Vitor Oliveira

Predictability is a concept that is dear to surfers all around the world. Imagine knowing with high accuracy when you'd score perfect waves in the ocean. The idyllic scenario has pretty much improved with advancements in surf forecasting, but the existence of coral reefs adds another layer of consistency to surf breaks. The thing is, perfect or near-perfect natural reefs for surfing are rare. The only alternative is creating them. And that's precisely what a group of surf enthusiasts is trying to do at Back Beach in Bunbury, Western Australia, between the local surf club and Hungry Hollow. The initiative is not new. Around 2018, Troy Bottegal and his team tried to deploy a 12-meter round inflatable reef at this same spot. However, ripped seams put the project on hold for several years. Bunbury Artificial Reef's Second Life Bottegal did give up. He and his committee redesigned the whole project and presented a new artificial reef, shaped like a compact triangle of...

Energy consumption is the Achilles' heel of wave pools. However, WavePrizm believes it is possible to make bigger waves with less power. Power, electricity, energy. If you're inland, without it, there's no surf. It is one of the reasons why many wave pool technologies have not yet seen the commercial light of day, or are just so expensive to run that they also become costly to ride. If a wave costs up to $500 to generate, wave pools will barely break through the market. So, the race to efficient, low-energy consumption artificial wave lagoons will determine which solutions will thrive and remain open for business. Smarter technologies will transform the weaknesses of the industry's business model into opportunities. We've seen it with Finland's ArtWave . Could WavePrizm be following similar steps? Exponential But No Drama Mark Kosich is the man behind the WavePrizm concept and project. At the heart of his ongoing R&D program is the mission to bui...

The older a surfer gets, the harder it is to stay fit to tackle more challenging and prolonged surf sessions. Here's what swimming taught me. The words are from Jarvis Cocker, the frontman of the legendary British band Pulp. Help the aged one time they were just like you. Help the aged 'cause one day you'll be older too. It's really inevitable, and it doesn't happen only to others. Aging does take its toll on surfers, too. Let me share a few personal insights with you. I was blessed with an above-average metabolism, and my weight is one of the steadiest I know among friends and family. It's true that I also work for it. But I do not have to make many concessions to my diet and food and drink pleasures. I follow a classic Mediterranean diet, with less meat and more fish, many salads with a lot of olive oil, mozzarella, fruits, and, obviously, bread and butter. I very rarely drink soft drinks - maybe a Coke with a lemon and ice ten times a year - and m...

Have you ever surfed with a wetsuit that is accumulating water between your knees and your ankles? Not only does it look kooky, but it is also hindering you from riding waves properly. A well-chosen, well‑fitting wetsuit is the first step to more comfort, warmth, and confidence in the water. It locks in a thin layer of water that your body heats, prevents cold surges, boosts your paddling, and even protects you from a few hazards. Getting it right is key to surfing longer, feeling safer, and enjoying every wave a little more. We at SurferToday.com have tested and worn more wetsuits than the years we've been online sharing knowledge and experience with our dear readers. So, it might sound a little picky, but owning a snug wetsuit makes all the difference. Let's dissect some of the variables that make it such a true statement. Warmth and Insulation Your body naturally warms a thin film of water between the skin and neoprene/Yulex . That's what a good wetsuit does. A...

In the 1960s and 1970s, an unusual surf market phenomenon hit Australia before expanding to other parts of the world. It was the Coolite surfboard. The shortboard revolution was a process that changed surfing forever. It reshaped wave-riding vehicles from heavy, long boards in the nine-foot-plus range to light, highly maneuverable six-foot weapons. It did not take place in a couple of months, but mainly between 1967 and 1970. However, before that, one surfboard concept changed the lives of many youngsters during the summer holidays. It was called the Coolite. Cheap, Light, and Fun Coolite was an inexpensive polystyrene beaded foam surfboard that introduced many people to surfing, including future world champions like Damien Hardman, Pam Burridge, and Tom Carroll. The original Coolite was a small board. It was around 4'-5' long, 18 to 20 inches wide, and roughly four to six inches thick. The shapes varied a little, but most of them featured a sunken deck that resulted...

I have lived most of my life as a surfer. In other words, I have more memories of being a surfer than anything else in my existence. Like probably many people of my age and cultural and geographical universe, my first contact with water was a forced one. When I was a kid, my parents decided that I needed to learn to swim before I even knew who I was. So, I was literally thrown into the swimming pools of the city I lived in, without the right to complain or choose anything else. The methods were tough. Or maybe I was just unlucky. I vividly remember a male swimming instructor grabbing my Speedos from the back and sending me up in the air before splashing the surface of the water spectacularly. I think they believed the urgency of survival triggered basic swimming movements. I think I cried. If not, I am sure I told my parents I didn't like the coach. And I guess they were also not fans of this teaching approach. Nevertheless, I learned to swim so that I wouldn't drown. ...

I have found a quiet community on a sunny coastline to stay for the winter. The place is remote, and it feels fresh. I have been without a car, phone, and a clock for a month now and don't miss them at all. There are no utility companies that service this peninsula, so residents are all on solar power here. This is a new experience for me, and I have wanted to go fairly native for a while, so it is a welcomed adjustment. My inexpensive rental is in good proximity to a couple of surf spots. It is not the best time of year for strong swells to hit this coast, but I have been riding small, good-shaped waves every day, and often alone. Lots of water time. I don't think I have been this tan in years. This is the dry season, so it is easy to cruise here with warm, comfortable daytime temps and not much humidity. I am feeling very free and better than I have in a long, long time. With no one else in the water and being such a removed region to live in, I am learning more about m...

The Turnagain Arm is home to one of the world's most famous tidal bores. And yes, it can be surfed against a stunning, heavenly-shaped backdrop. Nestled beneath snow-capped peaks just south of Anchorage, Turnagain Arm plays host to one of the most dramatic tidal bores on planet Earth. Twice each day, during extreme low and high tides, a rolling wall of water surges into this narrow, shallow inlet at speeds between six and 24 miles per hour (9.6 and 38.2 kilometers per hour). If you're a surfer and wonder how big these waves can get, you might be surprised to learn that they can reach heights from just a few inches to as much as 10 feet (three meters). It all depends on how low the preceding low tide dips and how high the following tide climbs. But let's go into more details. Why and Where It Happens Cook Inlet boasts North America's second-highest tides - swinging more than 35 feet (10.6 meters) - second only to the Bay of Fundy . Turnagain Arm's gently s...

If you're mostly an urban surfer, how do you know you're riding waves in safe, unpolluted waters? Are there any indications that you could be putting your health and life at stake? More and more surfers worldwide report sickness episodes after being in contact with near-urban areas and industrial sites. The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is a volunteer water quality monitoring program run by the Surfrider Foundation . It's thanks to Surfrider that many of our cherished beaches and water playgrounds are still relatively accessible and usable. The non-profit environmental organization has been successfully working to protect the world's oceans and coastlines since 1984. The BWTF is one of their several tools to monitor the quality of the waters where people fish, swim, and surf. Across the world, other regional and national non-governmental organizations, like Surfers Against Sewage in the UK, also check if seawater is safe for recreational purposes. All these indep...

Years earlier, I was given a stirring narrative regarding the shape and contour of the wave at Honolua Bay . The celebrated surf spot is on the island of Maui, and I'm told that the Bay's tube is big enough and round enough to fit a Mack Truck inside it. This declaration has been embedded in my mind for years! Adding to the story, I am warned that if I wipe out and lose my surfboard and the board floats into the cave, I am to swim through the cave's tricky entrance on the back of the very next wave to retrieve the board and not to hesitate with the task. Adding intrigue to the fire, after seizing the surfboard, I am to exit the cave as soon as possible. It is another beautiful Maui morning as Paul and I paddle our surfboards out to the Bay's lineup. It appears that the northwest swell is increasing in size today and making its way into the Honolua Bay. Paul and I surmise that this should prove to be an epic surf session. We also know that word about a new swell...

Max was a wonderful boy. Funny, bright, full of energy. Always busy with a thousand things at once: surfing, snowboarding, and playing guitar. Whatever he did, he did it with enthusiasm. He was in the final months of his bachelor's in civil engineering in Delft, getting ready to start his master's in Amsterdam. He was excited. He was ready. In the week before May 11, 2020, Max kept a close eye on the weather forecasts. It was going to be perfect surfing weather. Maybe a little rough, but Max wasn't the type to back out easily. In the end, only he and his friend Mathijs decided to go. "We'll just see," Max had written. "If it doesn't work out, we'll just chill on the beach. Also good." That was Max. That evening, they entered the water at Scheveningen, together with a group of bodysurfers. Then the wind shifted. A thick layer of sea foam, whipped up by the storm, covered the water. They didn't stand a chance. Five young surfers ...

Nearly every day, two local kids watch me surf. I wave to them from the water, and they wave back. I think Gregory and Thomas are happy that I have adopted them as my beach buddies. If I lose my board in the surf and have to swim for it, they are there as my surfboard caddies. Big smiles on their ten-year-old faces as they retrieve the board for me. I know they want to try surfing, so another couple of surf addicts are in the making. I do eventually decide to take them under my wing and introduce them to the good life. We walk out into the ocean as far as we can go without their heads going under, and each takes a turn with the surfboard. When one is settled on top, I push the board toward the beach and watch each attempt to stand upright in the whitewater. They are getting their balance down fairly fast. We are having lots of fun, and we share lots of laughs. I have met their parents and the rest of their large families. Good people. Recently, Thomas has started bringing his...

Clyde Aikau passed away peacefully at his Waimanalo home in Oahu, Hawaii, on Saturday, surrounded by his family. He was 75. Born in Kahului, Maui, on October 24, 1949, Clyde was the youngest of six children of Solomon "Pops" and Henrietta Aikau. His siblings, in order, were Fred, Myra, Eddie, Gerald, and Solomon III. The Aikau family moved to Oahu in 1959, planting new roots on the North Shore. At age 15, Clyde paddled out at Waikiki for the first time under the watchful eye of his older brother Eddie. Before that year ended, he claimed Hawaii's junior surfing title. In 1967, Clyde asked his brother,"  'Hey, Eddie, can you take me out there and show me how to surf the Bay?' So we went out, and he showed me exactly where to go and where not to go and what to watch for." The two brothers quickly became fixtures at all North Shore surf breaks. In 1971, both Clyde and Eddie reached the finals of the Smirnoff Pro and the Duke Kahanamoku Classic. Two ...

It sounds counterintuitive, but surf gear company FCS has hit the brakes on U.S. sales. If you visit the American website of FCS at surffcs.com, these days you'll find a pop-up banner with a very straightforward message: "We're taking a short break from sales in the USA while we carefully review the impact of the new import tariffs." "We truly appreciate your patience and support during this time. Enter your email below to be notified when we are back trading." The move comes after the Trump administration slapped new tariffs on imported goods that feed FCS's supply chain. It's happening in May 2025 and affects all companies dependent on foreign imports, especially those produced in China, as 125 percent of tariffs are in effect for nearly all products. So, with costs jumping overnight, the surf brand chose to pause both its wholesale orders and its online shop, though it will still send fin plugs to board builders. The numbers aren't tri...