All Articles

The Session with the Shaper: How Talking Story Shapes Your Dream Stick

The Shorebreak: When the Ocean Slams the Door

The A-Frame Wave: Surfing’s Perfect Peak

The Art of the Used Surfboard Rack: Score a Classic

The Silent Grip: How Your Traction Pad Holds the Key to a Stronger Stance

The Shifting Sands of Kirra: Why the Gold Coast is a Surfer’s Living Laboratory

Surfing the Gulf Coast: Finding Rhythm in the Warm Shallow Waters of Texas and Florida

Full-On: The Pure, Unfiltered Essence of Extreme Surfing

Chasing the Green Room in the Gray: The Soul of an Irish Summer Surf Session

The Dance of the Peak: Navigating the Lineup with Aloha

Reading the Reef: The Art of Deciphering a Reef Break

The Magic of a Donegal Dawn Patrol: Bundoran’s Winter Swells

Live Surf Cams

Surfline Live is a 24/7 glimpse into the world’s surf.

This stream moves through Surfline’s global camera network, showing spots where it’s daylight and rated Fair or better.

What’s The Deal With…?

Surf Technique Deep Dive

You want a board with good rail-to-rail agility and hold. Rounded pin or squash tails offer pivot and release. A bit of rocker through the tail helps you stay in the face during the turn. Ultimately, a board with clean curves and defined rails will give you the bite you need to really lay into it.

Mother Nature doesn’t run on a clock, bro! A “waiting period” is a block of days (like 10 days) during which the contest can run. The event only goes live on the days with the best waves within that window. This ensures they crown a champ in proper conditions, not tiny slop. It’s all about respect for the sport and the waves. So we all get to watch high-performance surfing in legit barrels and rippable walls, not just small-wave scrambles.

You gotta graduate to the green room, mate! The key is paddling out back and learning to catch an unbroken wave. Start on a mellow, rolling peak—not a steep, hollow beast. Focus on angling your take-off across the wall, not just straight toward the beach. This sets your line for a proper trim. Get comfortable shifting your weight from your front foot to your back foot to control your speed on the open face. It’s all about that first bottom turn to set up the rest of your ride. Practice makes permanent!

Surfboard Evolution

Bob McTavish, with his “V-bottom,“ and Dick Brewer, shaping for pros on the North Shore, were pivotal shapers. Surfers like Midget Farrelly, Wayne Lynch, and most famously, Nat Young (winning the ’66 World Contest on “Sam”) proved these new sticks worked. In Hawaii, Gerry Lopez mastered the pipeline on shorter, more maneuverable boards. These pioneers showed the world what was possible when you traded stability for high-performance.

Patience is key. Watch the set patterns for a few minutes. Look for the peak—the spot where the wave is starting to break first. Position yourself just inside of it. Don’t just paddle for the first wave; wait for your turn. It’s about respect and reading the ocean. Going for a closeout just because it’s yours wastes a good peak. Sometimes the best move is to let the frothing pack go for one and be ready for the next, cleaner wave.

Most high-end joints are all-inclusive, which is the ultimate vibe for just focusing on the surf. This typically covers your swanky accommodation, all meals (often gourmet), airport transfers, daily guided surf sessions with photo/video, and use of gear. Sometimes premium bevvies or specific off-site excursions cost extra. Always check if “luxury” includes those crucial boat trips to the uncrowded outer reefs—that’s often where the magic happens.