Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	$ (268,053)	$ (61,018)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	(30,366)	(2,473)
Depreciation and amortization	41,169	37,806
Stock based compensation	15,810	16,195
Provision for doubtful accounts	19,834	4,310
Asset impairments	203,408	10,652
Equity in earnings	907	247
Non-cash interest expense	2,656	5,877
Deferred income taxes	(1,706)	(281)
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	(4,006)	644
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	67,162	(5,599)
Inventories	(64)	(55,680)
Intercompany	0	0
Other operating assets and liabilities	(31,629)	28,893
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	15,122	(20,427)
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	(15,337)	7,910
Net cash used in operating activities	(215)	(12,517)
Cash flows from investing activities
Proceeds from sale of property	5,354	665
Capital expenditures	(38,516)	(39,861)
Changes in restricted cash	(23,897)	(409,167)
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	(57,059)	(448,363)
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	77,052	(170)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	19,993	(448,533)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit	0	6,157
Payments on lines of credit	0	(22,561)
Borrowings on long-term debt	187,495	646,876
Payments on long-term debt	(171,268)	(142,121)
Payments on short-term debt	(15,223)	0
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	5,824	6,165
Payments of debt issuance costs	(123)	(13,087)
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	6,705	481,429
Net cash provided by financing activities	6,705	481,429
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	198	181
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	26,681	20,560
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	57,280	41,823
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	83,961	62,383
Quiksilver, Inc. [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	(257,759)	(61,453)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	1,848	1,651
Stock based compensation	15,810	16,195
Provision for doubtful accounts	0	0
Asset impairments	0	0
Equity in earnings	202,101	(4,599)
Non-cash interest expense	1,419	4,223
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	28	35
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany	29,313	(46,914)
Other operating assets and liabilities	6,823	6,867
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	(417)	(83,995)
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash used in operating activities	(417)	(83,995)
Cash flows from investing activities
Proceeds from sale of property		47
Capital expenditures	(5,133)	(5,374)
Changes in restricted cash	0	(409,167)
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	(5,133)	(414,494)
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(5,133)	(414,494)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit		0
Payments on lines of credit		0
Borrowings on long-term debt	0	500,776
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Payments on short-term debt	0
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	5,824	6,165
Payments of debt issuance costs	(160)	(8,775)
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	5,664	498,166
Net cash provided by financing activities	5,664	498,166
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	114	(323)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	35	324
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	149	1
QS Wholesale, Inc. [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	(73,954)	18,527
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	(19,757)	0
Depreciation and amortization	8,046	8,710
Stock based compensation	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts	15,280	(257)
Asset impairments	39,695	1,646
Equity in earnings	1,851	(1,018)
Non-cash interest expense	749	1,081
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	(42)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	4,331	(4,000)
Inventories	15,769	(7,297)
Intercompany	46,651	44,762
Other operating assets and liabilities	(20,969)	341
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	17,650	62,495
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash used in operating activities	17,650	62,495
Cash flows from investing activities
Proceeds from sale of property	94
Capital expenditures	(8,449)	(3,908)
Changes in restricted cash	(22,494)
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	(30,849)	(3,908)
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	19,000	0
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(11,849)	(3,908)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit		0
Payments on lines of credit		0
Borrowings on long-term debt	77,000	59,829
Payments on long-term debt	(57,000)	(114,029)
Payments on short-term debt	0
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	0	0
Payments of debt issuance costs	37	(4,312)
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	20,037	(58,512)
Net cash provided by financing activities	20,037	(58,512)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	25,838	75
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	3,733	1,966
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	29,571	2,041
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	21,269	3,360
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	(10,549)	(2,270)
Depreciation and amortization	8,194	4,242
Stock based compensation	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts	488	(1,379)
Asset impairments	3,477	5,602
Equity in earnings	0	0
Non-cash interest expense	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	(314)	(124)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	4,624	8,177
Inventories	11,346	(1,493)
Intercompany	(79,642)	(11,724)
Other operating assets and liabilities	(12,774)	(4,289)
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	(53,881)	102
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	(924)	7,219
Net cash used in operating activities	(54,805)	7,321
Cash flows from investing activities
Proceeds from sale of property	532	2
Capital expenditures	(6,139)	(7,083)
Changes in restricted cash	0
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	(5,607)	(7,081)
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	58,052	(170)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	52,445	(7,251)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit		0
Payments on lines of credit		0
Borrowings on long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Payments on short-term debt	0
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	0	0
Payments of debt issuance costs	0
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	(2,360)	70
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	296	(1,831)
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	(2,064)	(1,761)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	(161,547)	(131)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	(60)	(303)
Depreciation and amortization	23,081	23,203
Stock based compensation	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts	4,066	5,946
Asset impairments	160,236	3,404
Equity in earnings	907	247
Non-cash interest expense	488	573
Deferred income taxes	(1,706)	(281)
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	(3,678)	733
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	58,207	(9,776)
Inventories	(27,193)	(62,494)
Intercompany	3,678	13,876
Other operating assets and liabilities	(4,709)	25,974
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	51,770	971
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	(14,413)	691
Net cash used in operating activities	37,357	1,662
Cash flows from investing activities
Proceeds from sale of property	4,728	616
Capital expenditures	(18,795)	(23,496)
Changes in restricted cash	(1,403)
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	(15,470)	(22,880)
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(15,470)	(22,880)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit		6,157
Payments on lines of credit		(22,561)
Borrowings on long-term debt	110,495	86,271
Payments on long-term debt	(114,268)	(28,092)
Payments on short-term debt	(15,223)
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	0	0
Payments of debt issuance costs	0
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	(18,996)	41,775
Net cash provided by financing activities	(18,996)	41,775
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	198	181
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	3,089	20,738
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	53,216	41,364
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	56,305	62,102
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)/income	203,938	(21,321)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income to net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities:
Income from discontinued operations	0	100
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Stock based compensation	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts	0	0
Asset impairments	0	0
Equity in earnings	(203,952)	5,617
Non-cash interest expense	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other adjustments to reconcile net (loss)/income	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	14	15,604
Intercompany	0	0
Other operating assets and liabilities	0	0
Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities of continuing operations	0	0
Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash used in operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0
Cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	0	0
Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on lines of credit		0
Payments on lines of credit		0
Borrowings on long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Payments on short-term debt	0
Stock option exercises and employee stock purchases	0	0
Payments of debt issuance costs	0
Cash provided by financing activities of continuing operations	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0