Gemma Lee vs Salty Crew:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Salty Crew had more branded searches than Gemma Lee among surf brands in New Zealand. Salty Crew had about 1,250 branded searches, while Gemma Lee had 110. Salty Crew made up 6.9% of all surf brand searches we track, and Gemma Lee accounted for 0.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Gemma Lee appeared in two of the five answers and Salty Crew in none.
Who do people search for more?
Salty Crew, about 11 searches for every 1 for Gemma Lee
Who does AI mention more?
Gemma Lee, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Salty Crew in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Gemma Lee, the only one of the two named
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Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Gemma Lee was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Salty Crew did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Rip Curl1st
Billabong2nd- Seventhwave3rd
Roxy4th- JS Industries5th
- Gemma Lee6th
Volcom7th
Quiksilver8th
O'Neill9th- Salty Crew–
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
- Billabong3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- JS Industries3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Volcom2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- O'Neill2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Quiksilver2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Roxy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Seventhwave2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Gemma Lee2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Salty Crew0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about surf brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which surf brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best surf brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best surf brand in New Zealand for beachwear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf clothing nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Gemma Lee or Salty Crew more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gemma Lee and Salty Crew by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten surf brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Salty Crew, Gemma Lee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Billabong | Rip Curl | Volcom | Salty Crew | O'Neill | Quiksilver | Roxy | Seventhwave | Gemma Lee | JS Industries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.3% | 36.7% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.9% | 36.8% | 5.2% | 10.7% | 5.2% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 0.85% | 0.46% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.7% | 38.3% | 5.6% | 11.2% | 5.7% | 4.1% | 3.1% | 2% | 0.71% | 0.47% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.3% | 38.4% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 6.6% | 4% | 3.5% | 2% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.7% | 36% | 6.8% | 7.3% | 7.8% | 5.1% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.82% | 0.82% |
| Mar 2026 | 29.6% | 35.7% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.65% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.3% | 33.5% | 9.1% | 7% | 7.1% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 0.38% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 30.7% | 30.7% | 10.3% | 9.3% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.83% | 1% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.6% | 34.2% | 11.2% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 0.45% | 0.89% |
| Jul 2026 | 27% | 34.2% | 12.1% | 8.5% | 7.9% | 5% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.43% | 0.68% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.4% | 32.3% | 11.2% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 1.5% | 0.65% | 0.53% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.5% | 33.6% | 8.6% | 6.9% | 6.5% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
How has the Gemma Lee and Salty Crew comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Salty Crew was ahead of Gemma Lee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gemma Lee’s share of searches among surf brands in New Zealand moved from 0.55% to 0.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 110.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Salty Crew’s share of searches among surf brands in New Zealand moved from 9.1% to 6.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8K to 1.3K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand surf brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Salty Crew lost share of searches among surf brands in New Zealand, from 7.9% to 6.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gemma Lee’s and Salty Crew’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.
Gemma Lee
1 branded search term
- gemma lee
Salty Crew
8 branded search terms
- salty crew
- salty crew apparel
- salty crew boardshorts
- salty crew hat
- salty crew hoodie
- salty crew shirts
- salty crew shorts
- saltycrew
Other head-to-heads among surf brands
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