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Before sunrise, with the thermometer reading 18 °F (-8 °C) and the wind chill dipping to -4°F (-20 °C), surfer and YouTube creator Ben Gravy set out on what he calls a decade-long dream: to surf a wave that wasn’t quite water and wasn’t quite ice. It was 4:22 a.m. when Gravy and his crew…
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Imagine a hidden whip of wind inside a big storm. High above the ground, cold air suddenly dives downward and slams into the surface, creating a narrow strip of violent winds that can hit much harder than the rest of the storm, like the sharp sting at the end of a scorpion’s tail. That’s a…
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As I write these words, Portugal experiences the worst weather-related catastrophe ever recorded. A series of massive, back-to-back North Atlantic-fueled low-pressure systems brought unprecedented winds that reached an all-time record high of 129,7 miles per hour (208,8 kilometers per hour) in Soure, in the Coimbra district, in central Portugal. These winds blew for several hours…
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Tide tables have a reputation for being rock solid. And to be honest, they deserve it. The rise and fall of the sea is driven mainly by the Moon and the Sun, whose movements can be calculated centuries ahead. In truth and theory, tidal predictions for the year 3,000 could be printed today and still…
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Robert Caughlan, pioneer environmentalist of the Surfrider Foundation, ocean activist, surfer, and an influential figure in the Jimmy Carter administration, passed away on January 17, 2026, at 82. Robert “Birdlegs” Caughlan was a cherished author at SurferToday.com. For several years, I had the privilege to exchange multiple emails and transatlantic ideas with an extraordinarily simple…
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It’s one of the strongest low-pressure systems to hit Portugal in years. Depression Ingrid prepares to slam the southwestern European nation with massive swells hitting the coastline. Nazaré is on hold. A Portuguese meteorologist even called it the “Lady Storm” that will affect mainland Portugal through January 25, 2026. It’s a rare weather phenomenon that…
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Sometimes, it really feels like surfing turned the page on that sad autumn day of November 2, 2010. The day Andy Irons (AI) died, part of the core soul of the competitive side of the sport was buried. It feels like yesterday, but the years burn quickly. In 2010, we were all still discovering the…
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Surf helmets are becoming increasingly popular in today’s lineups. Surfers have realized that the pros of wearing them largely surpass the cons. Here’s how to choose your first head protection gear for the surf. At the turn of the millennium, the idea of putting on a surf helmet before paddling out was highly embarrassing. “Only…
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The urge to surf beats nearly everything. We take risks to get that unmatchable shot of joy of catching a few good waves in idyllic conditions. A flu, pain in the back, a shoulder injury, a hangover, or a headache have never been a problem if we’re confronted with a “you should’ve been there” surfing…
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The mental process of choosing a new surfboard, whether it’s your first, second, or fifth, can be rather exhausting and frustrating. A lot of questions and doubts come to mind, especially when there’s so much money at stake. And yes, surfboards are getting increasingly expensive, despite the growing automation of the manufacturing operation. But that’s…