Ron Jon Surf Shop

I love surf shops. I rocked the whole surfer dude look back in the 80s and 90s and always loved being at the beach. There’s something about a surf shop that just takes me back to those good olé days of my long, floppy, fake blonde Flock of Seagulls hair.
The Ron Jon Surf Shop on LBI is pretty much your surf shop megastore. And yet, despite how big the store is, I found that the selection wasn’t all that great. Granted, they have a few key brands like Billabong and Hurley, but they don’t carry other brands, like RVCA, which has recently become my go-​to brand for board shorts and the like. Perhaps they’d have more room to fit a better selection of clothing if half the store wasn’t stocked with silly Jersey Shore tchotchkes aimed at tourists and summer renters.
As others have said, everything’s overpriced here, which is to be expected in a town that makes most of its money between July 4^th and Labor Day. Ron Jon is a good place to stop if you packed poorly for your shore trip and now need to pick up a few things. But if you’re shopping for seasonal clothing, you’re much better off going online where you’ll get a much better bang for your buck.

Pretty expensive. Not gonna lie. I’d rather go to farias. Something about chains I hate. seems to take away the personality in things. But they do have a nice selection when your in a bind for some gear. Floor staff is kinda stalker is but still friendly not a bad place just not ny favorite

Bought a pair of swim suits for me and my son and the reason for the five stars is beacuae i tried on about 15 swim suits and the person that helpd me was so nice even though i was a pain in the butt… thanks

Very expensive, but what can you expect from a name brand chain. The variety of sunscreens was nonexistent though so I would skip this place and head for a pharmacy, you’ll find something much cheaper with the same quality.

Stopped in here on the way to Barnegat Light to pick up a bathing suit. Good selection of styles but was kind of limited on the sizes I needed. Ended up finding a nice suit for a decent price.

For some weird reason the staff here is really surly. The floor associates will follow you like a hawk (Is shoplifting really that bad here? Who’s going to just walk out with a huge surf board?). The cashiers seem oddly rude and aloof. Normally I wouldn’t care about such things, they’re just odd to encounter in such a specialty shop. And yes, after you’ve paid an arm and a leg, it leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth.
Despite that they have a very large collection of surfing, body boarding and general aquatic goods and outfitting. I’ve never had any issues with quality, and the items they source from other companies seem to be of good quality. Prices are outrageous though so I stick to the clearance racks. For instance, their shirts that say Ron Jon start at at least $ 15. I would buy one for maybe $ 10 (after all, I would be giving them free advertising) but for the insane prices they charge I will refrain.
It’s definitely a place you should check out, just be aware there’s some drawbacks.

In the community for a quick lunch with some family. Saw the sign that this was «the original» we stopped in to take a look. Cool little bit of surf history. Standard selection of goods. Will be back in the summer when it’s not 30 degrees out.
The surfboards and outdoor stuff is on the top floor that’s where the true beauty of the shop it is.

Been hittin this spot up for my local jerz surfwear since the 90’s.
Seems like every year it gets bigger and bigger… guess all the LBI cabbage be gettin larger… big ballers have steadily been movin here over the last 10 years.
Got a couple of Rusty short (6′) boards here in the last 3 years… no complaints about price or service.
Bonus: Dope chicks usually walk around this store in bikini bottoms… so yea… I like to peruse the «merchandise»

The staff is nice and very helpful and that’s where the good part ends. The clothing is cheap but pricey. They either buy poor quality blanks and slap the logo on or they make cheap quality clothing. Most stores do the former. One example of poor quality is a single-​stitched pair of sweat pants that began to come apart after the first use. Another is a rather expensive shirt that had a larger than normal button hole causing the button to not stay buttoned. Clearly, quality control is not something practiced by this chain so check the small details of a selection before buying.
I’m all for supporting Ron Jons since the founder originated in New Jersey but business is business.

Best selection of surf equipment and apparel on LBI.

For some odd reason I’ve always thought Ron Jon orginated in Florida. It was a surprise finding out that it started here in Jersey.
This store is of decent size. Staff was nice, however the merchandise in the store was nothing of exciting. My personal opinion, the items in the store still looks like the same items you would have seen there back in the 90’s. Nothing has changed.
It’s unfortunate that due to Hurricane Sandy, the rest of the town was still rebuilding, and the whole town was almost like a ghost town. The only place that seem to be busy in the whole town was Wawa’s.

You can’t be a true LBI vacationer unless you’ve been to Ron Jon at least once and own at least one classic Ron Jon t-​shirt. It’s a «tourist trap» as another Unilocaler put it, but it’s also totally awesome and rad, dude, like, everyone is just like, hanging ten in there and it’s just like, rad.
But really though, it’s a cool place. It’s four levels of Ron Jon apparel, surf stuff, Uggs (because Uggs were originally for surfers), beach stuff, and a lot of cool things to peruse. The décor is awesome and the outside architecture is amazing to see, from its structure to the awesome beach colors.
This is the ORIGINAL Ron Jon in the world, so you really have to go.

Ron Jon is definitely a little bit of a tourist trap, but it is still a pretty cool place and always a must stop when I am in LBI. You can’t miss the cool looking building right when you enter the island. The place is pretty massive, as well. Upon entering, you will see the world’s largest surfboard (or so they say). They have a great selection of different bathing suits, clothes, sandals, boogie boards, surf boards, etc. You get the picture.
The one thing that surprised me about this place were that the prices really weren’t that bad. I was able to pick up a Ron Jon boogie board for $ 10 and the thing lasted the entire week. By no means am I any type of expert, but it was fun to use in the ocean and I have it for my next trip. Even the clothes were pretty reasonably priced, too. They also offer rentals for surfboards, so you don’t have to shell out big bucks to ride some waves.
It’s definitely a little tourist trappy, but everything is pretty well done and it is an LBI staple. I will continue to stop by on my LBI trips.

The Abercrombie of beach stuff. If you’re all about being seen wearing a brand, this is your place! If you’re like me, and would rather balk at the price of a t-​shirt here, and go to a fancy dinner — avoid!

«What the hell do you know about surfing, Major? You’re from God-​damned New Jersey!» — Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now
Try and tell that to Ron Jon, Robert Duvall.
With four levels of active-​wear, equipment, shore fashion, and general beach goods, «The Original» Surf Shop also houses the world’s largest board at more than 24 feet in length. You won’t have to worry about the beaches on LBI smellin’ like napalm in the morning, either — so, that’s a plus.
Ron Jon is a Jersey Shore institution, an impossible-​to-​miss, department store-​sized behemoth that serves as welcoming committee for mainlanders comin’ across the Causeway and onto Long Beach Island. However, the current über-​commercial vibe of the shop is a far cry its humble beginnings as a ‘60s surf shack. With immense popularity, and that iconic logo plastered across t-​shirts and bumper stickers all along the East Coast, this one-​time modest shop was bound to get too big for its board shorts one of these days. Today’s Ron Jon may tower over its former self, but it’s since taken on a new, cathedral-​like stature.
The Ron Jon spirit, thankfully, remains, serving up everything you’d need for a day at the beach or a summer of good swells. There’s occasionally a dude strumming an acoustic guitar under that world-​record board for some chill, in-​store, background tunes. Kids in the backseats of their parents’ cars still stare in awe at those giant posters of pro surfers draped across the side exteriors of the building. And the top level is an entire floor of boards, solidifying Ron Jon’s long-​standing surf cred.
Yes, they’ve traded in their shack status for some emporium-​esque digs over the years, but it’s a surf shop legend and Jersey Shore landmark all the same. And as is the case with most out-​of-​staters who smack-​talk the Garden State without ever truly having been there, a spot like Ron Jon is certainly enough to make Lieutenant Kilgore (among others) bite his tongue.

My girlfriend and I stopped here because we had never been to a Ron Jon’s shop before and we needed water shoes, so we figured to give it a shot. The store has clothing, beach attire, shoes, jewelry… pretty much everything one needs for a beach vacation under one roof. It is several floors and carried name brand items found in stores such as PacSun and Zumies. The store was crowded, but remained clean and organized nonetheless. I would certainly recommend visiting a Ron Jon’s shop if you are into surfing or if you just want to stop in to see what the store is all about.

A Long Beach Island landmark, Ron Jons is so cool that polar bears… or something. But really, when you are visiting LBI the first glimpse of Ron Jons lets you know you are now «on the island» and you are entering a land of «more fun and less stress» as one of my old decals used to say. Ron Jons is humongous with several floors of surf /​skate inspired clothing, accessories, and various doo dads and trinkets. I have a sweater /​shirt /​light jacket that I call my «all purpose shirt» that is one of my favorite pieces of clothing ever. I dread the day it finally wears out, though it is showing no signs of doing so after several years of frequent wear. They’ve got the coolest T-​shirts available and I used to get a new one every year until I switched to beach towels lately as the last thing I need is more t-​shirts. I’ve got a zillion really cool ones as it is. Their Hoodies are equally cool whether you like the ones with tropical scenes (parrots, geckos, hibiscus, etc) or prefer a more subdued look. I’ve bought several as gifts for ladies of all ages and they always seem to love them. Of course Ron Jons is a Surf shop and they have a great selection of boards, for beginners to pros, and all the stuff you need to go with them. So if you’re just a «kook» or a seasoned rider, Ron Jons is a must stop for any LBI trip. Oh yeah, they will give you several free Ron Jon decals, so you can plaster them on your Woodie and fly your NJ surf colors. They also have shops in Ft. Lauderdale and in Cali.