Could Climate Crisis Insurance Save El Salvador’s Waves?
Save The Waves Coalition is piloting the first parametric insurance product aimed at protecting surf‑dependent businesses along El Salvador’s Pacific coast. The scheme, developed with Willis Towers Watson, will trigger payouts based on rainfall thresholds derived from four decades of data. Expected beneficiaries include hotels, restaurants, fishers and other operators in the Oriente Salvaje surf zone. A pilot launch is slated for the June rainy season, with the goal of funding ecosystem restoration and stabilizing local incomes.
This Costa Rican Corridor Should Be A Blueprint For The World
Costa Rica’s Guanacaste and Puntarenas coast is undergoing a five‑year ecological makeover, planting 10,000 native trees across 23 hectares to re‑establish a continuous coastal forest corridor. The project, part of the Central American Biological Corridor, restores dunes, mangroves and lowland...
Indonesia's Reefs Face Increased Threat From Mining
Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, a world‑renowned dive destination, has seen a 109% rise in fish biomass within its ten marine protected areas since 2007. Yet the government recently approved new nickel‑mining concessions on three northern islands, including sites inside a UNESCO...
$60M Surf Farm Wave Pool Supercharges Australia's Sunshine Coast
Wavegarden is building a $60 million Surf Farm wave‑pool complex on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, targeting a 2028 launch. The 10‑hectare site will host a 62‑module Cove system, the largest Wavegarden installation on Australia’s east coast. World‑champion surfer Joel Parkinson backs the...
Bali's Trash Fires Explained: What Travelers Need to Know Before They Go
Bali’s 32‑hectare TPA Suwung landfill stopped taking organic waste on April 1, with a full closure set for August 1, leaving thousands of tons of trash without processing. Residents and businesses have turned to open‑air burning, creating persistent smoke plumes across the...
Scientists Stumble on Hidden Island in Antarctic ‘Danger Zone’
Scientists aboard the Alfred Wegener Institute’s icebreaker Polarstern discovered an unnamed island while navigating the Weddell Sea’s notorious “danger zone.” The landmass measures roughly 130 meters long, 50 meters wide and rises 16 meters above sea level. The find emerged during a mission...
Insane 800ft Waterslide Unleashed in Philippines: ‘Is This Even Legal?’ (Video)
Locals in Bansalan, Mindanao have turned the 250‑meter spillway of a 1978 irrigation dam into an unofficial waterslide, drawing thrill‑seekers and generating viral videos. The concrete channel, originally built to supply farms and homes, now serves as a makeshift waterpark...
It's Commerce Versus Coral At One Of Florida's Busiest Ports
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with a $1.35 billion dredging plan to deepen Port Everglades to 55 feet and widen the entrance to 800 feet, aiming to accommodate larger container ships and tankers. Environmental groups warn the project could...
Lucas ‘Chumbo’ Chianca Charges Possible 75-Foot Nazaré Record Wave (Video)
Brazilian big‑wave surfer Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca was towed into a massive wall at Nazaré that observers estimate at roughly 75 feet, sparking talk of a new world‑record wave. The current Guinness record remains Sebastian Steudtner’s 86‑foot ride from 2020, but measuring...
Jon Rose: Healing From 16 Years of Disaster Relief
Former pro surfer and Waves For Water founder Jon Rose spent 16 years on disaster‑relief missions before recognizing severe burnout and PTSD. After a breaking point in New York, he pursued MDMA‑assisted therapy, breathwork, EMDR and meditation to heal his...
New Surf Film "Undercurrents" Spotlights Mentorship, Sisterhood, and Nazare
Maddie Meddings’ new documentary *Undercurrents* chronicles veteran surfer Laura Crane mentoring 16‑year‑old Imari Hearn as they tackle the giant waves of Nazaré, Portugal. The film spotlights a rare female‑focused mentorship narrative in a sport long dominated by men, while also...
Florida’s New Coastal Resilience Law Blocks Destructive Projects and Supercharges ‘Living Shorelines’
Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 302 on March 19, establishing Florida’s first comprehensive coastal resilience law. The statute directs the Department of Environmental Protection to create clear rules and permits for nature‑based shoreline projects such as dunes, wetlands, mangroves...
Ancient Asteroid Detonates North Sea, Unleashing 330ft Mega-Tsunami
Scientists have confirmed that the Silverpit structure on the UK continental shelf is an asteroid impact crater dating back more than 43 million years. The impact displaced water and rock, creating a megatsunami that surged over 330 feet—taller than the Statue of...
Surf for East Oz Set to Fire
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu is generating a strong easterly swell that will affect Queensland and New South Wales over the next week. A modest first pulse begins tonight and continues through Thursday, followed by a larger Friday‑Saturday pulse as the storm...
Family Clings to Life for 7 Days in 10ft Seas Before Dramatic Coast Guard Rescue
A family of three was stranded for seven days in the Federated States of Micronesia after their 23‑foot skiff lost engine power. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a massive search covering more than 14,000 square nautical miles and located the...
'Strongest El Niño in 140 Years' Could Supercharge Global Weather This Year
A 62% probability of an El Niño forming in 2026 was announced by NOAA, and European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts models now suggest it could be the strongest in 140 years. The event would qualify as a “super” El Niño, with...
$45 Million Wave Pool Surges Toward Reality in Oceanside Only 3 Miles From the Beach (Video)
A $45 million surf lagoon is finally breaking ground in Oceanside, California after a four‑year delay caused by lawsuits, permitting hurdles, and archaeological findings. The 3.5‑acre wave pool will generate customizable, year‑round surf conditions using pneumatic technology similar to other U.S....
Inside Earth’s Most Remote Island, Where Life Runs On A “Constant Balancing Act”
Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, is widely recognized as the world’s most remote inhabited island, sitting roughly 2,700 km from South Africa and 3,700 km from South America. Its isolation has fostered a unique...
Cape Fear Slab Explodes as Lucas Chianca, Lucas Fink and Dylan Longbottom Charge ‘Best Day Ever’ at Sydney Psycho Wave...
Surf documentary Tim Bonython captured a spectacular day at Sydney’s notorious slab wave, Cape Solander—dubbed “Cape Fear.” The wave breaks just meters from a rock ledge, sending wipeouts into the crag and producing massive, unpredictable barrels. Brazilian big‑wave surfers Lucas...
Freak Florida Sandbar Spins Up Rare Novelty Waves: ‘It Finally Happened’ (Video)
A government‑funded sand dredging project off Jupiter, Florida, has unintentionally formed a new sandbar that produces fleeting novelty surf waves. Surfers captured video of the A‑frame peaks breaking off the bar’s edges, echoing a similar accidental surf break created by...
Grain Surfboards Launches Bio•Logic: A Performance Board Built Without Foam or Fiberglass
Grain Surfboards unveiled Bio•Logic, a performance surfboard built without foam, fiberglass, or most resin, using Maine‑grown cedar, FSC‑certified plywood, natural cork and flax fabric. The vacuum‑bagged construction promises a lighter, more flexible and responsive ride compared with traditional boards. Grain...
AI Satellites Lock Onto Ocean Garbage Patches To Supercharge Cleanups
European Space Agency’s Sentinel‑2 satellites are being equipped with AI‑driven image recognition to locate ocean plastic patches. The ADOPT program combines these detections with predictive drift models, giving cleanup teams a 24‑hour window to target debris. Cloud interference hampers optical...
How to Train for Surfing: 12 Essential Land Exercises That Actually Work
The article presents a curated list of 12 land‑based exercises designed to boost surfing performance. It groups movements into four pillars—paddling power (vertical pulls, standing pulldowns, barbell rows), balance (shrimp squats, single‑leg deadlift, Romanian deadlift), power (push‑ups, jump squats, one‑arm...
Kelly Slater’s Watch Blasts Off on Artemis II Moon Mission
Kelly Slater’s Outerknown logo‑branded strap is attached to a Breitling Endurance Pro watch now traveling aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission. Astronaut Reid Wiseman is wearing the $3,700 timepiece as the crew performs the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17. The mission...
Maui, Malibu, Hawaii: How Insurers Failed Coastal Communities and Investors Moved In
Recent floods on Hawaii's North Shore and wildfires in Maui and Malibu exposed a systemic flaw: standard homeowners and renters policies exclude flood damage that rises from below, leaving many victims without coverage. Insurers have repeatedly denied or underpaid claims,...
Mega-Tsunami Threat Looms as Cascadia Fault Builds Toward 9.0 Quake, Experts Warn
A new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study finds a 15% probability of a Cascadia Subduction Zone rupture within the next 50 years and a 29% chance by 2100. The zone, which last produced a magnitude‑9 quake in...
John John Florence Hunts Freakish Secret Slabs in New Zealand (Video)
Three‑time world surf champion John John Florence continues his self‑imposed sabbatical, sailing with his family to New Zealand and chasing rarely seen slab waves. The latest Vela episode captures the family’s offshore lifestyle, their toddler Darwin on board, and a...
Fight for the Bight 2.0: Australian Surfers Mobilize Against Planned Offshore Gas Exploration
The Australian Labor government has opened five new offshore gas exploration blocks in the Otway Basin, covering roughly 1.6 million hectares off Victoria and 800,000 hectares off Tasmania. The move revives drilling ambitions that were previously halted after the successful #FightForTheBite...
Why Some Coral Reefs Bounce Back While Others Slowly Collapse
A new study by researchers at Germany’s Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam reveals that coral reef recovery hinges on population density patterns rather than just disturbance severity. Reefs with “concave” density—where adult corals cluster at...
$13.45m ‘World’s Largest’ Surf Park Aims to Unleash 10ft Waves in Dubai
Dubai is set to host the world’s largest indoor wave pool, branded SurfBase Dubai, with a planned 10‑foot, 30‑meter‑wide surfable surface. The project seeks $13.45 million in funding and has secured a ten‑year residency at CityLand Mall, pushing its opening from...
Terrifying 3D Rogue Waves Reach 65 Feet And Shatter Old Science (Video)
A new experimental study shows that rogue waves can tower up to 65 feet (≈20 meters), roughly four times larger than traditional estimates. Researchers built a circular tank with 168 paddles to generate multidirectional swells, revealing that 3‑dimensional crossing waves amplify height...
Kelly Slater’s 2,000ft Austin Surf Park Claims ‘Better Than 99% of Ocean Waves’
Kelly Slater’s Wave Company is set to launch the Austin Surf Club, a 2,000‑foot synthetic surf lagoon that Slater claims can outperform 99% of ocean waves. The project follows the successful Surf Ranch in California and the Abu Dhabi wave...
Drift Theory: The Custom Surf Charter Navigating Central America This Spring
Kelly Foote and filmmaker‑fisherman Hunter Hulett have launched Drift Theory, a custom surf charter sailing from Panama to California this spring. The venture offers week‑long adventure packages that blend surfing, sport fishing and farm‑fresh cuisine, with itineraries covering the San Blas...
California Bill Ignites Push to Protect Iconic Surf Breaks as Official ‘Surfing Reserves’
California Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin introduced AB 1938 to establish state‑designated surfing reserves that protect iconic wave sites such as Malibu, Rincon, Trestles and Maverick’s. The bill seeks to recognize the cultural, historical, economic and ecological value of these surf zones and...
Inside Palmyra Atoll, America’s Most Remote ‘Secret’ Island in the Pacific (Video)
Palmyra Atoll, a U.S. territory located about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, is one of the planet’s most isolated islands. The low‑lying atoll hosts abundant tropical wildlife, from sharks and manta rays to giant clams and seabirds, and remains largely...
$70M ‘Largest Wave Pool in Europe’ To Supercharge Surf in Madrid by 2027
Wavegarden, the Basque‑based surf‑park technology leader, is supplying its wave‑generation system for the Gemswell Surf Madrid project, slated to open in spring 2027. Backed by Stoneweg, Teras Capital and Atlético de Madrid, the €60 million (≈$70 million) investment will create a 23,000 m²...
Mutant 25-Foot Shipstern Bluff Is ‘Pure Evil’ in New Stern Warning Session (Video)
The latest “Stern Warning” surf session captured by filmmaker Tim Bonython showcases the notorious Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania, where waves can swell to 15‑25 feet with a long 17‑second period. The wave’s ribbed steps and ledges create a chaotic, “pure...
Spring Surf Escapes: Where to Score Dreamy Waves Right Now
Spring offers a brief but potent surf window across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, with the Canary Islands, Hossegor, Bali, the Maldives and Morocco delivering quality waves as water temperatures rise. The Canary Islands see 64‑68°F waters and powerful...
82-Foot Tsunami Erases Doggerland ‘Paradise’ In Mesolithic Europe (Video)
Doggerland, a Mesolithic land bridge linking Britain to continental Europe, was long thought to have been wiped out by an 82‑foot tsunami triggered by the Storegga submarine landslide around 8,150 years ago. Recent research from Cambridge University challenges the notion of...
The New Camo Florence Waterproof Headphone Collab Just Dropped
Pro surfers John John, Nathan and Ivan Florence have launched a limited‑edition camo version of H2O Audio’s TRI 2 Multi‑Sport headphones. The TRI 2 features open‑ear bone‑conduction audio, an IPX8 waterproof rating and 8 GB of internal MP3 storage for underwater listening. The...
Psycho Slab in Peru Goes Below Sea Level and Runs 650 Feet (Video)
The article spotlights La Punta, a newly recognized surf break in Lobitos, Peru, delivering a slab wave that runs up to 200 meters (650 feet) below sea level, reminiscent of Namibia’s famed Skeleton Bay. Its ultra‑consistent left‑hand point break offers long, hollow...
Experts Officially Predict El Niño for 2026; How Big Will It Be?
NOAA, the National Weather Service and the Climate Prediction Center forecast a shift from La Niña to ENSO‑neutral conditions by May 2026, with a 55 % chance of neutral weather through July. The outlook then turns to El Niño, which carries a 62 % probability...
Inside ‘The Most Remote Homestead on Earth’ in the Middle of the Pacific
Three generations of the Humbert family have built an off‑grid pearl farm on Ahe Atoll, one of the most remote locations in the South Pacific. Their Kamoka brand sells pearls ranging from a few hundred dollars to $14,000, while the...
‘Italian Robinson Crusoe’ Spends 33 Years Alone on Island to Escape People
Mauro Morandi, a former teacher, abandoned modern life in 1989 after his catamaran failed, choosing to live on Sardinia’s Budelli Island. For 33 years he occupied a World War II shelter, maintained the iconic pink‑sand beaches and educated visitors about the...
Fire Tornadoes Could Torch Oil Spills While Cutting Toxic Smoke
Researchers at Texas A&M have demonstrated that engineered fire whirls can increase the efficiency of in‑situ oil‑spill burning by roughly 40%, while cutting particulate emissions. The team built a 16‑foot triangular chamber that generated a 17‑foot vortex, consuming the oil...
Is An All-Sardine Diet The Key To The Next Superhuman Surfer?
Harvard‑trained metabolic researcher Dr. Nick Norwitz embarked on a 30‑day “sardine fast,” consuming roughly 1,000 sardines and supplementing with oil to boost fat intake. The experiment drove his blood omega‑3 levels to an unprecedented 16%, a concentration comparable to marine...
‘Keeping In The Shadows’ Premiere Tour Hits SoCal Theaters
Perry Gershkow’s six‑year self‑funded surf documentary Keeping In The Shadows is now on a Southern California premiere tour, hitting venues in Newport Beach, Laguna, Oceanside and Encinitas. The film, co‑created with Noah "Waggy" Wegrich and featuring surf legends like Cliff...
Jack Johnson Offers Sneak Peek Of New Album, New Film
Jack Johnson is set to release a double album titled “Surfilmusic” on May 15 through Brushfire Records. The album doubles as the soundtrack to his new documentary of the same name, which premiered at SXSW and chronicles his journey from...
'Biggest Swell Ever Seen' Sends 20-Foot Wedge Freight Train Past Newport Boat (Video)
An unusually strong south‑southwest swell hit Southern California this week, generating 3‑foot, 20‑second sets. The Wedge in Newport Beach recorded a massive 20‑foot face wave, described as a “freight train” by surf legend Kelly Slater. The wave slammed into the...
25ft Todos Santos Delivers Thriller at Killers Highlight Reel (Video)
The Thriller at Killers big‑wave contest unfolded on February 7 at Todos Santos Island, delivering 25‑foot swells that few events see. South African Grant “Twiggy” Baker captured the men’s title after a three‑day chase across iconic breaks, while San Diego’s...