My girlfriend is a massive surfer but she's also super girly and picky.
I want to get her a watch that is practical for surfing but also nice enough to match up to her tastes. Rip curl does have some nicer looking girls watches www.ripcurl.com.au/womens/watches/style.html
But rip curl always seemed a little kiddish to me.
Any thoughts?
Get her the coolest, most expensive watch with all the gadgets on you can find.
Then, when she complains it doesn't suit her even though you've gone to all the trouble of picking out the most bestest watch ever, you'l then have a watch that you can wear with all the coolest gadgets on it. 
[}:)]
Have a look at the Casio G-shock sports range... Myers and most jewellery shops stock them. Probably have an on-line catalogue also.
Got my wife a white one with hot pink face... has everything you need - alarm, stop watch etc 100m water proof. She wears it all the time unless we are going somewhere 'dressy'.
I've had mine own (a black one before the jokes start) for about 12years now - just got a new band and battery... I've been in a three or four major cycling accidents where I've been badly hurt - but this thing just goes and goes...
If she is picky... and girly, it might be best to let her choose... i know its nicer to give as a suprise but if its something she's gonna wear all the time...
IMO i have the ripcurl 'winki' watch its super light, i have it in black because i would no doubt get light colours dirty within the first 30 secs of owning it :) It has tide times for loads of beaches and being polyurethane its so durable!
I also think the 'cortez 2' watches look nice, still a durable surfers watch but looks a little more fancy..
I've always had rip curl watches, stoked with them
I would suggest streeeetching your $s further - have a look at Amazon - they ship watches to OZ now... The mark-down on RRP on some good watches is surprising.
AP
^^^^ yep
suggest you look at Skagen - the coolest thinnest waterproof watches in a wide array of styles, and very cheap from Amazon.
(I've got three of these - all braided stainless steel bands - waterproof to 30m - ranged in price from $75 to $150 delivered.)
Got wife a Seiko Ladies Divers around 1998. It has been in daily use ever since, including quite a few 25m dives and almost weekly immersion. Still looks presentable and works accurately. Aussie $ is so strong now, why not get a quality timepiece? Like a Seamaster or Submariner? It is probably cheaper than taking her out once to a decent restaurant in Perth. And it should pay off anyway... 
Just check your "junkmail" inbox After you claim your foreign lotto winnings open one of the 100 emails that sells Rolex !!!
Two options:
1) Baby G
2) Seiko divers watch - make sure you get the eco-kinetic (no battery) one as you'll never have the issue of whether the watch is waterproof after a battery change (don't ask why this is important to me - it's an emotional and expensive and very angry story).
3) HOWEVER... far better is this... make sure you buy it from a shop to which you can return it (some shops and esp. online sellers on Amazon an be complete bastards about this - this is also a very angry story that is not worth going into here).
The advantage this has is that when you buy the wrong one, you can go back and exchange it for one she does like.
I did this at Christmas and it worked a treat.
I have a ladies Seiko diving watch. It is now just on 10 years old. Its been down to 30 metres, its been in all my showers, baths, swims etc. Is worn every day. Still going strong.
Baaaaaaaaah, electronic crap IMO ..... real divers would not be using anything but automatic watch as even if they get water in they will still go for a day or so! If the glass or seal breaks an electric watch stops on the dot!
Go for good quality Swiss mechanism Certina, Bulova, Omega..... Starts at $ 300.00 and it will be good for life!
go down to the local key/watch shop in your local mall you can get a nice $30 water proof to 100m fine for surfing swimming etc
