Brandwave

Outerknown vs Volcom:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Volcom had more branded searches than Outerknown among surf brands worldwide. Volcom had about 201,000 branded searches, while Outerknown had 33,100. Volcom made up 4.2% of all surf brand searches we track, and Outerknown accounted for 0.69%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Outerknown appeared in three of the five answers and Volcom in one. Outerknown was mentioned before Volcom in three out of four answers that named either.

Among surf brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Volcom, about 6 searches for every 1 for Outerknown

Volcom 201K searchesOuterknown 33.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Outerknown, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Volcom in 1

Outerknown in 3 of 5Volcom in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Outerknown, named ahead of Volcom in 3 of 4 answers

Outerknown first in 3Volcom first in 1

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Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Outerknown was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Volcom was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Outerknown was listed before Volcom in three out of four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Rip Curl1st
  2. Billabong2nd
  3. O'Neill3rd
  4. Vissla4th
  5. Patagonia5th
  6. Outerknown6th
  7. Quiksilver7th
  8. Xcel8th
  9. Florence Marine X9th
  10. Volcom10th
  11. +1 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Rip Curl5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • O'Neill5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Billabong4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Vissla4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Patagonia3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Quiksilver3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Outerknown3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Florence Marine X3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Xcel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Volcom1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about surf brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is Outerknown or Volcom more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Outerknown and Volcom by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 surf brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Outerknown and Volcom among surf brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Volcom, Outerknown. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthPatagoniaRoxyBillabongRip CurlO'NeillQuiksilverVolcomOuterknownVisslaFlorence Marine XXcel
Oct 202566.2%7.3%7.3%6%4%4%4%0.66%0.36%0.13%0.2%
Nov 202566.6%7.3%7.3%6%4.1%3.3%4%0.66%0.36%0.13%0.2%
Dec 202561.7%8.3%8.3%6.8%4.6%4.5%4.5%0.61%0.33%0.15%0.18%
Jan 202660.7%10%8.2%6.7%4.5%4.5%4.5%0.49%0.33%0.12%0.15%
Feb 202663.6%8.5%8.5%5.7%4.7%3.8%3.8%0.63%0.34%0.15%0.15%
Mar 202659.4%9.7%9.7%6.5%5.4%4.4%3.6%0.59%0.39%0.18%0.18%
Apr 202655%11%11%7.4%5%4.9%4%0.66%0.45%0.2%0.24%
May 202654.4%10.9%10.9%7.3%6%4.9%4%0.66%0.54%0.2%0.24%
Jun 202654.4%10.9%10.9%7.3%6%4.9%4%0.66%0.54%0.24%0.2%
Jul 202652.4%12.9%10.5%7%7.1%4.7%3.8%0.63%0.52%0.23%0.19%
Aug 202654.3%10.9%10.9%7.3%6%4.9%4%0.8%0.54%0.24%0.2%
Sep 202657%11.4%9.4%6.3%5.2%5.1%4.2%0.69%0.46%0.21%0.21%

How has the Outerknown and Volcom comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Volcom was ahead of Outerknown in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Outerknown’s share of searches among surf brands worldwide moved from 0.66% to 0.69%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 33.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Volcom’s share of searches among surf brands worldwide moved from 4% to 4.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 201K.

How did search popularity change for surf brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Volcom worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 246K to 201K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Outerknown worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 40.5K to 33.1K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Outerknown’s and Volcom’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Outerknown

1 branded search term

  • outerknown

Volcom

1 branded search term

  • volcom

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among surf brands

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