Bare Hydrating Aminos · Made in Durban

Dialled in
for the dawn patrol.

Pre-surf hydration with five grams of essential amino acids and a balanced electrolyte profile. Sodium dosed for the surfer's sweat rate — not the desert runner's.

Shop Hydrating Aminos — R549/tub How it works →
5g
EAAs
400mg
Sodium · balanced
250mg
Potassium
0g
Sugar
No. 02 · Hydrating Aminos
Bare
Hydrating Aminos
5g EAA
30 serves · 3 flavours
Ch. 01The Reframe

Most hydration drinks were built for desert runners.

A two-hour surf loses around 0.3 litres of fluid per hour. A dose engineered for the Mojave or a Cape Town trail run is the wrong shape for that physiology.

Ch. 02The Numbers
0
Grams EAAs
per serve
400mg
Balanced sodium
sized for surf
0
Sugar · grey-imports
fillers · neon
Ch. 03Benefits

Six things a balanced EAA-electrolyte mix does for the man in the wetsuit.

Each grounded in published sports nutrition and hydration science. No marketing claims — just the substrate doing its job before you paddle out.

i. Balanced

Sodium sized for surf.

Around 400 mg per serve — inside the published 300–700 mg pre-exercise band for moderate-sweat-rate activity. Not the 1,000 mg dose engineered for desert endurance.

ACSM position stand · 2022
ii. Co-transport

Sodium pulled across faster.

The EAA fraction opens the SLC6 sodium-amino acid co-transport pathway — moving sodium and water across the gut wall faster, without the sugar that classical sports drinks rely on.

SupplySide SJ feature
iii. Pre-load

The MPS primer met.

Two grams of leucine in the pre-paddle bottle starts the muscle-repair signal before the eccentric load even begins. Useful for the 40+ surfer working against anabolic resistance.

Wall et al. · PMC 2015
iv. No sugar

No bloat. No sloshy paddle.

Zero sugar, low osmolality. The fluid empties from the stomach quickly. No sweet aftertaste. No sloshing as you punch through the first set.

Gastric emptying review · 2021
v. Complete

All nine essentials.

EAAs deliver the complete amino-acid profile. BCAAs only deliver three of the nine — the assembly line stalls at the missing piece.

Wolfe · J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017
vi. Origin

Vegan. Plant-fermented. SA-made.

Plant-fermented amino acids. Made in Durban. SAHPRA-compliant manufacturing. No grey imports, no shipping waits, no exchange-rate maths on the label.

Bare manufacturing

Cold water actually suppresses the sweat you came to replace.

Surfer physiology is structurally different from runner physiology. A wetsuit at 16 °C dumps body heat into the ocean by conduction — roughly 25 times faster than the same body would lose heat to air at the same temperature. The thermoregulatory cascade that drives a runner's sweat onset at minute fifteen never properly arrives in the lineup.

"A two-hour surf loses around 0.3 litres of fluid per hour. A desert runner loses 1.5. The category dosed for the runner. Bare dosed for the surfer."

The Caldwell (2022) study measured fluid loss in male recreational surfers over a two-hour session and found a mean rate of 0.3 L/hr — well below land endurance work. Most of that loss was respiratory and saltwater swallowing, not classical thermoregulatory sweat. The implication for electrolyte dosing is direct: less sweat means less sodium loss to replace.

Caldwell et al. · PMC9017998 · 2022
Ch. 04How it works

Three steps. One pre-paddle ritual upgraded.

01

4:50 am. Kettle on.

Alarm goes. Cams checked. Coffee in one hand, steel flask in the other. The pre-surf hydration ritual is already there — it just hasn't been answered properly by what's on the SA shelf.

02

5g in 500ml cold water.

One scoop into the flask. Nine essential amino acids and a balanced electrolyte profile dissolve in cold water inside twenty seconds. No sugar. No grit. Goes in the bakkie with the board.

03

Out the back, sharp.

Sip on the walk in, finish on the paddle out. Sodium and water reach circulation via faster co-transport. Leucine pre-loads the repair signal. You come out feeling dialled, not heavy.

Ch. 05What's inside

Nine essentials. Three minerals.

Plain-language breakdown of the EAA blend and the electrolyte profile. No proprietary blends. No fillers. Every milligram earns its place in the flask.

i.
Leucine
The MPS trigger. Two grams pre-paddle pre-loads the repair signal before the eccentric load.
2.0 g
ii.
Lysine HCL
Collagen synthesis. Connective tissue repair for shoulders that paddle for two hours. Unusually high in this formula.
845 mg
iii.
Isoleucine
Branched-chain. Substrate for muscle glycogen and repair.
600 mg
iv.
Valine
Branched-chain. Pairs with leucine and isoleucine for the recovery triad.
600 mg
v.
Threonine
Glycine and serine precursor. Connective tissue and immune support.
400 mg
vi.
Phenylalanine
Precursor to dopamine and noradrenaline. The amino acid behind sharpness on the pop-up.
300 mg
vii.
Methionine
Methylation. Cellular maintenance.
150 mg
viii.
Histidine
Carnosine precursor. Buffers acid build-up in the working shoulder.
100 mg
ix.
Tryptophan
Lowered by design. Reduced tryptophan limits serotonin-driven fatigue during long sessions. Present to complete the essential profile.
5 mg
x.
Sodium
Balanced dose. Sized for the 0.3 L/hr surf-session sweat rate — not the desert-runner default.
400 mg
xi.
Potassium
Intracellular hydration. Pairs with sodium for the full extracellular-intracellular shuttle.
250 mg
xii.
Magnesium
Neuromuscular function. A meaningful 300 mg — close to the full daily requirement, for the shoulder that paddled three sessions this week.
300 mg
xiii.
Calcium
Bone and muscle contractile function. 600 mg covers more than half the adult daily requirement in a single serve.
600 mg
Ch. 06Compare

Six options. One sized for surf physiology.

— Recommended

Bare Hydrating Aminos

Sodium400 mg
EAAs5 g
Leucine2 g
SugarNone
SA-madeYes
Surf-sizedYes
PriceR549

The international high-sodium leader

Sodium1,000 mg
EAAsNone
Leucine0 g
SugarNone
SA-madeNo
Surf-sizedDesert-dose
Price~R900 import

High-sugar travel hydrator

Sodium500 mg
EAAsNone
Leucine0 g
Sugar11 g
SA-madeNo
Surf-sizedGlucose-driven
Price~R650 import

SA gym-aisle tab

Sodium180 mg
EAAsNone
Leucine0 g
Sugar<1 g
SA-madeYes
Surf-sizedUnder-dosed
PriceR150
Ch. 07Who it's for

Who Hydrating Aminos is — and isn't — for.

Yes

Hydrating Aminos is for you if:

  • You surf two or three times a week — dawn patrol regular
  • You already drink water or coffee before you paddle out and want a smarter version of the same thing
  • You're 40+ and notice the second session of the week hits heavier than it did a decade ago
  • You don't want a high-sodium grey-import salt-lick before a Durban or Muizenberg session
  • You want science, not gym-bro marketing, and SA-made over import maths
  • You'd rather not feel sloshy on the paddle out
Not yet

Hydrating Aminos isn't built for:

  • Desert ultra-runners or Ironman-grade heat exposure — that's a different sodium dose
  • Replacing a balanced meal — this is a pre-session hydration product
  • Anyone after a sugar-driven energy hit — there's no glucose in the formula
  • Anyone under 18 or with a sodium-restricted prescription — speak to your healthcare provider
Ch. 08From the line-up

From the men who paddle out before the kettle's even cool.

"
Stopped feeling heavy on the paddle out. That's the whole pitch and it works.
Dave R. · Bay of Plenty, Durban
"
Doesn't taste like a salt lick. Drinks like water. Goes in the bakkie with the board, done.
Andre S. · Muizenberg, Cape Town
"
Three sessions a week, second one used to feel rough. Doesn't anymore. That's the change.
Werner J. · Supertubes, J-Bay
Ch. 09Questions, plainly answered

The honest FAQ.

No hedging, no marketing spin. Specific, science-led answers to the nine questions surfers ask most about hydration.

When should I take Hydrating Aminos?
Pre-paddle is the highest-value window. One scoop in 500ml of cold water, sipped between the kettle and the carpark. The EAAs pre-load the repair signal and the balanced electrolytes are in circulation by the time you punch through the first set.
Why is the sodium lower than LMNT or Liquid IV?
Because surfer physiology isn't desert-runner physiology. Published surf-session sweat rates sit around 0.3 L/hr — a third of land endurance work — and cold-water immersion actively suppresses thermoregulatory sweat. Dosing 1,000 mg of sodium before a dawn patrol is a marathon dose for a surf session. 400 mg sits inside the 300–700 mg pre-exercise band the sports nutrition literature recommends for moderate-sweat work.
Can I take it during a long session?
Yes. Many users keep a second flask in the bakkie for between-session top-ups when surfing back-to-back. The low osmolality means it sits light — no bloat, no sloshing.
What does it taste like?
Three flavours — Citrus, Coconut Lime, Salted Watermelon. Clean, lightly salted, no sweet aftertaste. Drinks like cold spring water with a faint citrus edge.
Will this give me an energy kick like a pre-workout?
No. There's no caffeine, no sugar, no stimulant. It's a hydration and amino-acid pre-load, not a pre-workout. The coffee you already drink does the caffeine job perfectly well.
Is it vegan?
Yes. Plant-fermented amino acids, plant-mineral electrolytes. No dairy, no animal product, no honey.
What's actually in it?
Nine essential amino acids — leucine (2g), isoleucine, valine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine — plus a balanced electrolyte profile of 400 mg sodium, 250 mg potassium, 300 mg magnesium, and 600 mg calcium. No fillers, no sugar, no caffeine, no artificial colours.
Can I use it for trail running or gym sessions?
Yes — anywhere moderate-sweat-rate work happens. Trail runners on cooler routes, gym sessions, mobility work, long drives. The 400 mg sodium dose is built for moderate sweat. For three-hour Karoo runs in 30 °C ambient you may want a higher-sodium product alongside.
What's the offer and the refund policy?
Buy 2 Get 1 Free is the standing offer — three tubs of Hydrating Aminos for R1,098. 30-day money-back guarantee. SAHPRA-compliant manufacturing. Made in Durban. Local shipping only.

Standards. And verification.

— Made to the SA regulatory bar

SAHPRA
Compliant
ISO 22000
Food safety
Sports Scientist
Formula-confirmed
The standing offer

Buy 2.
Get 1 free.

Three tubs of Bare Hydrating Aminos. R1,098 — the equivalent of R366 per tub. Mix the flavours: Citrus, Coconut Lime, Salted Watermelon.

Shop Hydrating Aminos →
30-day money-back · SAHPRA-compliant