Surfer

Must Watch: Mikey February's SunSong May Be the Best Surf Film of 2026

Chris Dodds — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:31:58 GMT

After premiering across the US, SunSong, the latest film from Spearhead Unlimited, is now live with one of the raddest crews in surfing, with the likes of 17 year-old Fijian prodigy James Kusitino, Tosh Tudor, the certified prince of tube riding, surfer-shaper phenom Kobe Hughes, hard-charging Frankie Harrer, and the silky smooth and mighty limber Indigenous Australian hammer Lungi Slabb.

Yeah, that may be a mouthful, but it’s all true. Oh, and anchoring it all is the self-made emperor of style, and supreme leader of taste, Mikey February, who produced the film. Directed and edited by Sam Smith and filmed by Wade Carroll, Dave Fox, and Ian Thurtell, SunSong is a beautifully creative act that gives surfing the royal treatment.

SunSong was inspired by James, who has exploded onto the international scene over the past year or so, becoming Fiji’s first professional that has become a household name throughout the surfing world. His relationship with Cloudbreak, honestly, at times seems unreal. His approach to a serious wave is one of supreme playfulness — the bigger it gets, the bigger he smiles. He’s a natural, and the talent is evident, but I think it’s how he has fun that draws everyone in. You can’t not enjoy watching him surf.

He’s put Fiji on the map in a whole new way, and he’s been rewarded with a surf life few other Fijians have had. He’s only been in the spotlight for a short time, but he has already started to travel the world with the backing of serious sponsors like FORMER and SunBum.

Cloudbreak sets the stage for the all-star ensemble to do their thing, and while its clear that James is on home turf, the whole crew shines.

Not long ago, James used to bus tables for gas money to get to Cloudbreak. Now, he’s traveling the world as one of surfing’s brightest young stars.

Wade Carroll

The soundtrack is a highlight of its own. It pairs legendary South African artists Hugh Masekela and Letta Mbulu and American saxophonist Azar Lawrence with field recordings gathered along the way, connecting Fiji and Africa through shared rhythms. The result is another creative classic from Spearhead Unlimited that has Mikey’s fingerprints all over it. As someone who watches an insane amount of surfing, I can safely say that his films hit in a way few others do, the kind that you don’t mind watching, or listening to, again and again.

James, with the kind of layback stall that’ll make your jaw drop when he starts doing in double overhead surf.

Sam Smith

Beyond James, the crew is straight killer, all gas and no brakes when it comes to flexing at Cloudbreak. Perhaps the thing I love most about SunSong is how far it is from the standard edit. From the boards they ride to the lines they draw, it brings you in and things start to happen: your eyebrows raise after seeing James fade and down carve back towards the foam before sliding under the lip; your jaw drops as you watch him layback stall deep in a heavy Cloudbreak pit; you hit rewind again and again as the gang makes it all look so damn fun.

I could go on and on with different time stamps that blew my mind but it’s better you see for yourself. Press play, turn it up, and let Cloudbreak do the rest.

El Niño Is Coming. And The Ocean's Doing Some Weird Stuff

Ben Mondy — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Martin Daly and the Indies Trader have worked the Marshall Islands out of Majuro for years, so the crew knows what a normal season looks like. They’re now describing anything but. In a recent post, the operation said the trade winds, which have blown from the northeast for as long as anyone there can remember, have been running southwest to northwest for four months. They called it unprecedented and put it down to the super El Niño. Every atoll, they explained, is settled around the prevailing wind, so flipping it is causing havoc. Yachts, longliners and workboats are on the beach, the power keeps cutting out, and roofs and trees are down. Their verdict on the surf was one line: it’s going to be an interesting season.

An El Niño year in the Marshalls typically brings weaker trades with the odd westerly burst, storms that form closer to the islands, and a higher cyclone risk. Four straight months of reversed flow is the crew’s own account, and it goes well beyond the occasional westerly the forecasts describe. Or, shit’s getting weird.

The same signal is turning up across the Pacific, in a lineup near you if you live in Southern California. A fisherman pulled a longfinned bigeye, a bright red-orange fish that normally lives off Mexico and Baja, from the Venice Fishing Pier, and the species had never before been recorded in California waters. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County kept the specimen. Curator Bill Ludt says it’s likely only the start.

An endangered olive ridley sea turtle crawled out near Seal Beach in September and buried a clutch of eggs, the first time a sea turtle has nested in California. Another turtle was seen nesting near Huntington Beach Pier, and officials fenced off both sites. The guest list reads like a Baja trip report: a whale shark near the Channel Islands, plus hammerheads, mahi mahi and bullet tuna. Anglers around Marina del Rey and Santa Monica say they’re landing species and sizes rarely seen locally.

The heat behind it was building before El Niño even showed up. The world’s oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2025, with the heat stored increasing by about 23 zettajoules, roughly equal to nearly four decades of global primary energy use. That was the ninth straight record year for heat in the top 2,000 metres, and it happened under weak La Niña conditions. Then the Pacific flipped. June was already the warmest June on record in the tropical Pacific, and on August 22, Copernicus recorded a global sea surface temperature of 21.1°C, edging past the previous record. NOAA gave California and Baja 80–100% odds of marine heatwave conditions. Marine heatwaves covered 37% of the world’s oceans in July, and NOAA says that could reach 45% this winter, potentially the highest on record.

NOAA’s latest update, on October 8, says El Niño is still intensifying, with an 83% chance of a historically exceptional event between October and December, potentially stronger than anything in records dating back to 1950.

And this week, the first real storm of the season landed. Tropical Storm Rachel came ashore in northern Baja on October 10, then pushed flooding and damaging surf into Southern California. Waves battered homes and wrecked a boardwalk on the Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, flood warnings ran from San Diego to the Bay Area, and rockslides closed some roads. Baja took the worst of it, with more than 400 emergency calls in three days. You can’t pin a single storm on El Niño, but the warm water helps feed the eastern Pacific cyclone season, which is running at record levels this year. Forecasters are calling Rachel a preview, with record rain, big surf and mudslides likely over the coming months.

Until now, the ocean has mostly been showing you the signs, from Majuro to Venice Pier. Rachel suggests the storms and swells are next. El Niño is coming. What it does, well, we are about to find out.

1,000-Foot ‘Invisible’ Waves Are Tearing Through the Deep Ocean (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:39:13 GMT

There’s a kind of wave in the ocean that can dwarf anything at Nazaré, home to what most people think of as the world’s biggest waves. You won’t see it break, won’t hear it roar, and you could sail straight over it without realizing a monster just passed beneath you.

Welcome to the strange world of internal waves: enormous, nearly invisible swells that move through the ocean itself, rather than across its surface.

In a recent video, narrator James Stewart describes the phenomenon (“some as tall as the Empire State Building”) that form between Taiwan and the Philippines before rolling across the South China Sea. Watch below, and learn more about these mysterious monsters.

“From the surface, you would have no idea they were there,” he explains.

“These are the largest waves produced in the world’s oceans, with up to 10,000 times the amount of turbulence typically found in the open ocean,” he continues. “Every single day these waves, some as tall as the Empire State Building and up to 200 km wide, form in the waters between Taiwan and the Philippines, rolling across the South China Sea.”

So, how can a thousand-foot wave hide underwater?

Unlike familiar wind-generated swells, internal waves travel along boundaries between layers of seawater with different densities. Warm, relatively light water often sits above colder, denser water. When tides push those layers over underwater mountains and ridges, their boundary rises and falls in giant undulations.

That enormous height describes the vertical movement of underwater layers, not a conventional wave face rising above the sea.

As Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explains, it takes far less energy to move water into another layer of water than to lift it into the air.

“Underwater, you get more bang for your energetic buck,” the institution’s report explains.

These aren’t theoretical monsters. A study published in Nature documented breaking internal waves more than 650 feet tall in the Luzon Strait, generating turbulence over 10,000 times greater than typically found in the open ocean.

They’re found elsewhere, too, from the Andaman Sea to Cape Cod Bay. Their telltale surface signatures are often nothing more than alternating bands of smooth and rough water, visible in satellite imagery.

And they can actually break, just not in the way surfers recognize. Researchers at UC Irvine explain that as internal waves approach shallower continental shelves, they steepen, collapse, and mix deep water upward.

That mixing transports nutrients, affects marine life, and helps redistribute heat throughout the ocean.

The biggest waves on Earth may be the ones nobody ever sees.

Waco Surf Erupts Into Pure Chaos at Swatch Nines 2026 (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:25:02 GMT

I’ve never attended the International Gathering of the Juggalos – the debaucherous carnival of Insane Clown Posse fans, face-painted and partying like its 1999, masquerading as a music festival – but I thought about it during the Swatch Nines 2026 event.

This was like surfing and skating’s version of that. No rules, no restrictions. Just pure fun. And most likely, a lot less nudity and neon-colored Faygo. But still, the same spirit.

As I stood atop the concrete wall of the wave-making machine at Waco Surf, I wearily glanced down at a rail that dropped 12 feet into the water below. Around me, Jacob “Zeke” Szekely, Mason Ho, Chippa Wilson, and a handful of other surfers were preparing to do something completely ridiculous. Watch the highlight reel, capturing all the action, below.

The pro surfers – in a Frankenstein alchemy of action sports – were attempting to boardslide a skate-style hubba rail, drop into a moving wave, and somehow ride away.

What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot, actually. And that was precisely the point.

Welcome to Swatch Nines Surf & Skate 2026, held October 8–10 in Waco, Texas. Three days of absolute chaos, creativity, innovation, mayhem, and, most importantly, fun.

Pure, unadulterated fun.

There were no traditional heats, judges, or jerseys. Instead, some of the world’s most progressive surfers, skateboarders, and BMX riders were given an enormous playground and encouraged to do whatever their imaginations could dream up.

The hubba was one of the weekend’s main attractions. Some attempts ended in spectacular wipeouts. Others ended in history-making rides.

“It’s all about timing,” Mason Ho told SURFER. “You want to time it with the wave.”

And once the boys figured it out, things got certifiably crazy. People were hooting and hollering until their vocal cords blew out, cheering each other on, whether they made the drop successfully into the wave, or fell wildly into the water below.

It was a celebration.

But that was only one corner of the circus.

A massive skatepark constructed above the water became another centerpiece, particularly after dark, when riders lit flares and transformed the Texas night into a glowing, smoke-filled spectacle.

Meanwhile, the women’s session offered an entirely different aesthetic. Coco Ho, Milla Coco Brown, Skai Suitt, and other female surfers took turns threading barrels beneath an elaborate arch of flowers. Then they switched to launching airs amidst the floral backdrop. It was surfing meets performance art, and the results were beautiful.

The LIND Surfboards crew brought another futuristic element, showcasing electric surfboards that offered an entirely different way to ride the pool.

Then there were the winch sessions.

Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Blair Conklin, and Leon Glatzer were among those launching themselves toward towering aerials, blasting off the lip into double backflips, and using the extra speed to send maneuvers that would normally be physically impossible.

By the end, bodies were battered, muscles were aching, and everyone was exhausted.

But the smiles? Those were impossible to wipe away.

I left Waco thinking about something other than the Juggalos: Surfing doesn’t always have to be about the monotony of competition, wave counts, or winning.

Sometimes, it can just be about having as much fun as humanly possible. And that’s exactly what Swatch Nines is – childlike, unrestricted, and slightly chaotic fun.

Larry Bertlemann’s Family Launches Fundraiser for Memorial

Owen James Burke — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:20:08 GMT

On October 10, stylemaster Larry Bertlemann passed away, leaving behind a legacy (read our obituary)—and a family now facing the costs of laying him to rest.

Bertlemann changed the way generations of surfers approached a wave, his fluid, inventive style helping redefine what was possible on a surfboard. His influence extended well beyond surfing, too, reaching into skateboarding and the broader culture of board sports. Now, his family is asking that same community for a little help sending him off.

The Bertlemann ʻohana has established a GoFundMe campaign with a modest goal of $12,000 to cover funeral and memorial arrangements.

“To the surfing world,” the family writes on the fundraising page, “Larry was known as a legend, a pioneer, and a man who changed the way people rode waves. His unique style, creativity, and fearless spirit inspired generations of surfers around the world. But to his family, he was simply Dad.”

“The family was not fully prepared for the financial responsibilities that come with losing someone they love, and any contribution, no matter how big or small, would mean so much,” the message continues. “If donating is not possible, sharing this fundraiser, keeping the ʻohana in your prayers, or simply sharing a memory of Larry is just as meaningful. Larry gave the world a style of surfing that will never be forgotten. Now, as his children, the family simply wants to give him the love, dignity, and farewell he deserves.”

“From the bottom of our hearts,” the family concludes, “mahalo for loving our dad, for remembering him, and for helping us carry his legacy forward. With love and gratitude, The Bertlemann ʻOhana.”

If Bertlemann’s surfing ever made you look at a wave—or a surfboard—in a different way, consider contributing to the family’s fundraiser or sharing it with someone who might. He gave the surfing world an awful lot. Now it’s our turn to give a little back.

Learn more and make contributions through the GoFundMe campaign page Honoring Larry Bertlemann’s Legacy.

NOAA’s Unmanned Saildrone Battles 65-Foot Hurricane Isaias Seas (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:07:10 GMT

Imagine being alone in the middle of a Category 3 hurricane, surrounded by waves taller than a five-story building. It’s somewhat like that scene out of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar – the one on the rogue planet with waves the size of mountains.

But thankfully, that was just fiction. And thankfully, nobody was aboard this vessel.

Pretty dramatic footage captured by an unmanned Saildrone shows the 23-foot ocean-going robot charging through Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico on October 9. The craft, SD-1045, was operating in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), collecting scientific data as it passed through the storm’s eye.

The numbers are extraordinary: Saildrone reported individual waves reaching roughly 65 feet (20 meters), along with wind gusts exceeding 103 mph. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center separately confirmed a 104-mph gust measured by SD-1045 near the eyewall.

But there’s an important distinction in the wave data.

The Saildrone also recorded significant wave heights exceeding 32 feet—meaning the average of the highest one-third of waves, not the single biggest crest.

The National Weather Service described them as “just over 10 meters or 33 feet.”

In a separate marine discussion, NOAA reported that “Peak seas are up to 37 ft” as Isaias approached the Florida Panhandle.

Those readings represent broader sea conditions and don’t contradict reports of much larger individual waves.

The video offers a rare sea-level perspective: turbulent gray water, steep breaking seas, and spray whipped across the remotely operated craft.

Its instruments monitor winds, wave heights, pressure, temperature, and other variables, transmitting observations to scientists and forecasters without risking a human crew.

Isaias briefly reached Category 3 strength with sustained winds of 120 mph, becoming the first Atlantic hurricane of an unusually quiet 2026 season. It later struck near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane with 105-mph winds.

The storm ripped roofs from buildings, toppled trees, and caused flooding across the Gulf Coast. At least four deaths were linked to Isaias, and nearly 900,000 customers lost power at some point, according to the Associated Press.

For scientists, the Saildrone’s terrifying voyage offers something valuable: measurements from the ocean surface where the hurricane draws much of its strength.

As for everyone else, it’s a rare look inside a place no human ever wants to be.

Kanoa Igarashi, Jack Robinson, and Leo Fioravanti on Growing Up on Tour Under Kelly Slater: Watch in "One More"

Chris Dodds — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:30:24 GMT

As it goes with competition, your biggest rivals are sometimes your best friends, the ones who push you and bring out your best as they put out theirs. In the case of Jack Robinson, Kanoa Igarashi, and Leonardo Fioravanti, they’ve been doing that for each other for most of their lives, and it now plays out on the Championship Tour as they each chase their first World Title.

One More, the latest film from Red Bull, gets the boys together for a boat trip to the Mentawais, their first trip together in 16 years. The backstories run deep, the conversations are candid, the friendship (and rivalry) is real, and the surfing is absolutely next level.

We spoke with One More producer Travis Ferre about growing up on tour, the weight of rivalry, and what it means to keep chasing one more.

What was it like for each of them as groms with promise?

Kanoa, Jack, and Leo all came up on the Quiksilver team, which meant growing up on tour in the orbit of Kelly Slater. Quiksilver team manager Steve “Belly” Bell took them on trips around the world as kids, with one piece of advice: watch Kelly and learn from him.

Remind you of anyone? Kanoa, channeling that classic Kelly style.

Nate Lawrence

As young groms, Kanoa Igarashi, Jack Robinson, and Leo Fioravanti were given unprecedented access to all the tools of surf stardom. They had the golden ticket: a Quiksilver sponsorship and the chance to tour the world at a super young age. “The Super Young Guns.” It wouldn’t be weird to see 12-year-old Californian Kanoa eating in Hossegor, France, surrounded by the ranks of the World Tour. Or to bump into the Italian Leo on the Gold Coast with Julian Wilson and Dane Reynolds. They were part of the fabric on tour from a super young age. And with all that access comes the pitfalls of failing to live up to it all.

Luckily, these three had “Belly.” Stephen Bell took these three groms under his wing while managing the Quiksilver team and gave them one piece of advice: “Watch.” Watch what Kelly Slater does and that is all you need to know about becoming a surfing professional. They all had the talent. They had the access. They just needed to maintain the line, and Belly gave them the tools to do that. It’s why we invited “Belly” aboard this reunion boat trip: a chance for him to see up close that they had indeed held the line and made it.

While Jack was the first to fly high on tour, they’re now all winning events and seeking that first title.

Nate Lawrence

What has the line between friends and rivals been like over the years?

These three can now candidly discuss the evolution of their emotions toward each other, including the jealousy and envy that has been a constant in their relationship. When your best friends are also your biggest competitors, it creates a complicated web of emotion, and all three address how they’ve managed that throughout their careers.

In a candid roundtable discussion on the boat, we get to watch them dissect their personal evolutions through those emotions. While they’ve landed in a mature place with it, there is still one thing missing from each resume: a World Title. And you get a sense that each of them battles with how they will feel should the other get it first.

What obligations come with being a fulfilled prodigy, and how did this trip come together?

In the film we hear what its like, straight up, to deal with the emotions and evolution of life on tour.

Nate Lawrence

These guys have unending obligations. Every sticker on their board and relationship in their life represents both a support vehicle and a distraction from the task of winning a world title. It wasn’t until they realized that a trip like this together could serve as both a therapeutic option and a new motivation to be first. So after 16 years, we provided the literal vessel for the reunion: the Raja Ombak in the Mentawai Islands. Watching the three of them duel with this conflicting emotion is what makes the film and its conclusion so fascinating, especially since there are still events left in the year and all three are within striking distance of the title.

“We did it” vs. “Why do we do it?”

It took Leo nine years to win a CT event and he’s now heading into the end of this year in second place.

Nate Lawrence

For most of their lives, these three have been chasing a feeling that is hard to understand. As groms, “we did it” meant making the tour and getting the ride. They did that years ago. “We did it” then meant winning a World Tour event. They did that next. Now, there is still one unanswered question they all have to face: who will win the world title first?

What happens then? When you’ve already done the thing you dreamed about at 12, the question isn’t “how do I get there?” anymore. It’s “why do I keep doing this?” The film’s answer is there, in a session at a “two-foot right.” It isn’t a trophy, and it isn’t the title. It’s what happens when the three of them surf together with nothing on the line and the joy that returns. “One More” stops meaning one more win and starts where it began in the first place: one more wave with your friends.

You don’t need a trip like this to win a world title, but it doesn’t hurt in reminding you why you want it in the first place.

Rogue Wave Slams Couple in Malibu, Killing 30-Year-Old Wife as Husband Cries ‘Hold My Hand’

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:49:35 GMT

What was supposed to be a romantic California getaway turned into an unimaginable tragedy when a couple was swept into the ocean by a powerful rogue wave, leaving a 30-year-old woman dead and her husband hospitalized.

The incident occurred Wednesday, October 14, at Sycamore Cove Beach in Ventura County, near Malibu.

The victim, Kaylee Molina, and her husband, Roberto Clemente, 32, were visiting from El Paso, Texas. The couple, who had been together for 10 years, had traveled to the beach to enjoy the Southern California coastline.

According to NBC Los Angeles, the couple was near rocks when a large wave suddenly swept them into the water.

In a heartbreaking interview with the California Post, Clemente recalled that they noticed the waves approaching and attempted to retreat.

“Hold my hand, hold my hand,” Molina pleaded as the surf engulfed them.

But the couple was separated.

Both were pulled underwater and battered by waves. Clemente eventually managed to scramble onto the rocks before reaching his wife and pulling her ashore.

Exhausted and struggling after swallowing seawater, Clemente attempted CPR before calling 911.

According to the Ventura County Star, emergency personnel arrived around 11:40 a.m. and attempted lifesaving measures. Tragically, Molina was pronounced dead at the scene.

Clemente was transported to a hospital with moderate injuries.

“I wish I could have done more,” he told the California Post.

The tragedy comes amid dangerous surf conditions throughout Southern California, where recent hurricane-generated swells have caused coastal flooding, beach erosion, and significant property damage.

Molina, originally from Indio, California, was one of four siblings.

Her family has established a GoFundMe to cover funeral and memorial expenses.

“She had so much life ahead of her,” the family wrote, explaining that her death “has left a heartbreak in our family that words cannot fully express.”

The fundraiser is seeking $15,000 to help give Molina a proper farewell.

Support the GoFundMe here.

Survivor of History’s Deadliest Tsunami Relives ‘I’m Dying Today’ Terror and Loss (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 19:47:08 GMT

At 27, Andrew Chaggar was on the trip of a lifetime, traveling through Asia with his girlfriend, Nova. But on December 26, 2004, everything changed.

The couple was sleeping in a beachfront bungalow in Khao Lak, Thailand, just 100 feet from the ocean, when Chaggar woke to a thunderous roar, which he compared to “a jet engine building up for take-off.” Nova was standing beside the bed, frightened.

Seconds later, the first tsunami wave hit.

The bungalows fell “like dominoes,” Chaggar recalled in a recent LADbible Stories interview. He remembers being inside one moment, then suddenly in the water, surrounded by splintered buildings and debris. It felt like a “washing machine full of nails.”

“We heard this incredible roar,” Chaggar recalled in a harrowing interview detailing the disaster. Within seconds, a massive wall of black water smashed through their accommodation. “The door just imploded inward, and the walls literally disintegrated around us,” he said. Chaggar was swept into a violent churn of debris, battling for breath while being slammed against submerged wreckage: “You’re tossed around like a rag doll in a washing machine. You have zero control. I genuinely thought, ‘This is it, I’m dying today.'”

An oil drum struck his head, knocking him underwater again. The current swept him into a hotel construction site, where wreckage pinned his leg against a concrete pillar. The injury was severe, but Chaggar believes the pillar kept him from being dragged into the bay.

See below for a documentary showing on-the-ground raw footage of the tsunami:

A second wave rose to within inches of his position. Chaggar survived that, too, and waited roughly four hours before two strangers helped him reach safety.

But Nova was missing.

Chaggar was hospitalized amid scenes of devastation. For months, he waited for news of his girlfriend. Around six months later, authorities requested a meeting.

“I had a fair idea of what it was going to be about,” he recalled.

Investigators had found “a partial dental match” and a photograph of a necklace Chaggar recognized as Nova’s. She had died in the tsunami.

The disaster began with a magnitude-9.1 earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia. According to NOAA, the resulting waves killed or left missing nearly 228,000 people across the Indian Ocean region, including more than 8,000 in Thailand. Approximately 1.7 million people were displaced.

Chaggar later returned to Thailand to help rebuild and founded a disaster-relief charity. Now married with two children, he remains close to Nova’s parents. His children call them Grandma and Granddad.

“That, to me, is just amazing,” he said.

Dana Point Film Festival, SURFER Join Forces For Surf Movie Celebration

Jake Howard — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:00:24 GMT

Surf films have always been about more than what happens in the water. They’re about the people, places and communities that make surfing what it is. And while the way we watch surf content has changed dramatically over the past several decades, the power of a great surf film, and the experience of watching it with a room full of surfers, hasn’t gone anywhere.

That’s the idea behind a new partnership between SURFER and the Dana Point Film Festival, which will bring together two organizations with deep ties to surf culture and a shared commitment to telling the stories behind the sport.

The collaboration will see the Dana Point Film Festival continue to showcase established and emerging filmmakers exploring surfing, the ocean and the people connected to both. SURFER TV will also present a special showcase of selected projects during the festival, creating a connection between the big-screen experience and an ongoing platform for surf storytelling.

The partnership arrives at a time when surf content is more accessible than ever. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have transformed how surfers discover waves, watch clips and follow their favorite athletes. But the quick-hit nature of social media can leave little room for the deeper stories behind the action.

Surf filmmaking has long offered something different. From the early days of Bruce Brown’s groundbreaking films to the independent projects that continue to document surfing’s farthest reaches, the genre has created a shared language for surfers around the world. Screenings have traditionally served as gathering places, bringing communities together to celebrate the people and experiences that define their relationship with the ocean.

More than six decades after surf films helped establish that tradition, SURFER and DPFF see an opportunity to carry it forward for a new generation. For the Dana Point Film Festival, the partnership also represents a homecoming of sorts. Dana Point holds a special place in surf media history as the birthplace of SURFER, founded by John Severson in 1960. That legacy remains an important part of the coastal community’s identity and the festival’s mission.

“My relationship with SURFER goes back to my early grom days, when my friends and I devoured every issue, then headed to Strands and Salt Creek to try everything we’d learned,” said Lloyd Bryan Molander, founder and managing director of the Dana Point Film Festival. “It was the only required reading of our youth.”

Molander added that Severson’s legacy remains woven into the fabric of Dana Point, noting that former SURFER publisher Norb Garrett serves on the festival’s board. The new collaboration with Howard and the SURFER team, he said, brings that history full circle.

“Together, we’re keeping the stoke alive for a new generation,” Molander said.

Founded in 2023, the Dana Point Film Festival has established surf, ocean and marine storytelling as the centerpiece of its programming, bringing together domestic and international filmmakers for screenings, conversations and special events.

The partnership will debut during the festival’s fourth annual edition, running October 29 through November 1 in Dana Point, California. The four-day event will feature films and programming focused on surfing, the ocean and marine environments.

Massive Cliff Collapse Slams California Coast as El Niño Erosion Caught on Video

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:52:34 GMT

First came the crack. Then came the collapse.

After weeks of hurricane-generated surf and elevated tides hammered Southern California, a section of coastal bluff near Pacific Coast Highway at El Morro, beside Crystal Cove State Park, broke away toward the ocean. Laguna Beach skimboarder Blair Conklin has documented the deteriorating coastline in dramatic footage.

Check out the cliff collapsing video below.

Days earlier, Conklin spotted a fracture running alarmingly close to the road. But now, he captured portions of the cliff collapsing onto the beach below.

“I literally just watched part of the cliff fall,” Conklin explained in his footage. “We just watched a good portion of the cliff crumble… that region of the cliff is below the big crack that kind of leads up to PCH.”

Conklin noted that the surging ocean was directly responsible for the destruction.

“It’s peak high tide and waves are really getting up to the bottom of it. As you can tell, it’s just washing away and making the cliff steeper and steeper until it gives out.”

Caltrans closed one southbound lane between Reef Point Drive and Irvine Cove Drive as crews assess the hillside’s stability. The roadway itself has not been reported to have collapsed.

The surrounding coast is taking a beating, too. California State Parks cited “significant coastal erosion and infrastructure damage” in temporarily closing sections of Crystal Cove and San Onofre. At Crystal Cove, occupants of 26 historic beachfront cottages were evacuated as a precaution.

The immediate battering followed swells from Tropical Storm Rachel, building on erosion from earlier hurricane-driven waves. Meanwhile, an El Niño-associated Kelvin wave can elevate background sea levels by roughly six to 12 inches, allowing waves and tides to reach farther inland.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley described the coastline as being “under siege right now,” as officials worked to reinforce battered beaches farther south.

UC Irvine coastal erosion expert Brett Sanders warned CBS that continued failure could threaten a critical connection between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

And the timing is ominous: California faces the prospect of a powerful El Niño winter, with further storms and high surf still ahead.

More coastal erosion is almost 100 percent certain.

Olympian Alan Cleland Jr. Hit With New Suspension Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:20:06 GMT

Alan Cleland Jr. – the Paris 2024 Olympic athlete representing Mexico – has been hit with another suspension, this time from surfing’s Olympic governing body, the International Surfing Association (ISA), amid serious sexual assault allegations.

In an October 14 statement, the ISA announced its decision to “provisionally suspend the athlete concerned” from all ISA-sanctioned events pending further investigation.

The organization emphasized that the suspension “does not constitute a determination of wrongdoing.” See the ISA’s statement on social media below.

“The ISA Executive Committee has decided to provisionally suspend the athlete concerned from participating in ISA-sanctioned events, pending further investigation and review, in accordance with applicable rules and ISA safeguard procedures,” the ISA announced. The federation emphasized that “safeguarding and athlete welfare remain fundamental priorities of the ISA” as it collaborates with national federations to enforce conduct standards.

Although the ISA did not identify the athlete, veteran surf journalist Nick Carroll, writing for Surfing World, first identified Cleland as the surfer previously suspended by the World Surf League (WSL).

The allegations stem from a private gathering in Tahiti following August’s WSL Championship Tour event at Teahupo’o. According to reports, the alleged incident involved a 16-year-old Australian surfer and multiple men.

The WSL previously suspended the unnamed Championship Tour competitor following allegations it characterized as being of a “deeply serious nature.”

The controversy intensified when Cleland’s former girlfriend, German professional surfer Noah Klapp, publicly accused him of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during their relationship, which began when she was 17.

In an Instagram statement previously covered by SURFER, Klapp stated that Cleland “pinned me down on the bed, grabbing my wrists with all his strength” and “sexually assaulted me many times.” She urged the global surfing community to “stop idolizing abusers.”

The ISA’s involvement is particularly significant given Cleland’s Olympic history.

In 2024, he became the first surfer to represent Mexico at the Olympic Games, competing at Teahupo’o during Paris 2024. He previously won gold at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games.

Now, his Olympic future faces uncertainty. Cleland has been suspended from two of the primary paths to qualification.

The ISA oversees Olympic surfing and plays a central role in qualification. For Los Angeles 2028, where surfing will take place at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, athletes can qualify through the WSL Championship Tour, ISA World Surfing Games, and designated continental competitions.

Under the LA28 qualification system, 48 surfers will compete, with 24 men and 24 women.

Cleland’s latest suspension will most certainly complicate his qualification prospects, although it does not amount to an Olympic ban.

The ISA reiterated its commitment to protecting athletes from abuse and said it would not comment further during the review.

As of publication, no criminal charges against Cleland have been publicly confirmed, and he has not publicly responded to the allegations.

This is a developing story; more to come.

Massive Drug Operation Uncovered in San Diego

Chris Dodds — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:26:14 GMT

San Diego police say they’ve intercepted about $1 million worth of narcotics headed for shipment across the U.S., leading to four arrests.

Detectives with the San Diego Police Department’s Narcotics Unit worked with U.S. Postal Service inspectors throughout September to intercept 458 packages that were being prepared for shipment from postal facilities across San Diego County.

The seizure included methamphetamine, with more than 100,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, plus MDMA, ketamine, cocaine, and Xanax. Estimates of the street value reaches up to $1.14 million.

Evolution of the drug trade

Back in the day, buying drugs usually meant a sketchy, in-person transaction. Users met dealers after hours in places ranging from back alleys and gas stations to the parking lots of bars, fast food joints, and shopping malls.

Some of these spots were random and discreet, hidden amongst normal activity like people getting gas or groceries, while others were places you wouldn’t otherwise go. Some deals were quick handshakes. Others were lengthy ordeals, with users waiting around for the dealer to show.

Then came the internet. It didn’t happen overnight, but once the drug trade moved online, things changed drastically for users, dealers, and law enforcement alike. The Silk Road was the most famous illicit marketplace, the one that first brought the “dark web” to most people’s attention, but it was far from the only one.

When the Silk Road was shut down in 2013, after a lengthy chase to find its elusive founder, it was like the Greek tale of the Hydra: one head was chopped off and more grew back in its place, not just two, but many.

Today, instead of relying on a few marketplaces, users and dealers connect through a multitude of channels, networks, and platforms. Often all it takes is a single referral or a simple exchange of contact info, followed by a message like, “Hey, I’m looking for x / y / z.”

In big cities, delivery can come from dedicated couriers using everything from cars and motorcycles to scooters and e-bikes, or through postal and shipping services like USPS, FedEx, or UPS. This San Diego case involved USPS.

Giant Saltwater Crocodile Cruises Through Lance’s Right Lineup in the Mentawais (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:33:48 GMT

A routine day in tropical paradise turned chilling when a massive saltwater crocodile was filmed cruising directly through the lineup at Lance’s Right (HT’s), one of the world’s most iconic and revered surf breaks in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands.

The unnerving drone footage was captured by legendary surf explorer and charter boat captain Martin Daly, showing the apex predator effortlessly gliding across the crystal-clear reef pass where surfers regularly chase hollow barrels.

See the footage, linked here, and below:

Sharing the clips on Instagram, Daly captioned the surreal sighting: “Rumours of crocs at one of my most favourite waves that I’ve been surfing for over 40 years are rumours no longer.”

In a follow-up post, Daly cautioned, “Surfing with apex predators is not optimal, they have left us alone up until now but…” It is far from Daly’s first encounter in the archipelago.

As reported by SURFER Magazine, Daly has repeatedly documented 10-foot crocodiles in Mentawai lineups, remarking, “I guess they have always been around but now we have drones!”

Saltwater crocodiles are Earth’s largest living reptiles, capable of growing over 17 to 20 feet in length and weighing more than 2,000 pounds. While commonly inhabiting coastal mangrove swamps and brackish estuaries throughout Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and northern Australia, they are exceptional ocean swimmers that frequently travel far out to sea.

Unlike sharks, which rarely attack humans, saltwater crocodiles are hyper-aggressive, opportunistic predators responsible for an estimated 1,000 fatal human attacks globally each year.

The lurking presence of massive reptiles in surf zones gives even the sport’s elite serious pause.

When once asked whether he would rather share the water with sharks or crocodiles, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater chose sharks “100 percent,” admitting that “crocs are far more dangerous” because they are actively hunting.

With crocs becoming an increasingly visible fixture around Mentawai reef passes, traveling surfers waiting for the next set might want to keep their toes well out of the water.

Just in case.

‘Maritime Miracle’ Rescue After Woman Spends 20 Hours Adrift in the Dark Ionian Sea (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:08:11 GMT

For 20 hours, a cruise passenger was alone in the Ionian Sea, miles from land. Then, in the darkness, rescuers spotted a flashing light. What followed was captured on video.

The 44-year-old woman, an El Salvadoran national, went overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas on Friday, October 9, while the ship was approximately 72 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos, Greece.

According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, authorities immediately activated an emergency response involving a rescue boat, a patrol vessel, passing ships, and a Greek Air Force Super Puma helicopter. See the footage of the rescue here.

But as daylight faded, there was still no sign of the missing passenger.

Then came an extraordinary discovery.

Early Saturday morning, crew aboard the cargo ship MSC Rossella III spotted the woman, conscious and floating inside a circular life preserver. According to the Coast Guard’s official statement, searchers first detected the flashing light attached to the life ring.

In dramatic rescue footage released by authorities, a spotlight illuminates the woman bobbing in the black water.

“Are you okay?” someone shouts, according to PEOPLE, as a rope is tossed toward her. The woman reaches for it as rescuers approach.

A Coast Guard rescue vessel ultimately pulled her from the sea and administered first aid, the official report says. She was brought to the port of Katakolo, then transported by ambulance to a hospital in Pyrgos for observation and medical tests.

And somehow, after roughly 20 hours adrift, she was alive.

Reportedly, and understandably, the woman was:

“Conscious and in a state of hypothermia and exhaustion.”

What led to the incident remains under investigation. The Coast Guard’s written report does not explain how she entered the water, although a spokesperson later told AFP that the woman said she jumped because “she wanted to disembark.”

Royal Caribbean confirmed the incident and said its crew launched a search. “Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” the company told USA Today, according to PEOPLE.

The Katakolo Port Authority is investigating.

For now, authorities are hailing it as a maritime miracle.

Lewis Hamilton Rips Bali Left, Kelly Slater Fires Off One-Word Verdict (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:07:17 GMT

Lewis Hamilton spends most of his life going very, very fast.

But when the seven-time Formula One world champion gets a break from the cockpit, he’d most definitely rather be slowing things down on a surfboard.

A new clip posted to Instagram shows Hamilton surfing a solid lefthander in Bali, driving off the bottom on his backside, and staying composed through a clean, open face. It’s not world-tour stuff, but it’s legitimate surfing — enough to earn a one-word endorsement from the greatest surfer ever. See the clip, linked here, and below.

“Brah!” Kelly Slater commented.

That’s the modern-day surfing equivalent of a fist bump from Michael Jordan.

Other pros piled on, too.

“That’s the way🔥,” wrote Griffin Colapinto.

Bethany Hamilton added: “I remember that one time you fan girled on me and I had no clue who you were😂🤗 Look at you ripping!!! 🔥🔥🔥”

For Hamilton, though, surfing isn’t some new celebrity hobby. He has been chasing waves for years, including sessions at Slater’s Surf Ranch, Malibu, Byron Bay, and Bali. In a 2022 interview with GQ, Hamilton said what he loves most is the escape:

“You don’t have your phone with you, it’s time on your own,” adding that the ocean feels “very cleansing” and helps him get rid of “negative energy.”

He has also called surfing his “favorite sport,” saying he loves “the ocean, the water, and the power and the movement” of it. Slater once said Hamilton told him that, if he could, he’d quit everything — Formula One included — to become a surfer.

More recently, Hamilton has even shared waves with girlfriend Kim Kardashian. The two surfed together in Malibu earlier this year, and Sky Sports later shared footage of Hamilton hitting the waves while Kardashian cheered him on.

Now, with Slater publicly giving him props, Hamilton’s crossover credentials just got another boost. Keep charging — on the track and in the water — Hamilton.

Alan Cleland Jr. Sexual Abuse Allegations Rock Pro Surfing as Mexican Federation Declares ‘No Place in Surfing’

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:53:58 GMT

The allegations surrounding Mexican Championship Tour surfer (and Paris 2024 Olympian) Alan Cleland Jr. continue to reverberate through the surf world.

Now, the Federación Mexicana de Surfing has broken its silence.

The federation issued a statement after reports linked Cleland, 24, to an alleged sexual assault involving a 16-year-old Australian surfer at a private gathering in Tahiti following the Outerknown Tahiti Pro in August. Surfing World first identified Cleland as the competitor suspended by the World Surf League and reported that the incident allegedly involved the teenage surfer and at least three other men.

See the statement, linked here, and below.

The WSL itself has not publicly named Cleland or detailed the allegations. It said only that a Men’s Championship Tour competitor had been suspended after it learned of allegations of a “deeply serious nature” stemming from a private gathering in Tahiti.

“All WSL competitors are bound by the conduct standards outlined in the WSL Rule Book, at all times,” the league said, adding that its Discipline Committee issued a suspension from all WSL events.

Mexico’s surfing federation went considerably further in addressing the nature of the accusations.

“Our position is clear: Violence and any form of abuse have no justification or place in surfing or any other aspect of life,” the federation said in the statement, as translated from Spanish. “We do not downplay these incidents, minimize their seriousness, or accept that they should be treated as private matters.”

The federation said it supports both the relevant authorities and the WSL’s decision to suspend the athlete.

“It is for the legal authorities to determine responsibility,” the statement continued. “However, this does not mean neutrality in the face of the seriousness of what has been reported. The presumption of innocence is a procedural right, not a reason to remain silent or diminish the significance of the accusations.”

Whether criminal charges will follow remains unclear.

New South Wales Police are reportedly aware of the allegations, but neither NSW Police nor the Australian Federal Police has confirmed an active investigation. Meanwhile, the Papeete prosecutor’s office told Tahitian media Monday that no formal investigation had been opened in French Polynesia at that time.

At this time, Cleland has not been charged or convicted of any crime.

The controversy widened Monday when Cleland’s former girlfriend, German pro surfer Noah Klapp, publicly accused him of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during their relationship—allegations separate from the Tahiti incident. Klapp wrote that Cleland had sexually assaulted her “many times” and “pinned me down on the bed.”

Cleland had not publicly responded to those allegations as of the latest reporting.

What began as an unexplained WSL suspension has quickly become one of professional surfing’s most serious controversies.

And now, Cleland’s own national federation has made its position unmistakable.

This is a developing story; more to come.

Miguel Blanco’s Swell Diaries Episode 2: Mavericks, Todos Santos, and the Reality of Chasing Giant Swells

Chris Dodds — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:20:22 GMT

In the opening scene of episode two of Swell Diaries, we see a giant wave forming underneath the dark grey skies that are common at Mavericks. It’s a scene nothing like the classic surf dream of 6-foot waves, sunny skies, azure water, and palm trees on shore. It’s downright ominous and terrifying.

On that wave is Miguel Blanco, who is no stranger to the giant waves of Nazaré, but this was his first time surfing Mavericks. He makes the huge drop and outruns the massive avalanche of whitewater as long as he can, until he’s finally swallowed and subjected to a washing machine-like spin cycle most of us will never know, nor could ever survive.

His big wave training served him well as he was pushed to his limits with the initial shock and subsequent hold down that barely gave him enough time to catch a breath before the next wave violently rocked him again. When the second wave finally released him, he was rescued by one of the locals, Dre, who raced in on his jet ski to swoop him out of the impact zone. During the hold downs, we hear audio from the safety crews as they begin the search and rescue.

This dramatic opening provides genuine insight into the reality of the big wave scene, where surfers often traverse the globe chasing swells. Miguel explains, “So many times you have the mindset of, ‘I wanna get a big one. I wanna make it count.’”

But as it goes when your pursuits involve multiple variables, namely fickle weather systems where the stars have to align for favorable conditions, and then your own performance and equipment must be completely on point, things don’t always go according to plan.

After Mavericks, Miguel chases the same swell down to Todos Santos, Mexico. The long drive leaves him exhausted, and his first session there, his first time at the spot, proves difficult. Luckily, he gets another shot, and we get to go along for the ride.

A refreshing element of Swell Diaries is its honest accounting of what it’s really like to commit to the path of being a professional surfer. Miguel doesn’t hold back when describing the ups, downs, and everything in between, from engine failure and pirates in episode one to violent wipeouts, exhaustion, and challenges in episode two. Nevertheless, his reflections are optimistic, and the main thing that comes across is gratitude for the entire experience.

12-Foot Great White Showing ‘Aggressive Behavior’ Triggers Huntington Beach Shutdown (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 04:28:45 GMT

Another large great white shark has shut down part of Huntington Beach.

A 10-to-12-foot great white was spotted near Lifeguard Tower 16 shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, prompting officials to order swimmers and surfers out of the water along a significant stretch of coastline.

According to the Huntington Beach Fire Department, the shark was “exhibiting aggressive behavior” near shore. Officials closed the ocean from Seapoint Street south to the Huntington Beach Pier, with the restriction scheduled to remain in place until 3 p.m. Wednesday. See footage from the scene below.

“Please obey posted signs and lifeguard instructions,” the department warned.

Officials have not publicly detailed exactly what behavior led lifeguards to classify the shark as aggressive, and it remains unclear whether the animal had previously been observed in the area. No injuries were reported.

But the sighting fits a remarkable pattern in Southern California this year.

Back in March, Dr. Chris Lowe, director of Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab, predicted exactly that.

“It is gearing up to be a sharky summer,” Lowe said, pointing to unusually warm water and the developing El Niño. “The water is unusually warm for this time of year, and it’s formed what we call a marine heat wave.”

Those conditions can push juvenile white sharks north from Mexico and keep them near Southern California beaches longer than usual. CSULB researchers said this summer that El Niño was bringing juvenile great whites into California waters earlier than normal.

Huntington Beach has already experienced that firsthand.

In April, a 10-foot shark exhibiting aggressive behavior forced a closure near the pier and temporarily halted a surf contest. Days later, a 9-to-10-foot great white was spotted actively feeding on a sea lion carcass at Sunset Beach, triggering another 48-hour closure.

Still, Lowe stresses that more sharks don’t necessarily mean more attacks.

“What we think is going on is these sharks are around people all the time,” he said. “We don’t pose a threat to them, and we don’t smell or sound like food, so they ignore us.”

Usually.

Tuesday’s shark apparently behaved differently enough for lifeguards to clear the lineup.

Stay vigilant.

Surveillance Footage Captures Moment Surf Pro Rickson Falcão Is Shot Four Times in Brazil (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:45:33 GMT

Brazilian professional surfer Rickson Falcão is recovering at home after being shot four times during a horrifying drive-by attack in Saquarema, Brazil.

The 19-year-old WSL South America Junior champion was eating açaí with friends at a snack bar along the Itaúna waterfront Friday night when a black car passed by and one occupant fired more than 10 shots, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.

Surveillance footage captures the chaos as customers suddenly jump from their tables, sprint for cover and scramble inside the business. In one chilling moment, a young woman falls during the gunfire and is pulled to safety by another person. See below.

According to Falcão’s team, four bullets struck the surfer: one grazed his back, another hit his right foot, one struck his leg and another hit his left ankle near the Achilles tendon. He underwent surgery following the shooting.

Remarkably, Falcão was discharged Sunday and later posted an update from home.

“For those who have faith, life never ends,” he wrote in Portuguese. Falcão thanked God for “this chance to live,” adding that if the bullet in his back hadn’t merely grazed him, “I don’t know if I’d be here.”

See Falcão’s update from the hospital, linked here, and below:

An earlier hospital update was equally reassuring.

“I’ve already had surgery, I’m out of any danger,” Falcão said. “Now it’s time to focus on recovery.”

Falcão wasn’t the only athlete caught in the attack. Professional skateboarder Pedro Magalhães Marchi was shot in the arm, while surfer Kauã Vilhena was hit in the calf. Both have since been released from the hospital. Six people were shot in total.

One victim, Luan César Avellar Incutto Ferreira, later died after being transported to a hospital. Police say he was believed to have been the intended target. Authorities recovered two 9mm shell casings from the scene, and Civil Police are investigating who carried out the shooting and why.

No arrests had been announced in the latest reporting.

Falcão is one of Brazil’s brightest young surfing prospects. Born and raised in Saquarema, he won the 2025 WSL South America Junior title, finished fifth at the 2026 WSL World Junior Champs and previously earned bronze at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.

His agent says the wounds did not damage structures expected to jeopardize his surfing career. Considering how close one bullet came, surfing again is almost secondary.

Falcão is simply fortunate to be alive.

Hurricane Rachel Shreds 20-Foot Berms as Police Shut the Wedge in Newport (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:29:20 GMT

The Wedge is famous for turning south swells into mayhem. Hurricane Rachel turned the beach into a construction zone.

New footage from longtime Wedge documentarian Brent Weldon shows Newport Beach police riding ATVs across the sand and clearing people from the shoreline as city crews move in heavy equipment. A giant tractor pushes sand into berms while the ocean surges toward homes and streets behind one of Southern California’s most iconic waves.

Newport Beach temporarily closed the Wedge, Newport Pier, and Balboa Pier after Rachel’s swell combined with unusually high ocean levels and powerful tides. The National Weather Service forecast 6-to-9-foot surf across Orange County, though the Wedge’s jetty can dramatically amplify south swell. See the footage below.

And the defenses had already failed once.

Police on ATVs could be seen clearing the sand as official loudspeakers blared: “The beach is now closed due to high tide. If you could please exit the beach. Thank you.”

A swell officials said arrived roughly twice as large as expected blasted through 20-foot sand berms near the Wedge and flooded streets from roughly 21st Street to 6th Street.

“This is the worst I’ve seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula,” Newport Beach Councilman Joe Stapleton told the Los Angeles Times.

Weldon had warned months earlier that relentless south swells were stripping away the beach. “With the lack of sand,” he said in August, “there’s also an increased risk of flooding reaching nearby homes.”

Here’s more footage from Weldon, linked here and below, showing tractors moving sand:

The city declared a local emergency and said crews were “rebuilding beach berms, monitoring water levels, opening tide valves, and operating pumping systems.” Officials cautioned those measures “cannot eliminate all flood risks.”

Rachel had help. An El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave has raised Southern California’s background sea level by an estimated 6 to 12 inches, giving every high tide and swell a higher starting point.

And this season is nowhere near finished. NOAA says El Niño continues strengthening, with an 83% chance of reaching historic strength during October–December. Hurricane Simon remains active off Mexico, and another system has already become Tropical Depression Twenty-One-E.

The Wedge has since reopened, but Newport Beach is still monitoring the berms.

With El Niño conditions locked in and additional Kelvin waves raising the Pacific’s baseline water level, meteorologists warn that this historic surf season is only just beginning.

As more hurricanes brew in the Pacific, coastal communities remain on high alert for further inundation.

Contactless Surfboard Rental Station Opens In Waikiki

Owen James Burke — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:00:45 GMT

Surfing hasn’t always been the most inclusive pastime, and anyone visiting this webpage can readily think of a few (dozen) reasons why. For one, the average lineup is a dangerous place even at its best, when most everyone in it more or less has a clue what they’re doing. At other places, take Waikīkī Beach, the birthplace of modern surfing, the scene can be bedlam even when everyone knows the score.

And so perhaps Waikīkī is just the place to beta-test a new way of getting people on boards. SurfUp, a Moniz Family Surf-backed startup, is renting surfboards via an app from unattended cages in four San Diego locations (three in Pacific Beach and one in Imperial Beach), and now in Hawai‘i at the Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa.

SurfUp founder and CEO Chris Hissom told KHON2 that the idea is to make surfing more accessible to all. “We’re excited to finally offer experienced and aspiring surfers a new way to rent,” he said, adding that “our goal has always been to inspire more beachgoers to try surfing. The water is for everyone to enjoy, and that means reaching people before surf shops open and offering an easier option for those who simply want to grab a board and get in the water.”

It’s easy to foresee a few problems. But perhaps the average(ish) jetsetting Joe might benefit all the same: someone passing through on a layover, say, with no board and no friend from whom to borrow one. To that end, the cages will double as gear lockers, letting traveling surfers stash their stuff safely while they tangle in the lineup, rather than leave it on the beach for sticky-fingered passersby.

Speaking of theft, what about liability? Beyond the question of whether first-timers should be encouraged to charge into a crowded lineup without so much as a crash course, there’s the company’s end of the bargain. Will every board make it back into its cage? How will damage be assessed in real time, so a renter who grabs a board with a missing fin or a buckled nose doesn’t get charged for someone else’s mishap?

It’s a curious proposition, but the logistics of sharing physical assets are hardly insurmountable. Car-sharing and home-sharing businesses have shown that people will embrace convenient, self-service access to things they don’t own. Surfboards are a different proposition, of course: The real risk isn’t so much to the equipment as to the people sharing the water.

Still, let’s end on a hopeful note. Hawai‘i aside, are there not dozens of beach towns that could use similar rental stations, giving visitors the chance to surf on a whim, without the fuss of tracking down a shop or arranging a rental? As Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard once exhorted, “Let my people gp surfing.” And as those patently inclusive, surf-friendly Beach Boys once bellowed, “Let’s go surfin’ now./Everybody’s learnin’ how.” A Surfin’ Safari, indeed. Let’s all just cross our fingers that ambitious wave gliders heed the part about learnin’ how first.

Super El Niño Surf Rips Open Giant Crack Beneath PCH in Orange County (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:25:59 GMT

Southern California’s battered coastline has produced another alarming image: a deep fracture cutting through the bluff immediately below Pacific Coast Highway at El Morro, between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

Aerial imagery shows the crack snaking from near the highway toward the cliff edge above the Pacific, where months of powerful surf have stripped away sand and hammered the base of the bluff. Laguna Beach local Blair Conklin documented the damage in a new video, highlighting just how vulnerable the road suddenly appears.

Check out the footage below:

The threat is no longer theoretical.

“The cliff side right here this close to PCH is falling… that’s why all this water is so brown,” Conklin explained. “They just closed part of one lane on PCH, and my guess is because the cliff is eroding so bad… it might be at risk of having part of PCH crumble into the ocean.” Conklin noted the massive crack comes “about 10 feet away from the road” and predicted a major collapse could happen in the coming days.

Caltrans says southbound Highway 1 is currently reduced to one lane from Irvine Cove to Reef Point Drive because of emergency work.

California State Parks has also closed portions of nearby Crystal Cove after what officials called “significant coastal erosion and infrastructure damage” from high tides and large surf associated with former Hurricane Rachel. Twenty-six historic beachfront cottages were evacuated as a precaution.

El Morro carries plenty of history. The stretch, now part of Crystal Cove State Park, was once home to the famous El Morro Village—nearly 300 mobile homes scattered on both sides of PCH before the state removed them in the mid-2000s and converted the land for public recreation.

The wave holds a mythical quality for many. Fickle, yet iconic, when it’s on. It’s also been featured in celebrated surf films, such as Volcom’s 1998 VHS epic, Magna Plasm.

But today, El Morro looks much different.

And the coastline was already hurting before Rachel.

During September’s Hurricane Marie swell, Conklin said it was “the least amount of sand” he had ever seen on South Laguna beaches in his lifetime.

Now an El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave is making matters worse by raising Southern California’s background sea level roughly 6 to 12 inches. USGS researcher Jonathan Warrick called the recent combination of “high tides, Kelvin wave, hurricane waves” unprecedented.

And winter hasn’t even arrived.

NOAA says there is virtually a 100% chance this El Niño becomes very strong, while researchers warn that incoming winter storms—especially when paired with king tides—could trigger more flooding, erosion and cliff failures.

At El Morro, that warning suddenly looks very real.

Al Cleland Jr. WSL Suspension Erupts as Noah Klapp Alleges Rape and Abuse

Dashel Pierson — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:48:10 GMT

The story surrounding Al Cleland Jr.’s reported World Surf League suspension escalated dramatically Monday after his former girlfriend, German professional surfer Noah Klapp, publicly accused him of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during their relationship.

Klapp, now 23, said the relationship lasted roughly a year and began when she was 17. In a multi-slide Instagram statement, she alleged repeated sexual assault, physical restraint, controlling behavior, and verbal abuse. And a fusillade of support for Klapp followed.

See the post – linked here – and below:

“It is time for me to speak out publicly. I once told Alan Cleland Jr. that if I ever found out about another victim, I would share my whole truth about our relationship,” Klapp wrote, recounting abuse she suffered while dating Cleland at age 17.

Addressing the sport’s reaction to Cleland’s rising profile, Klapp added: “Seeing the surf industry put this man on a pedestal after our relationship—’What a cool guy! CT surfer! Olympian! Always the life of the party!’ Maybe, but behind closed doors a rapist and abuser.” She concluded with a direct challenge: “It’s time to take real action and stop idolizing abusers. So this is it Alan… I MEANT I WOULD TALK.”

Klapp said fear kept her silent for years — including fear that she would not be believed and fear of damaging someone else’s career. She said the recent allegations surrounding Cleland’s reported suspension gave her the strength to speak publicly.

The WSL announced Sunday that a competitor on the 2026 Men’s Championship Tour had been provisionally suspended after the league became aware of allegations “of a deeply serious nature.” The WSL said the conduct allegedly occurred at a private gathering in Tahiti in August and that its Discipline Committee barred the competitor.

The WSL did not name the surfer. Nick Carroll at Surfing World was first to report that Cleland was the surfer involved. It was also reported that the Tahiti allegations involved a teenage Australian female surfer, and at least three other men.

Radio1 Tahiti reported that the Papeete prosecutor’s office said no local investigation had been opened. Cleland has not been charged in connection with any allegations and had not publicly responded to them as of this writing.

Klapp’s post quickly drew support from major names in surfing.

Kelly Slater was among the commenters.

Bethany Hamilton thanked Klapp for speaking out. Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, and Miguel Pupo were among the professional surfers publicly showing support.

Tyler Wright also commented.

Klapp also took aim at professional surfing’s culture, arguing that abusive behavior can be normalized or concealed to protect promising athletes.

Her message to other women and girls was loud and clear:

I believe you.

The surf world was already demanding answers.

Now, the story has become much bigger than one suspension.

Championship Tour Surfer Suspended After “Deeply Serious” Allegations

Dashel Pierson — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:21:31 GMT

The World Surf League, on Sunday, made an announcement regarding one of their athletes on the 2026 Men’s Championship Tour.

No names were used. No details of what allegedly happened were made public. The only information that was given by the World Surf League was the following: a surfer on the Championship Tour was allegedly involved in a “deeply serious nature involving the competitor” incident during the Outerknown Tahiti Pro back in August. And following that alleged incident, that surfer has been suspended from competition by the WSL.

Multiple surf publications – starting with veteran surf journalist, Nick Carroll, over at Surfing World – have identified the surfer as Al Cleland Jr. of Mexico. No confirmation from the World Surf League or the suspended surfer has yet been made official. But the rumor mill is swirling, and more information will surely be made available in the future.

For now, here is the statement from the WSL:

The World Surf League (WSL) confirms that a competitor on the 2026 Men’s Championship Tour has been suspended after the WSL was recently made aware of allegations of a deeply serious nature involving the competitor.

The allegations involve conduct in relation to a private gathering in Tahiti in August. The gathering was not affiliated with the WSL.

All WSL competitors are bound by the conduct standards outlined in the WSL Rule Book, at all times. After being informed of the allegations, the WSL Discipline Committee took prompt action and issued a provisional suspension to the competitor from all WSL events.

The WSL is committed to upholding the values and integrity of the sport on behalf of all surfers, and the broader surfing community.

The WSL is continuing to follow its process and has offered assistance to relevant authorities.

The WSL is unable to provide any further information at this time.

More information to come as it becomes available.

Hurricane Rachel Can't Stop America's Largest Black Surfing Event

Danielle Black Lyons — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:21:06 GMT

The world’s largest Black surfing competition welcomed thousands of beach goers and surfers to Huntington Beach Pier for the fifth annual, A Great Day in the Stoke (AGDITS). With Hurricane Rachel lingering in the background, attendees experienced a range of conditions, from head-high swell, to rain and wind, while watching an incredible display of talent in the water.

The weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, as a double dutch contest, beachside yoga, and impromptu rain dances kept the energy high on the beach.

Several past champions returned to reclaim their titles, including Senegal’s Sidy Camara and Brazil’s Potira Nascimento, who secured back-to-back wins in men’s and women’s shortboard divisions. Hawaii’s Julian Williams and Sahara Coleman, continued their winning streaks, each earning their third victory in the men’s and women’s longboard divisions..

New champions emerged in other categories, with Kody Grunig taking the win in Boys’ Groms and Maysym Gonzalez claiming the top spot in Beginners. Frank Clark rounded out the competition with a coveted victory in the Legends division.

Julian Williams chaired up the beach after his longboard win.

Earl Gibson III / A Great Day in the Stoke

2026 A Great Day In The Stoke Contest Results:

Men’s Shortboard
1. Sidy Camara
2. Logan Moss
3. Trent Joseph Howard Popovich
4. Toky Joe Kennedy Ravelomanantsoa

Vibes up with Brazil’s Potira Nascimento.

Earl Gibson III / A Great Day in the Stoke

Women’s Shortboard
1. Potira Nascimento
2. Monik Santos
3. Yanca Costa
4. Maizy Gordan

Men’s Longboard
1. Julian Williams
2. Remy Smith
3. Kevin Craft
4. Joel Oviedo

Senegal’s Deguene Thioune, Awa Sika, Sidy Camara and friend.

Women’s Longboard
1. Sahara Coleman
=2. Chloe Mocombe
=2. Rachel Barrett

Boy’s Groms
1. Kody Grunig
2. Gabe Smith
3. Baker Stewart
4. Chris Jimenez

Men’s Longboard Podium

Earl Gibson III / A Great Day in the Stoke

Beginners
1. Maysym Gonzalez
2. Jode Mohammed

Legends
1. Frank Clark
2. Rusty White
3. Seymour Wood
4. Kevin Craft

Legends and founding fathers enjoy the show.

Earl Gibson III / A Great Day in the Stoke

‘I Probably Make More Than Pro Surfers’: Surf Influencer Erika White Says OnlyFans Saved Her Career (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:56:42 GMT

For many aspiring surf influencers, scoring free gear and brand deals feels like hitting the jackpot. But for Erika White, a lifestyle creator from Cornwall, England, the reality of chasing a professional surfing career meant scraping by on peanuts. Literally.

After years of struggling to pay the bills, White turned to a platform where several other female surfers—including former competitors like Ellie-Jean and Holly-Daze Coffey—have found massive financial success: OnlyFans.

“I couldn’t afford a new wetsuit,” White, who now lives in Byron Bay, Australia, said. “Now men pay to watch me wear one.”

White added: “I started making a bit of money from brand deals, getting sponsored by wetsuit companies and getting free boards. It was going in the direction I wanted it to, but I just wasn’t making consistent income. So why I started OnlyFans was to fund the lifestyle, fund the surfing and the traveling.”

Before her transition to OnlyFans, White relied on government benefits, leaving her with just £100 a week to survive.

“I was bloody cleaning toilets. I don’t wanna be cleaning someone else’s shit off a bowl. Like, I’d rather just, like, take a sexy picture of myself and sell it,” she explained.

The decision paid off immensely.

“Within eight months I went from making around £5,000 ($6,600) a month to £50,000 ($66,038) a month,” White revealed. “Now, I probably make more than pro surfers, and I get to surf and travel and do all these things I love.”

Interestingly, her surfing background cultivated a highly specific, lucrative niche on the platform.

Erika White, finding her surf niche on OnlyFans.

Supplied

“I’ve actually got a couple of fans that pay to just see me in a wetsuit,” she noted. “They’re like, ‘Don’t take it off.’ They love the tight neoprene.”

Today, White is living her dream, renting an A$1,800-a-week home near Byron Bay. You can follow her journey on her Instagram her OnlyFans.

She’s far from the only surfer experimenting with OnlyFans. As mentioned, former Australian pro Ellie-Jean Coffey famously used the platform for adult content. More recently, Nathan Florence, Billy Kemper, Moana Jones Wong, Jacob “Zeke” Szekely, Pedro Scooby, and others have joined OnlyFans’ growing roster of surf athletes.

But generally, those surfers are offering training, travel, and behind-the-scenes content instead of nudes or (near) nudes.

Erika White.

Supplied

As for Erika White, she’s going all-in for what the platform offers.

“Previously, I would get things for free with social media. That was the beauty of being a surf influencer – I’d get free wetsuits,” she reflected.

She added: “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing.’ It’s the dream when you can’t afford it. But it’s so much better having your own money to spend whenever you want.”

For more, find Erika White on Instagram and OnlyFans.

Hurricane Rachel Swell Turns Deadly At Dockweiler Beach As Man Dies In Rough Surf

Dashel Pierson — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:17:59 GMT

A man died Sunday morning after being pulled unconscious from the ocean at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey, as Southern California remained under dangerous surf and coastal-flood warnings generated partly by former Hurricane Rachel.

The incident happened near Tower 42 in the 6900 block of Pacific Avenue around 8:30 a.m. Two witnesses told authorities they had seen the man repeatedly entering and leaving the water before noticing him in distress.

“He was in and out of the water, swimming and on land,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jake Miller said. Witnesses ultimately saw him near the shoreline before a patrol lifeguard responded and pulled him from the surf.

Bystanders on a morning walk had observed the individual “acting erratically near the water line,” repeatedly entering the rough surf before being spotted rolling in the whitewash near the shore.

Lifeguards immediately began CPR, later using an automated compression device as Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics arrived. Rescuers continued lifesaving efforts for approximately 20 minutes before the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said there was no indication of foul play.

Although the death was initially reported as a drowning, the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause. Miller said drowning was possible, but a medical emergency could also have occurred. Surf at Dockweiler itself was estimated around 2 to 4 feet that morning

Still, conditions across Los Angeles County beaches were dangerous.

The National Weather Service had issued a High Surf Advisory calling for 5-to-8-foot breaking waves and powerful rip currents. Forecasters explicitly warned of an “increased risk for ocean drowning,” saying rip currents could pull swimmers and surfers offshore

Rachel’s swell arrived during an extraordinary stretch of coastal flooding. Ocean water inundated roads and damaged homes from Newport Beach to Long Beach, while unusually high tides combined with elevated sea levels to amplify the storm’s effects.

The powerful tropical system delivered widespread damage and severe coastal flooding across Southern California’s coastline. In Laguna Beach, high tides and storm surges flooded downtown streets, while massive waves violently battered seawalls and boardwalks in Long Beach and Newport Beach, causing extensive property damage, beach erosion, and municipal states of emergency.

For beachgoers, Sunday’s tragedy in Los Angeles offered a sobering reminder that dangerous surf doesn’t always have to look enormous.

As Miller put it: “Any time there is water someone can drown.”

Rest in peace to the deceased.

Innovative Hawaiian Surf Legend Larry Bertlemann Dies at 71

Owen James Burke — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 17:14:49 GMT

Larry Bertlemann didn’t surf so much as contort himself around a wave. Knees bent, hips low, one hand skimming the face, he’d crank his board through turns so tight and sudden they seemed to violate the basic geometry of surfing. Then he might spin around, change direction, or launch into something that the sport’s prevailing sensibilities hadn’t yet caught up with. He looked less like a surfer following a line than a cartoon character inventing one.

They called him the Rubberman. On October 10, Bertlemann died in Honolulu at 71, following complications from a heart attack, his family confirmed to Hawaii News Now. He leaves behind three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren, as well as a legacy that extends far beyond his competitive results.

Bertlemann was one of the great originals of modern surfing: an athlete whose influence is easier to see in the generations that followed him than in any trophy cabinet. You might say he was too off the wall to truly compete—and moreover be judged—or be particularly marketable. Maybe that is in part why so many others tried to surf like him and couldn’t. Bertlemann’s surfing was expressionism with caution to the wind, not afraid to fall flat on its face in the process.

Martin Potter called him the godfather of high-performance surfing. Kelly Slater called him the first New Schooler. Long before aerial surfing became a defining feature of the professional game, Bertlemann was experimenting with the possibilities, even giving his own airborne maneuvers a name: “Larryials.” His importance wasn’t simply that he surfed differently. It was that he made different seem possible.

Born in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1955, Bertlemann didn’t grow up in the center of the surfing universe. As a boy, he fished and hunted pigs on the Big Island. When he was 11, his mother moved with him to Oahu, where he discovered surfing at Waikiki’s Queens break, initially on rented longboards. According to a story he later told Tracks magazine, he rented a board for an hour and stayed in the water all day, until someone had to chase him in.

He had found his element. Within a few years, the progressive Hawaiian shaper Ben Aipa had recognized his talent and begun helping him develop it. As surfboards grew shorter and more maneuverable, Bertlemann found a way to exploit their new possibilities, riding with a loose, low center of gravity and a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for turning. He turned professional at 13, against Aipa’s advice, and was already a star before he was old enough to understand the limits the sport might impose on him.

By 17, he had finished fourth at the 1972 World Surfing Championships and third at Pipe Masters. The following year, he won the U.S. championship. But Bertlemann’s significance was never adequately captured by the results. He could be erratic in competition, sometimes inconsistent, and not always inclined to play by the rules. His surfing, meanwhile, could make an entire event feel secondary.

In a 1979 SURFER profile, journalist Phil Jarratt described him as a man with an “outrageously overblown ego” and an equally extraordinary ability to push performance forward. The contradiction was central to Bertlemann’s appeal. He was brash, flamboyant, and unapologetically convinced of his own importance. He was also capable of maneuvers that left even the most accomplished surfers wondering what they had just witnessed.

At a moment when surfing was still wrestling with its identity after the upheaval of the shortboard revolution, Bertlemann offered a different answer to the question of what a surfer should look like. The upright, relatively linear turns associated with many of his contemporaries gave way to tight arcs, abrupt changes of direction, and a restless, almost improvisational approach. He wanted to draw figure eights where others drew capital Ls, and he didn’t mind going overboard and/or flat-out failing.

But above all, Bertlemann’s surfing had an irreverence that was as important as its technical innovation. He didn’t appear to be honoring tradition or trying to make the sport look dignified. He was having fun, and he wanted everyone to know it.

That sensibility traveled. Bertlemann’s low, hand-planted turns helped inspire the Dogtown skateboarders of Southern California, including Jay Adams and Tony Alva, who translated the movement onto concrete and empty swimming pools. The resulting maneuver became known as the “Bert,” a lasting reminder of how porous the boundaries between surfing and skateboarding had become. The influence ran both ways: Bertlemann was drawing on skateboarding as he began experimenting with aerial maneuvers in the late 1970s, years before surfing’s competitive establishment fully embraced the air game.

He was also an early architect of the professional surfer as a marketable personality. He cultivated sponsorships beyond the conventional surf-industry orbit, striking deals with airlines, soft-drink companies, and automakers. His fame was such that he reportedly signed autographs with a rubber stamp. The Rubberman had become a brand before surfing had fully figured out what a surf brand could be.

But Bertlemann’s life was never a neat progression from prodigy to elder statesman. His early fame brought friction, and his later years included serious personal and legal troubles. After back problems forced him out of the surfing limelight in the mid-1980s, a gradual fall from grace ensued, culminating in his 2001 arrest on robbery and firearm charges.

He continued to suffer from chronic, debilitating problems with his back and neck that, at one point, left him unable to surf or walk properly. The body that had seemed almost elastic in the water exacted a price.

In a 2006 interview with Juice magazine, he described the surgery required to address a pinched nerve in his neck with the dark humor that had long been part of his persona. Surfing itself, he said, had begun to feel stale. He explored martial arts, motorcycle racing, cars, and skydiving. He had spent years being pursued by fans and photographers; eventually, he wanted some privacy.

Yet those who encountered him later in life found a man capable of disarming charm. In a 2025 retrospective for Tracks, Jarratt revisited his own early, sometimes uncharitable encounters with the young Bertlemann, admitting that he had been too hard on a surfer whose talent and humor were undeniable. When they crossed paths again decades later at a Noosa surf festival, Bertlemann charmed everyone he met.

It is tempting, in retrospect, to treat his surfing as a preview of the sport’s future. The low stance, the compressed turns, the improvisation, the aerial ambition: all became familiar features of high-performance surfing. But that framing risks making Bertlemann sound like a rough draft of the surfers who came after him. He was not merely anticipating the future. He was an original, working without a clear template and without any guarantee that the sport would recognize what he was doing.

The modern game can be measured in contest points, rankings, and technical difficulty. Bertlemann’s contribution is harder to quantify. He expanded the imagination of surfing, making it seem less like a prescribed set of maneuvers and more like a form of personal expression. He showed that a surfer could be unconventional, entertaining, even unruly—and still change the sport.

For all the mythology surrounding the Rubberman, the most enduring image may be a simple one: a young Hawaiian with his knees bent, his center of gravity almost impossibly low, his hand trailing across the face of a wave, grinning as he draws another line nobody else thought to make.

He made it look easy. It never was.

Hurricane Rachel Swallows Laguna Beach Streets as 20-Foot Backwash Detonates the Coast (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:21:20 GMT

Hurricane Rachel delivered an unprecedented display of coastal destruction to Southern California, leaving the streets of Laguna Beach completely submerged under churning storm surge and hurricane-fueled ocean swells.

BEEFS TC (aka Chris Monroe) was on the ground documenting the jaw-dropping chaos as massive 15-to-20-foot backwash waves breached seawalls, swept over sand dunes, and tore directly through downtown streets, swallowing cars and flooding local businesses.

Check out the footage below:

“The ocean is literally in the city right now,” Monroe reported as surging whitewash surged past coastal landmarks. “I’ve never seen water push this far up into Laguna in my life.”

Official breaking-wave heights were smaller than some of the spectacular backwash seen in videos. Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond reported 5-to-7-foot surf, while the National Weather Service forecast 5-to-7-foot waves with local sets to 9 feet, paired with tides exceeding seven feet and significant coastal flooding and erosion.

The catastrophic event was driven by a rare alignment of atmospheric and oceanographic extremes.

Here’s another clip of massive waves hitting Aliso Beach, linked here, and below:

While Hurricane Rachel’s unusual northward trajectory pushed massive, long-period tropical swells directly into south-facing beaches, the historic Super El Niño season and an incoming planetary-scale Kelvin wave significantly raised baseline sea levels across the Pacific.

By “raising the floor” of the ocean by nearly a foot, the Kelvin wave amplified every incoming set, allowing monster waves to ride over protective berms and inundate low-lying urban areas.

The City of Laguna Beach issued urgent public safety advisories as emergency crews scrambled to clear debris and pump out flooded neighborhoods.

See footage of Laguna Beach’s downtown flooded, linked here, and below:

“The combination of high tides, historic surf, and tropical storm surge has created hazardous coastal conditions,” the city stated in an emergency alert. “Residents and visitors are strongly advised to avoid all coastal zones and low-lying roadways until floodwaters recede.”

NOAA says El Niño continues strengthening, with an 83% chance of reaching historic strength during October-December and strong-to-very strong conditions likely through early 2027.

With El Niño conditions locked in and additional Kelvin waves projected to pulse up the West Coast throughout the winter, meteorologists warn that Southern California’s battering is far from over.

Beachgoers and homeowners along the coast must prepare for a relentlessly active winter surf season defined by elevated baselines, severe beach erosion, and recurrent coastal inundation.

Stay safe out there.

Hurricane Rachel Obliterates 20-Foot Berms and Turns Newport Beach Streets Into the Pacific (Aerial Footage)

Dashel Pierson — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 13:50:03 GMT

Newport Beach looked less like a beach town and more like an extension of the Pacific, or even a lake, this weekend. The flooding was almost incomprehensible.

Aerial footage from the Balboa Peninsula shows block after block inundated with seawater after swell generated by former Hurricane Rachel combined with unusually high tides and already elevated ocean levels. Cars crawl through flooded intersections while water surrounds homes stretching inland from the beach.

Near the Wedge, the situation was even uglier. Fast-moving seawater pushed into beachfront properties after waves overwhelmed massive protective sand berms.

“This is the worst I’ve seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula,” Newport Beach City Councilman Joe Stapleton told the Los Angeles Times. Officials said the swell arrived roughly twice as large as initially predicted, punching through 20-foot berms and flooding roads between roughly 21st and 6th streets.

The city declared a local emergency Friday.

“Newport Beach experienced significant coastal flooding overnight as Tropical Storm Rachel brought elevated surf and unusually high ocean water levels to our coastline,” Mayor Lauren Kleiman said.

See footage of houses being flooded near the Wedge, linked here, and below:

Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic said the tide came in an astonishing 20 inches higher than predicted, with flooding affecting an estimated 15 to 20 blocks. The total cost of damage and cleanup remains unclear.

Rachel wasn’t acting alone.

An El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave has raised the background ocean level along Southern California by an estimated 6 to 12 inches, while record-warm Pacific water and high tides amplified the flooding. USGS scientist Jonathan Warrick called the combination of “high tides, Kelvin wave, hurricane waves” “unprecedented.”

And yet, this is Newport Beach.

Amid the carnage, Wedge local Sage Burke turned a flooded street into a novelty wave, surfing behind a car through the neighborhood.

Check out the footage, linked here, and below:

“Making lemonade,” Burke wrote, as video showed him literally surfing down the street.

The stunt offered a surreal moment of levity.

But city officials aren’t laughing. Crews are pumping streets, rebuilding berms, distributing sandbags and warning residents that unusually high ocean levels remain a threat.

The scary part?

Scientists say this could be a preview of what Southern California faces during the coming El Niño winter. Get ready. This is just the beginning.

Hurricane Isaias Leaves 4 Dead and 650,000 Without Power: What to Know and How to Help

Chris Dodds — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:14:07 GMT

After what had been an eerily quiet Atlantic hurricane season, Isaias unleashed havoc and chaos across the Gulf Coast after making landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday. At least four people have been killed, many more injured, and more than 650,000 customers are without power.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, a hyperactive hurricane season has dealt blow after blow to coastal communities from Baja California up to Southern California. Rachel’s swell and flooding pummeled the Southern California coast, especially Orange County, this weekend, and now Hurricane Simon, a Category 4 storm with winds near 155 mph, is bearing down on Mexico’s Pacific coast near Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta.

Isaias came ashore as a Category 2 hurricane with 105-mph sustained winds, after churning up waves of 30 feet or more offshore. A station near Santa Rosa Sound recorded a 116-mph gust, and a NOAA gauge at Panama City Beach measured water 5.6 feet above mean higher high water. Our earlier coverage has video of the surf and surge.

By early Saturday, the storm had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama, but the damage was done. Officials have reported deaths in both Florida and Alabama, including from falling trees. Roads flooded in Destin, trees and power lines came down across the region, and some emergency crews temporarily stopped responding because conditions were too dangerous. Outages climbed above 800,000 customers at one point, and utility crews are working to restore service. NOAA continues to warn of flash flooding, while heavy rain and tornadoes remain possible across parts of the Southeast.

How to help

Florida’s volunteer agency recommends sending money to organizations already working on the ground rather than donating goods.

The American Red Cross is staging cots, blankets, comfort kits, and meals across the region. Donate at redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), or text REDCROSS to 90999.
If you’re outside the impacted area, you can give blood at RedCrossBlood.org or through the Red Cross Blood Donor App to help keep supply stable.
To volunteer, sign up at redcross.org/volunteer.

If you’re in the affected area

Stay away from downed power lines and standing floodwater, which can hide hazards or be electrified. Follow local officials for shelter and road information, and report outages to your utility.

Please stay out of the water along the Gulf Coast until officials give the all-clear, since rip currents, debris, and contaminated floodwater can linger for days after a storm passes. And for anyone near Mexico’s Pacific coast, heed local evacuation orders as Simon approaches, since the mountainous terrain raises the risk of flash flooding and mudslides.

We’ll update this story as more information comes in.

How Monster Waves Like Jaws, Nazaré and Maverick's Are Actually Made

Jason Lock — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Do you remember the opening scene of 2003’s excellent surf flick Step Into Liquid? It is Mike Parsons, being towed into absolutely gargantuan Jaws – and the camera work is masterful. It starts with a tight crop of Mike, then pulls back. And pulls back. And pulls back, until he looks like an ant compared to the towering jaw-dropping spectacle of Pe’ahi.

For many, this was one of the first encounters with giant waves filmed in this way (by helicopter, back then, drones weren’t a thing for surf films 23-years-ago) and it left a long-lasting impression, 16-year-old me couldn’t scoop his face off the floor fast enough, setting a curiosity with big waves that was further solidified when Mickey Smith, Tom Lowe and Fergal Smith dropped Powers Of Three – which opened up the big wave surf scene in Ireland. Still one of the best surf films to this day, go watch!

And it also begs the question – how the heck do those waves form? And how powerful has the storm got to be to send those big wave joints into overdrive? Let’s take a look.

As With Most Surf; It Starts With Wind

Most, if not all, surf begins with wind. As it blows across the ocean’s surface, it creates friction which transfers energy into the water. This creates ripples and if the wind keeps blowing, gravity and air pressure push against these ripples, turning them into larger waves. These usually form inside a storm, where there are strong winds. As these waves move out of the storm area, they begin to organize themselves. Under the water, swell rolls under the surface, like rolling a ball under a carpet, as they fan out and move closer to shore.

The stronger the wind at inception, the greater the distance over which it blows, the more energy it can transfer to the sea.

That distance is called fetch and this combined with weed speed and duration help determine how much energy a storm unleashes into the ocean.

Now, those giant swells are produced by intense low-pressure systems in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Southern Ocean. These storms can produce behemoth seas, with waves travelling away from the storm in different directions.

This is why a storm doesn’t need to be close to shore to produce waves. And you can always tell which surf has come from a hurricane or similar system due to the long period of the swell.

Winds inside a category 5 hurricane can reach speeds of 252 km/h or higher. Imagine all that energy over the ocean. Photo: NOAA/Getty Images.

Handout / Getty Images

How Do These Swells Become Giant?

Now we’re talking – because your local might not get to 70 feet. Let’s imagine a little wave inside a storm – it is absolute chaos in there as the wind rips across the surface. Once waves are effectively sent out from the storm, they separate according to their speed and wavelength (that’s the distance between two waves). Those with a longer period move fast through deep water. Over long distances, this process helps produce those organized swell lines which you can see marching to shore.

Longer period and the size of the swell obviously carries more energy from deeper water into shallower water, having a greatest impact when it reaches a coastline dependent on bathymetry, or the ocean’s floor. And this is where it gets interesting.

Wild. Jaws, 2002. Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images.

Donald Miralle / Getty Images

The Ocean Floor Decides What Happens Next

Those long period, bigger swells need an obstruction to effectively chop them up. If not, all the energy will arrive at once and this will be a close-out. Hence why beachbreaks do not like certain long period swells unless you have an incredible sand bar to dissect it.

For the likes of Jaws, there’s a deep water trench and underwater canyon. As these larger swells approach (created by stronger winds in a storm) they travel over the canyon which acts as a lens to focus the swell into one spot. The swell also goes from deep water to shallow water very quickly, allowing the wave to break. This sudden transition forces wave energy upward, and can compress and magnify the wave. A unique combo of swell, canyon and shallow water allows Jaws to essentially jack-up the surf into those moments like Mike experienced at the start of Billabong Odyssey.

That canyon effect is not exclusive to Jaws. It happens at Nazare too, where the canyon essentially bounces these large swells to shore (known as refraction). Then, these refracted swells can intersect with other swells, creating those giant tee-pees we love to see out there. This mostly happens when the swell direction is above 310 degrees. If the swell is more west, then Nazare becomes more of a straight wave.

Meanwhile, at Maverick’s there’s an array of reefs, deep channels and a sloping seabed that helps refract and focus those incoming swells – which again, transfers energy upwards and creates those giant waves. Remember Twiggy’s insane one from 2021? The three-time big wave champ has a freefall on an impossibly large Mav’s bomb. Twig’s all good, but that’s a wave you don’t forget in a hurry. All stemming from a gigantic Pacific storm, which created the day of days for Half Moon Bay. The buoys measured 20 foot swell, arriving with a 20 second period – and once that hit the seafloor at Mav’s, it created that monstrous XXL session.

In short, big waves are created when wind from powerful storms whips up the ocean. These waves then fan out and carry energy with them. As they approach the shoreline, the bathymetry dictates how it translates to the beach. Places like Jaws, Maverick’s and Nazare are all uniquely positioned to make the most of those swells. There are of course, other big wave spots these three are just examples.

37-Foot Seas Pound Florida as Hurricane Isaias Slams Gulf Coast (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:39:17 GMT

Hurricane Isaias delivered exactly the kind of ocean violence forecasters feared.

Before crashing ashore near Destin, Florida, Friday night, the hurricane whipped the northern Gulf into a chaotic mess of enormous swell, storm surge and whitewater—producing waves approaching and exceeding 30 feet offshore.

See footage of Isaias hitting Florida, linked here, and below.

NOAA reported peak seas up to 37 feet while Isaias was still about 80 nautical miles south of Pensacola. An unmanned Saildrone that passed directly through the Category 3 hurricane earlier Friday measured significant wave heights exceeding 32 feet, while an offshore buoy recorded waves reaching 27.6 feet near the Florida Panhandle.

Footage from Florida shows waves and surge blasting over seawalls and roadways as wind-driven rain turns visibility nearly nonexistent.

Storm chaser Reed Timmer was in Pensacola as conditions deteriorated.

“Definitely extreme wind warnings out here right now,” Timmer said over the roar of the storm. “This is the real deal, folks. The life-threatening storm surge is coming.”

Isaias made landfall near Destin at approximately 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with 105-mph sustained winds. A station near Santa Rosa Sound measured a 116-mph gust, while a NOAA gauge at Panama City Beach recorded water 5.6 feet above mean higher high water.

“Storm surge is the greatest threat to life when we’re talking about a hurricane,” reported ABC News meteorologist Leslie Lopez from Mobile, Alabama. “We know that we’re going to see a 5 to 7-foot storm surge potentially along the entire Gulf Coast… there are 30-foot waves just offshore in the Florida Panhandle.”

The National Weather Service described the threat before landfall as “life threatening storm surge and devastating winds.”

By early Saturday, Isaias had rapidly weakened into a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama with 35-mph winds. But the danger isn’t over. NOAA continues to warn of flash flooding as the remnants race inland, while heavy rain and tornadoes remain possible across portions of the Southeast.

More than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power early Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Roads flooded in Destin, trees and power lines came down across the region, and some emergency crews temporarily stopped responding because conditions became too dangerous.

For anyone wondering what 30-foot Gulf seas actually look like:

Florida just got the answer.

Stay safe out there.

Shark Attack Survivor Says Predator ‘Winked’ Before Tearing Off His Leg (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:02:07 GMT

Mel Ismail remembers the shark’s eye.

More specifically, he remembers it appearing to wink at him moments before the animal severed his right leg.

The 56-year-old firefighter was surfing Glenfield Beach near Geraldton, Western Australia, on September 14 when the encounter unfolded. Ismail had been sitting beyond the waves, watching a pod of roughly 20 dolphins when something slammed into him.

“I thought I got hit by a dolphin, initially,” Ismail recalled. “And suddenly, bang — something grabbed me and dragged me down into the water. And I knew it was a shark.”

Underwater, Ismail came face-to-face with the predator.

“I saw its eye … a big black eye,” he said. “But it was winking back at me — I was trying to get my fingers in its eye and just pushing its eye as I was being dragged.”

Then came the bite.

“I personally reckon it gave me the wink, and then shut my leg off,” Ismail said.

His right leg was severed below the knee.

Back at the surface, Ismail saw his surfboard floating away amid “a heap of blood” and immediately feared the shark would return. Somehow, despite massive blood loss and exhaustion, he caught a wave that carried him roughly 20 meters closer to shore.

“I want to see my family,” Ismail remembers telling himself as his strength faded.

That’s when fellow surfer Shannan Dunn spotted him and paddled out.

Dunn helped Ismail onto his board and brought him ashore, where bystanders improvised a tourniquet using a surfboard leg rope. Dunn then raced Ismail down the beach in a four-wheel-drive to meet an ambulance.

The sight of paramedics finally convinced Ismail he might survive.

Now, less than a month later, he says he plans to return to the ocean—probably on a bodyboard.

As for the “wink,” it likely wasn’t personal. Many sharks roll their eyes backward to protect them when making contact with prey or threats.

Still, that’s one look Ismail probably won’t ever forget.

25-Foot Backwash Wall Explodes in Laguna Beach as Hurricane Rachel Swell Floods Orange County (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:42:27 GMT

Southern California’s coastline is under siege from the ocean.

New footage from Orange County shows what appears to be a roughly 25-foot wall of backwash and exploding water in Laguna Beach, created as Hurricane Rachel’s swell collides with an already abnormally elevated Pacific.

Check out the video below:

The video itself is billed as showing “25′ Backwash Waves and Flooding,” and the scene is spectacular: incoming swell reaches the shoreline, collides with returning water, and erupts upward into a towering, chaotic wall.

“I’ve never seen anything like this ever,” Chris Monroe, aka BEEFS T.V. says. “The beach is gone. This parking lot is literally like a beach… it’s going to PCH!”

See another angle of the massive wall of water, linked here, and below.

To be clear, the National Weather Service is not forecasting 25-foot breaking surf across Orange County. Its latest warning calls for 5-to-7-foot surf with local sets to 9 feet Sunday. But those waves are arriving on top of high tides exceeding seven feet and unusually high background sea levels, producing extreme runup, flooding, and erosion.

And Newport Beach is already underwater.

The city declared a local emergency Friday after seawater poured across the Balboa Peninsula, stranding vehicles and damaging homes and businesses. Officials estimated flooding spread across 15 to 20 blocks.

See footage of the flooding near the Wedge, linked here, and below.

“This is the worst I’ve seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula,” Newport Beach City Councilman Joe Stapleton told the Los Angeles Times.

Even the tide itself behaved abnormally. City Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic said Friday morning’s high tide arrived 20 inches above the predicted level, calling that difference “kind of record-breaking for us.”

Part of the problem is an El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave now raising the baseline of the Pacific. Scientists say it can boost coastal sea levels by roughly 6 to 12 inches, meaning every high tide and hurricane swell starts from a higher launching point.

Meanwhile, Rachel is accelerating northeast. As of early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center placed the tropical storm about 640 miles south-southwest of San Diego, packing 60-mph winds and moving northeast at 22 mph.

And forecasters say Sunday could be worse.

The NWS is warning that “significant coastal flooding and erosion is likely. Orange County has already seen what that combination can do. The biggest threat may be on its way.

Newport Beach Flooding: Seawater Pours Into Streets Along the Balboa Peninsula, Local Emergency Declared

Chris Dodds — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:56:23 GMT

For ages, a beachfront home in Southern California was the ultimate status symbol, one that instilled envy in all those who loved the beach but lived inland. Well, today that envy may not apply to many areas as the combination of beach erosion and coastal flooding have left many beachfront homes destroyed or highly vulnerable, especially on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.

While the beach erosion has been an ongoing issue for years, the recent run of relentless south swell and the arrival of both a Kelvin wave and Tropical Storm Rachel has sent the water up and over the hastily made sand berms put in place by the city. For the past few weeks, our friends at Yucca fins have been documenting the beach erosion at Wedge and highlighting the potential of what finally happened yesterday.

The result was a scene locals have long feared, but could ultimately see coming. On Friday, the city of Newport Beach declared a local emergency after a swell roughly double the predicted size blew through the sand berms at the Wedge, flooding streets from about 21st Street to 6th Street. Water reached knee height in places across several blocks, stranding vehicles and creeping toward homes several blocks from the beach. One city council member called it the worst he’d seen in 20 years on the Peninsula.

City crews have been scrambling to keep up by rebuilding berms, running pumps, and opening tide valves to drain flooded streets. Residents and drivers are being urged to avoid the area, and officials have warned that the worst may still be ahead, with Sunday morning’s higher tide and bigger swell expected to pose the greatest threat.

Much of the attention has focused on the Kelvin wave, a pulse of warm water that temporarily raises sea levels along the coast. It has been tied to the elevated tides, though its exact role in the flooding and erosion hasn’t been conclusively determined. What’s clear is that a summer and fall of El Niño-fueled swell had already stripped much of the sand from the Wedge, exposing an old pier, rocks, and rusted metal, and leaving little buffer between the ocean and the neighborhood when Rachel’s energy arrived.

For surfers, it’s a sobering reminder that the same forces that deliver epic surf can also threaten the communities that line it. Please stay out of flooded areas, keep clear of the shorebreak, and heed city and lifeguard advisories through the weekend.

Jack Johnson’s Foundation Reports 40,000 Pounds Of Produce Harvested

Owen James Burke — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:41:12 GMT

Barreling into the Hollywood Bowl this weekend before more tour dates overseas, Jack Johnson’s good vibes and connection to community extends well beyond the stage. The affable troubadour has donated proceeds from entire tours to charity, supported disaster relief efforts, and now, through one of several nonprofits he and his wife, Kim, support, is helping feed Oʻahu while teaching the next generation how to care for the planet.

The Johnsons’ environmental education nonprofit, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, recently announced that its eight-acre Kōkua Learning Farm has harvested more than 40,000 pounds of produce and welcomed more than 2,200 students since opening in 2019.

Established in 2003, the foundation works “to foster lifelong earth stewardship by connecting students, educators, and families with hands-on environmental experiences, local food systems, and waste reduction practices.” Its programs include ʻĀINA, a farm-to-school initiative; a “3Rs” program focused on reducing, reusing, and recycling; Plastic Free Hawaiʻi beach cleanups; and grants for educational field trips and projects.

The Learning Farm brings those lessons to life. Children and community members can see crops grow, explore the natural world, and learn how composting and other waste-reduction practices fit into the larger food system.

The farm serves students from kindergarten through high school, offers youth internships, and welcomes volunteers. Interns get their hands dirty planting and harvesting, composting, testing soil, and even keeping bees. Community members pitch in with everything from mulching and weeding to removing invasive trees, while businesses, clubs, schools, and other groups can organize private workdays.

“It’s really nice to be able to spend my free time doing something productive that’s for the community,” Johnson recently told Outside after a staff meeting at the farm. He was taking a break from a world tour supporting SURFILMUSIC, a documentary chronicling his life as a surfer, filmmaker, and musician.

“When I say ‘for the community,’” he clarified, “I don’t mean I’m doing some kind of service; I mean that I love to work on it, and my friends love coming down here. Sometimes our volunteer groups are literally just a bunch of close friends who bring chainsaws and want to help remove an invasive tree and do some heavy lifting. And then other times, when we have a community work day, like 100 people show up.” For a musician whose laid-back persona has practically become a genre of zen unto itself, Johnson seems to have found a fitting outlet: less preaching about living lightly on the planet than getting his hands dirty and inviting everyone else to do the same.

Johnson, now 51, sure doesn’t appear to be cooling his (very humble) jets all that much, But when he does, it seems to take pause for beautifully humble reflections like: “‘Whoa, we just did that.’ There’s a word in Hawaiian language, laulima, which [means] ‘many hands make light work,’ he shrugs off the assembly of community members harbored by Kōkua.

With 40,000 pounds of produce harvested and thousands of students introduced to the workings of a farm, those hands are doing some pretty good work to boot.

A Great Day in the Stoke Returns To Surf City This Weekend

Danielle Black Lyons — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:02:44 GMT

This Saturday, October 10th, from 7am–5pm, A Great Day in the Stoke (AGDITS), returns for its fifth annual surf event at Huntington Beach, California.

Created to inspire the entire community to feel welcome in the water, AGDITS invites all Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and allies to come together to share the joy of surfing and honor the hard work of the Black surfing community and organizations making a difference in the sport.

The competition unites Mainland U.S. and Hawaii surfers, along with a strong international presence from Africa, Brazil, Canada, and beyond. If you are looking for talent, inspiration, and a well seasoned day at the beach, join the fun for this one-day-only event.

Location: Huntington Beach Pier, South Side, between Lifeguard Towers 3-5

Schedule:
7:00am 5k Unity run/walk at lululemon
7:30am Surf competition begins
9am/1pm Surf lessons
10am,11am,12pm Yoga with lululemon
11:30-1:30pm Double Dutch with Melanated Jump Squad
3:10pm Surf Contest ends
3:15pm Live Music by We the Commas
3:25 PM Awards Ceremony

Get Involved:
Surf Competition Registration
Yoga, 5k, Surf Lessons, Double Dutch
Volunteer application

54-Foot Monster Seas Explode Around Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:35:07 GMT

In an alarming weather update for the Gulf of Mexico, European computer models are predicting staggering maximum wave heights of up to 54 feet as Hurricane Isaias barrels toward the U.S. coastline.

Greg Dee, a Florida Meteorologist for ABC Action News Meteorologist, broke down the shocking forecast models, highlighting the sheer oceanic power generated in the open Gulf as the late-season storm rapidly intensifies into a dangerous hurricane.

See Dee’s update, linked here, and below.

“The EURO model is showing just how powerful this storm’s wave field will be,” Dee explained during his detailed video update. “Maximum wave heights could reach 54 feet in the northern Gulf as Isaias approaches the coast as a hurricane.”

Dee emphasized that while these 50-plus-foot behemoths represent peak single wave heights out in deep, open waters, sustained seas near the storm’s core are tracking between 25 and 30 feet, creating an extraordinarily dangerous maritime environment for offshore oil platforms and commercial shipping vessels.

Early Friday, Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a powerful Category 2 storm with 110-mph winds, located roughly 200 miles south-southeast of the Mississippi River’s mouth and moving north-northeast at 15 mph.

NOAA said Isaias was “strengthening” and warned that “preparations should be rushed to completion as the weather will go downhill quickly today.”

Forecasters expect Isaias to become a major hurricane—Category 3 or stronger—before increasing wind shear begins weakening it approaching landfall. The storm should reach the northern Gulf Coast Friday night or early Saturday, likely near Alabama or the western Florida Panhandle.

As Isaias continues its trek toward landfall, meteorologists report that the system has officially reached hurricane status, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with potential further strengthening before making final impact.

While these deep-water monster waves will frictionally dissipate as they cross the shallow continental shelf, coastal residents can still expect a severe, destructive wave assault when the storm hits the shoreline.

Once Isaias reaches nearshore waters, forecasters project shoreline wave heights will range between 8 to 12 feet, with isolated breakers reaching 10 to 15 feet along exposed beaches.

Beyond massive breaking waves, coastal communities must prepare for a dangerous storm surge of 5 to 7 feet above normally dry ground.

Coupled with widespread heavy rainfall of 3 to 10 inches, hurricane-force wind gusts, severe beach erosion, and life-threatening rip currents, emergency officials urge Gulf Coast residents to complete all safety preparations immediately as the hurricane approaches.

Stay safe, Gulf Coasters.

Twin Fin Invitational Vol. III: Ander Mendiguren and Zoe Jaeckin Win in Zarautz

Chris Dodds — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:28:49 GMT

Editor’s note: There will be four YouTube episodes recapping the magic of the Twin Fin Invitational coming soon.

William Aliotti’s Twin Fin Invitational ended on a high note after an epic week in Zarautz with local Basque legend Ander Mendiguren winning the men’s division, and the young up and comer from nearby Hossegor, Zoe Jaeckin, winning the women’s division. Each winner received a €3,000 check and a guaranteed spot in next year’s event.

Ander Mendiguren represented the Basque Country well with both impeccable surfing and hospitality.

@gorka

Having been on the ground in Zarautz throughout the week, I witnessed first-hand just how rad it is when you gather a diverse group surfers and make the emphasis in the water all about style, creativity, and flow. No heat scores, no priority, no interference. Just trust that each will do their best and respect each other. Sure, it’s still a contest, with heats, rash guards, and prize money, but it’s so much more than that.

Zoe Jaeckin demonstrated clean frontside and backside surfing throughout the event.

@gorka

What’s different about the Twin Fin?

Regardless of the final results, the experience is one that left everyone feeling like a winner. Alex Gray, pro surfer of over 20 years, shared, “I have never been to a contest where I’ve been so well taken care of, not even close.” All within earshot nodded their heads in agreement.

Chippa Wilson made himself right at home in Zarautz.

Twin Fin Invitational

First of all, throughout the entire week the free days were just as fun as the competition days, if not more. After the first day of competition, Tom, Pat, and Leann Curren played an intimate show at Shelter Bar that kept everyone hanging and dancing well into the night. The next day, the swell got too big for Zarautz so the group split up into different strike missions. Some went north towards Hossegor, some went to Mundaka, some stayed local.

Mundaka wasn’t like the legendary day of September 9, 2006, but for someone who had never been there before, it sure felt like it. The wind was far from perfect, but this kept the crowd reasonable considering the swell was 6-8ft and pumping steady throughout the day.

Tom Curren, Clay Marzo, Kepa Acero, and Ander Mendiguren were a few of the surfers who made up the legendary lineup that day and scored, not perfect, Mundaka, but still pretty damn good. After the session there was a shared sense, among both locals and visitors, that we had been a part of a special day.

That same day Ian ‘Gato Son’ Gottron and Greyson Messier trekked to France and found themselves paddling for bombs amongst jet ski crews doing step offs. The boys paddled like men and scored more than just a few baguettes. SURFER will feature footage from both the Mundaka and France sessions in the weeks to cone.

Basque pintxos, waco coffee, Basqueland beer, and twin fins were on tap all week.

Chris Dodds

On the culinary side of things, Shelter Bar, founded by Basque OG Aritz Aranburu, played host to the crew throughout the week serving up everything from delicious pintxos to endless coffees to decadent pastries to local beer, wine and fine entrees throughout breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the nights featured a field trip to a traditional Basque Cidery, Urberu Sagardotegia, where the Twin Fin crew filled up three massive tables and feasted on perfectly grilled bone-in ribeyes that left even the meat-loving South Africans well impressed.

Team dinner at Urberu Sagardotegia.

Chris Dodds

The spot featured giant barrels of cider along entry wall, as is tradition, you fill your cup directly from the spitting barrel and proceed to drink the entirety of it in one go. Unaware of this, I filled my cup more than half way before the Basque lads all yelled at me to pull away and let the next person fill their cup. Aritz informed me of the rules with a smile and a wink, “Now you must drink all of that.“

Everyone was stoked on the giant dinner party, some stayed for over 4 hours. One of our hosts, Carlos Ferrari, explained “I’m glad you guys are liking it because this is a classic Basque spot mate. This place isn’t some tourist place, it’s the real deal.”

Another tradition involved breaking open walnuts via aggressive head-butting but most everyone passed on that one. Well, everyone except for young Kepa Housset-Ezponda who used his head like a hammer to open at least five walnuts in rapid succession. For what it’s worth, he drew some blood that night but seemed fine the next day.

There’s so much more that went down in Zarautz last week, including an epic visit to the Pukas factory, but that’s another story. We’ll be keeping the coverage going with more articles and video content that’s dropping soon. Stay tuned.

Hurricane Rachel’s Colossal Swell Is Already Pummeling Southern California (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:12:52 GMT

Hurricane Rachel may be hundreds of miles offshore, but Southern California is already taking a beating from the incoming storm.

Dramatic footage from Long Beach shows waves slamming into seawalls and exploding several stories into the air, while farther south in Laguna Beach, ocean water pushed into downtown streets as high tides, hurricane swell, and already elevated sea levels combined along the Orange County coast.

Check it out below.

Rachel has since weakened into a tropical storm. As of Thursday evening, the National Hurricane Center placed the system roughly 995 miles west of southern Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Forecasters expect it to make a sharp northeast turn toward Baja and Southern California.

The NHC warns that Rachel-generated swells will continue building through the weekend and are likely to cause “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

Long Beach has been among the most visually dramatic locations. Multiple outlets reported and showed footage of waves crashing into the shoreline and seawall Thursday, with water splashing several stories high. City crews distributed thousands of sandbags and reinforced beach berms as residents prepared for additional flooding.

The backwash, smashing the reinforcements from the waves, makes a towering cascade well over 20 feet. However, the official forecasts are a little different.

Official surf numbers are less spectacular than the footage suggests. The National Weather Service forecasts 3-to-5-foot surf for Los Angeles County beaches, with a high rip-current risk. In Orange and San Diego counties, surf has been running 3 to 5 feet with sets to 7 feet, while tides peak around 6.5 to 7 feet.

But the waves are riding on an unusually high ocean.

An El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave has reached California, capable of raising background sea levels by roughly 6 to 12 inches. Ocean temperatures off Southern California are also running about 7 to 8 degrees above average.

That elevated baseline is what makes Rachel especially concerning.

The NWS Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect through Tuesday, warning of moderate flooding and even isolated significant flooding, especially Sunday.

Further south from Long Beach, waves from Rachel flooded downtown. See footage, linked here, and below.

Rachel isn’t even here yet.

But its ocean energy certainly is.

‘1,000 Waves an Hour’ Mega Surf Park Approved for Northern California

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:04:14 GMT

California just got its first Wavegarden-powered surf park.

Now, an even bigger machine is headed north.

On Thursday, Wavegarden dropped a major update on Alchemy Surf Resort, a sprawling inland surf destination planned for Placer County, north of Roseville and roughly 30 minutes from Sacramento. See announcement, linked here, and below.

“Our map keeps on growing,” Wavegarden announced after the Placer County Planning Commission unanimously approved the project in September.

And the centerpiece is enormous.

Per a press release:

Alchemy will feature a five-acre, 62-module Wavegarden Cove, capable of pumping out up to 1,000 waves per hour for everyone from first-timers to advanced surfers.

For comparison, newly opened DSRT Surf in Palm Desert runs a 52-module Wavegarden Cove across a 5.5-acre lagoon and currently holds the title of North America’s largest Wavegarden Cove. It also produces up to 1,000 waves per hour.

That’s 10 more modules than DSRT Surf – but who’s counting?

Alchemy’s planned 62-module system would therefore take Wavegarden’s California footprint another significant step forward.

Developed by Inland Surf Company founders Chris and Andrea Gallardo, the 25-acre resort will also include a 100-room hotel, 22 bungalows, a 28,390-square-foot surf center, skate plaza, action-sports hub, spas, cold plunges and children’s playground. Developers project more than 450,000 visitors annually once operations are fully established.

The project isn’t designed exclusively for hardcore surfers, either. Plans include youth programs, school partnerships, surf therapy and para-surfing events intended to introduce inland residents to surfing.

Then there’s the inevitable California question: water.

The Placer County Water Agency will supply the resort, while Gallardo estimates its annual water use will equal roughly two to three holes of a golf course.

So when can you surf it?

Inland Surf Company is targeting groundbreaking in 2027, followed by approximately 18 to 24 months of construction. Wavegarden hasn’t announced an official opening date, but current project timelines point toward 2029 if construction proceeds as planned.

California already has the Pacific.

But wave pools are a pretty fun supplement.

Hurricane Isaias Ignites Lightning Burst and 50-Foot Gulf Seas After Record Hurricane Lull

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:20:18 GMT

After one of the strangest hurricane seasons in modern history, the Atlantic finally has its first hurricane. And Isaias is making up for lost time.

Hurricane Isaias strengthened late Wednesday over the Gulf, becoming the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season more than four months after the season officially began. The delay is extraordinary: 2026 had already become the longest hurricane-free Atlantic season of the satellite era, with the previous benchmark for such a late first hurricane dating back to October 1905.

Check out the show the storm put on from space, linked here, and below.

As of early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center placed Isaias about 445 miles south-southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth, with sustained winds of 75 mph, moving east-northeast at 9 mph.

“Additional intensification is expected,” the NHC warned, with Isaias forecast to remain a strong hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast Friday night.

The satellite imagery makes the storm look especially ominous.

Lightning flashes can be seen flickering through the storm’s sprawling thunderheads as the cyclone organizes. Lightning isn’t necessarily unusual in hurricane rainbands, but NOAA notes that bursts near a hurricane’s inner core can sometimes accompany changes in intensity and powerful convective development.

Then there are the waves.

NOAA reported peak seas near 20 feet early Thursday, but its high-seas forecast has significant wave heights building to approximately 30 feet within 24 hours and 33 feet within 48 hours near the hurricane. Critically, NOAA notes that individual waves “may be more than twice” the significant wave height.

Some are claiming even bigger in the Gulf. See the forecast, linked here, below.

Translation: the viral warnings of 25-to-50-foot waves in the Gulf aren’t as far-fetched as they sound, particularly close to the storm’s core.

On land, Isaias may be even more dangerous.

The NHC forecasts 3 to 7 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 10 inches, from southeastern Louisiana through the Florida Panhandle, along with flash flooding, storm surge, tornadoes, and “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

Perhaps the strangest part is why it took so long.

A powerful El Niño has spent much of 2026 producing hostile wind shear across the Atlantic, essentially ripping developing hurricanes apart. Isaias finally found a brief window of lighter shear and extremely warm Gulf water.

The Atlantic waited four months for its first hurricane.

Now it has everyone’s attention.

Rip Curl GromSearch National Final Returns to Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach

Chris Dodds — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:30:07 GMT

The best young surfers in North America are in Virginia Beach today for the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final, the culmination of the 2026 season at Atlantic Park Surf. You can watch here.

Competitors earned their spots through qualifying stops in Tofino, British Columbia; Huntington Beach, California; Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi; and Ocean City, New Jersey. The top finishers from each now meet to decide the 2026 GromSearch National titles in the U14 and U16 Boys and Girls divisions.

The stakes are highest in the U16 divisions. The U16 Boys and U16 Girls National Champions will qualify for the Rip Curl GromSearch International Final in Australia this November, where they’ll represent North America among the best junior surfers from around the world.

Rip Curl GromSearch
Atlantic Park Surf

Rip Curl

Competition runs on Atlantic Park Surf’s T2 Advanced wave setting, the same one used for last year’s National Final, so every heat gets consistent, high-performance conditions. The lagoon is powered by Wavegarden Cove technology, which can produce up to 1,000 waves per hour and more than 20 wave types, from one to six feet.

“Atlantic Park Surf is honored to welcome back the Rip Curl GromSearch, building on the success of last year’s event,” said Nate Stevens, the venue’s general manager. “The high-performance surfing from North America’s top youth surfers will be on full display in our lagoon, sharing a glimpse into the future of the sport.”

Spectators can watch in person for $10, and the full day streams live on Rip Curl’s YouTube channel for everyone else.

The GromSearch is a worldwide series built to give young surfers a fun, high-performance place to compete, and past competitors have gone on to become some of the biggest names in professional surfing. The 2026 North America season is supported by Flexfit, Sun Bum, YETI, FCS, Banzai Bowls, Ritual Vision, Hawaiian Airlines, and Lost Surfboards.

Atlantic Park Surf is the centerpiece of the 10-acre, $350 million Atlantic Park development. Learn more at AtlanticParkSurf.com.

Rip Curl GromSearch National Final
When: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Where: Atlantic Park Surf, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Divisions: U14 Girls, U14 Boys, U16 Girls, U16 Boys
Admission: $10 for spectators
Watch live: Rip Curl YouTube channel

Meet the 11-Year-Old Grom From Bali Inspiring Rob Machado

Zander Morton — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:26:47 GMT

Imagine being an 11-year-old goofy foot from Bali and having Rob Machado look you in the eye to tell you he’s inspired by your surfing.

Sounds like a dream, right?

For Made “Satria” Sugiantara, it’s just reality. In “Time Will Tell” — a new 15-minute mini-profile on one of Indonesia’s brightest young talents — Satria showcases a rare level of talent and by the midday way point in the movie it’s obvious why an Icon like Machado would take notice. From heavy Padang to the Mentawais, every single clip in the film was stacked when Satria was just 9 and 10 years old. Let that sink in.

How many kids are packing bombs at Padang in the single digits? Satria isn’t just picking off the inside scraps, either. At the 9:30 mark, he stands tall in a 5-foot slab, hands casually behind his back. It’s the kind of wave grown adults spend a lifetime chasing (and usually never ride). Satria claimed it at 10. How long until he’s doing this in the Padang Cup? How about on the CT?

“The ocean doesn’t ask who you are, it just waits for you. It teaches you to fall… and to rise again,” Satria reflects in the opening scene. This isn’t a media-trained line or an AI script—it’s just who he is. Grounded, well-spoken, and remarkably mature. Spend a few minutes with Satria and you’ll quickly understand what we mean. Credit goes to his father, Bouekit, and a tight-knit community that keeps him humble on land while also calling him into set waves at big Uluwatu.

Between Satria in Bali and Tahiti’s 13-year-old Kelia Mehani Gallina (aka “Miss Teahupo’o”) charging Chopes, the next generation of tuberiders is in good hands. But before we rush to crown Satria the future Prince of Padang, let’s just allow him to be a kid who loves to surf, at least until he’s a teenager. What does the future hold? At this point, only time will tell.

Hurricane Rachel Whips Around and Charges Toward Southern California (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:17:02 GMT

Hurricane Rachel spent days doing what most Eastern Pacific hurricanes do: spinning safely westward into the open ocean.

Now, it’s turning around.

The National Hurricane Center says Rachel will slow before making a “sharp turn to the northeast” by the end of the week, accelerating back toward Baja California and Southern California. As of Wednesday afternoon, Rachel remained a Category 1 hurricane with 80-mph sustained winds roughly 800 miles west of southern Baja. Peak seas surrounding the storm were running around 35 feet.

The projected turn is highly unusual—though not unprecedented. Eastern Pacific hurricanes are normally steered westward away from California. This time, an approaching upper-level trough is expected to essentially grab Rachel and pull it northeast.

“Rachel is expected to slow down and then turn toward the northeast,” the NHC said, before accelerating toward Baja and Southern California. Forecasters stressed that there remains considerable uncertainty once the turn begins.

Rachel should weaken over cooler water and could be post-tropical before reaching land, potentially somewhere in northern Baja or near the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday. Still, its moisture, winds and ocean energy could have significant consequences.

Southern California is already feeling the ocean effects.

National Weather Service forecasters expect 3-to-6-foot surf across Orange and San Diego counties, dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding around 6.5-to-7-foot tides. By Sunday, Los Angeles-area forecasters say tides could reach approximately 7.5 feet, with vulnerable beaches facing “considerable to significant impacts.”

Hurricane Rachel’s projected path.

NOAA

At Huntington Beach Wednesday, waves were already running roughly 4 to 6 feet.

“If you’re a beginner…it’s not a good idea to go out there right now,” one surfer told KTLA. “Very hazardous, breaking really hard on the sand, lots of rip, lots of undercurrents.”

Then there’s rain.

The NWS currently projects around half an inch for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while eastern L.A. County mountains could receive up to 2 inches. Thunderstorms are also possible.

The NHC warns Rachel’s swells will continue building along Southern California through the weekend, producing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

California has seen tropical systems approach before—most recently Hilary in 2023—but a forecast cone extending toward Southern California remains an extraordinary sight.

Rachel may not arrive as a hurricane.

But after spending days heading harmlessly out to sea, the fact that it’s coming back is worth watching very closely.

Watch John John Florence Face a Terrifying Below-Sea-Level Slab on the Biggest Swell of the Year (Video)

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:24:26 GMT

John John Florence has surfed some of the heaviest waves on the planet.

So has his brother Nathan.

Which makes it especially telling when John describes a wave as “definitely one of the scarier waves we’ve ever seen.” See below.

The Florence brothers recently chased what might be one of surfing’s most mutant slabs: a secret, below-sea-level reef somewhere in the Pacific, where thick ocean swells suddenly disappear into a horrifying ledge before detonating over almost no water.

John had history with the place.

“I had surfed this wave once before,” he wrote. “Nathan had never been and really wanted to see it.”

They almost didn’t go.

“We were keeping an eye on a swell that popped up and debated going until the very last minute,” John explained.

Eventually, curiosity won.

What followed was a full day of travel, then an overnight boat ride during what John called “the biggest swell of the year in this area.”

And when they finally arrived, the wave looked even more absurd than expected.

Video shows enormous lumps of ocean approaching the reef before suddenly sucking below sea level. The trough practically disappears, revealing an impossibly shallow slab before the lip unloads with frightening violence.

Motoring across one particularly deformed section, John summed up the scene perfectly:

“The whole ocean was gone!”

The brothers eventually paddle out, but this isn’t exactly a normal surf session. Much of the footage involves positioning, watching, reconsidering and trying to understand whether the thing is even rideable.

That’s part of what makes the wave so fascinating. Most surfers spend their lives hunting perfection. The Florence brothers regularly hunt consequence.

Nathan has built much of his career around enormous slabs, remote reefs and places where getting caught inside can have serious consequences. John, meanwhile, has proven himself everywhere from Pipeline to massive outer reefs.

Still, neither looks particularly comfortable here. The exact location remains undisclosed—and that’s probably appropriate.

And while some waves are secret because surfers want to protect them from crowds, this one might stay secret because almost nobody would want to surf it anyway.

Indonesia Volcano Creates Two New Islands. But Are There Waves?

Owen James Burke — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:12:38 GMT

In the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, the Earth has been busy making new land. Over the last month, not one but two new islands have reportedly emerged around Anak Krakatau (or Krakatoa), the perpetually restless “Child of Krakatoa.”

Mount Anak Krakatau (Bahasa Indonesia for “Child of Krakatoa”) has added an estimated 81 acres (32.8 hectares) of land during a prodigious eruption between September 4th and 6th, Jakarta Globe. Krakatau is a relatively young and recently active volcano, whose caldera—from which the recent eruptions are believed to have sprung—formed in 1883 following its initial and most catastrophic eruption to date, which destroyed the very island of Krakatoa. How like a child, indeed.

Krakatau has shown bouts of both creation and destruction by land and sea ever since, including its partial collapse resulting in the December 22, 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami. It’s such an active volcano that, despite its peak rising at an average of 23 to 30 feet per year (per MAGMA Indonesia), it regularly collapses time and again, and no dependable satellite imagery or charting stays up to date long enough to be of much reference.

But now, following September’s 25-hour eruption, two new islands, one about 2,500 feet to its northwest and another about 1,600 feet to its southeast, form a line with the caldera. The elevations of the new islands—or extensions of Anak Krakatau, as they’re not yet confirmed to be separate islands—remain yet to be measured. Those nearby are still being told to take caution (and, as of the time of this writing, stay at least 1km (0.6 miles) away from the simmering inferno.

The eruption sent plumes more than a mile and a half (2.7km) into the sky and disrupted the air travel of more than a quarter of a million people. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History Global Volcanism Program puts the island’s new size at about 844 acres (341.5 hectares), and its peak at just under 1,000 feet. And so it goes to show the Pacific Ring Of Fire is still very much alive and well as planet Earth continues to heat and cool and blow, and generally spin on its axis.

But where surfing exploits are concerned: What of these two islands? A quick look at Google Earth satellite imagery says that Anak Krakatau and its neighboring islands certainly fetch their fair share of swell, and I, for one amateur, spy what looks to be a beautiful series of point breaks in one area that are particularly receptive to anything with even just a bit of south in it.

The Krakatau archipelago and Sunda Strait, of course, are known for some heavy-duty slabs, but technically—and for obvious reasons—surfing isn’t allowed right off of Anak Krakatau, neither now nor for the foreseeable. These are newborn volcanic islands. Their shorelines are unstable, their elevations are still being determined, and the volcano itself remains very much active. Still, imagine what happens if the islands stick around: Volcanic rock meets ocean swell. Lava cools into cliffs, reefs and shelves. Currents rearrange the sediment. Waves begin doing what waves do, grinding, carving and sculpting the newest pieces of the planet into something altogether different.

So could these new islands lay groundwork for future surf, either for us, our groms, or our groms’ groms? That’s a resounding you betcha. It sure is pretty to think so, at least. Then again, they could just tumble right back into the sea…

1,000-Mile Kelvin Wave Touches Down in SoCal. Here’s What to Expect

Dashel Pierson — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:59:43 GMT

Something enormous has been moving quietly up the Pacific toward Southern California.

Now, it’s here.

An El Niño-fueled coastally trapped Kelvin wave is arriving along the Southern California coastline, potentially raising background sea levels another 6 to 12 inches for weeks or even months. Unlike a normal swell, there’s no giant wave face approaching shore. It’s essentially an enormous, slow-moving bulge in the ocean hundreds of miles across.

“It is arriving now,” climate scientist Daniel Swain told the Los Angeles Times.

And its timing is concerning.

Southern California is already dealing with abnormally high ocean levels, severe beach erosion and repeated hurricane swells. In Santa Monica, water levels this week were running approximately 11 inches above NOAA’s predicted tides, according to the Times.

Ocean temperatures off Southern California are also roughly 7 to 8 degrees above average, with record warmth extending from central Baja into the region.

“It’s an important part of the development and evolution of El Niño,” explained Dr. Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer at the NOAA. “You can see the link from the tropical ocean all the way to the West Coast.”

The Kelvin wave alone isn’t expected to suddenly inundate the coast.

“The Kelvin wave by itself will not cause flooding,” North Carolina State University scientist Dillon Amaya said. But combine that elevated baseline with high tides, storms and large swell, and the consequences can change dramatically.

That combination is already developing.

The National Weather Service has a Coastal Flood Advisory through Friday night for Malibu, Los Angeles County beaches, Ventura County beaches and Catalina and Santa Barbara islands. Forecasters expect minor to locally moderate flooding, dangerous rip currents and moderate beach erosion, particularly around high tide.

Hurricane Rachel’s southerly swell is arriving simultaneously, while additional west-to-northwest swell is expected behind it. The NWS says vulnerable areas include Malibu, Long Beach and Catalina, and warns that waves could wash people from beaches and rocks or capsize small boats near shore.

The bigger concern may be what comes next.

Scientists expect at least two more significant Kelvin waves between November and January, precisely when California enters king-tide season and its greatest potential for winter storms. Swain said he is concerned coastal flooding could eventually resemble damaging El Niño winters such as 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16.

NOAA explains that these waves begin when weakened equatorial trade winds allow warm, elevated water to shift eastward across the Pacific. Once reaching the Americas, that energy turns north and becomes trapped against the coastline.

For Southern Californians, the important part is simpler:

The ocean is already running high.

Now the baseline underneath the next big swell is getting higher.