I decided to try it out. Used it for the first time yesterday and they're awsome. They fit mostly try to size. I'm a 34 waist in most of my pants and I went with a 34 for the suit, not too tight around my waist and there is little room for sag. I really like the stretchy fabric in the short, also. And they dry really fast. The fact that they fold up into their own pocket is really convenient as well, makes it super easy to just toss into a bag when going on a hike or a trip. I recommend them!

I’ve been living in these shorts just about everyday. They are comfortable and I don’t mind getting them dirty and sweaty. I chose the dude’s shorts because I’m not crazy about Patagonia’s women’s shorts this year. I also chose the smallest size they had. (size30) I normally wear a 28 in the dude’s; but the 28’s I purchased from the store won’t even hardly pull up and then they are so uncomfortable because they are tight. Glad I purchased the 30 on these. They wash well, dry fast and I love them. They color is beautiful too. I totally recommend. I’m going to say that these run a tad bit small (hence the 4 stars . I love mine! ✨💛🦋🏂 💫

So this is my second pair of Patagonia board shorts. My first pair I bought back in like 2003?? They lasted nearly 10 freakin years! Constantly stylish and bombproof. They finally ripped in the A$$ so in a bind (on route to paddle board) I bought a pair of Quicksilver shorts. I recently misplaced the QS in a move so I bought these Patagonia’s. As soon as I put them on I was like: Awe man.... I’ve missed these!! They fit so well and you can feel the quality.

I have had these for a couple months now and worn them several times. I have not had any issues at all. very comfortable and has just enough stretch for activities. I bought a 33 which is what I normally wear with anything and they fit just great. If you like a looser fit I suggest you size up one. Overall really great. They also dry ridiculously fast which is great as well.

The fit is true to size and I like the stretch. The fabric is soft to the skin and does NOT irritate my legs even with sand. They also are very durable and haven't had any problems with them.

Husband is a repeat buyer of these shorts - loves the fit and stretch

These shorts are great not only for surfing or water sports, but they are also great for working out, riding your bike around town, etc. The material is very comfortable and allows for some flexibility. I have a size 32" waist, but I purchased the 34" to accommodate for my larger quads/glutes.

These are great boardshorts. The stretch makes them really comfortable. They are cut nicely so that I don't look like a teenager in oversize shorts but also not like I stepped out of the Land's End Catalog. My only complaint is that the fly is a little weird in that it only has one button and doesn't open very far. Otherwise perfect.

Great pair of board shorts. The stretch fabric is great for mobility. They are cut small, I had to return and size up.

I like this board short but had to exchange them for a size up. I wear a 32 in most shorts but had to get a 33 in these. The stretch fabric makes them a lot more comfortable than the non-stretch version of this short.

I bought a pair of these a few months ago from backcountry. At first, I though they were great- they fit well (although Patagonia sizing is all over the place: I got these in a 34, and they are pretty loose around my hips. I got two other pairs of the normal , not-stretch shorts in the same size and they would barely pull over my thighs).
I used them most weekends for a range of water-based activities from water-skiing/wakeboarding to kite surfing, or just chilling in the pool. They looked great ... then the stitching around the hem started to come undone, before the seat blew out when I was kite surfing.
I get that gear like this can't be bomb-proof but I am really disappointed that these failed so quickly. These were big on me, so it's not even as though I was putting the seams under a lot of load. I love the Patagonia branding, functionality and styling, but this is not what the brand- or the pricing- stands for.

I guess the search goes on for the perfect board short. This certainly isn't it.