How do you earn the nickname " Surf City ?" First, the location must have good, consistent waves. Second, the area must also be the epicenter of the surf industry, with surf shops, surf businesses, and home to iconic surf contests. And third, the community must be tight-knit, care and respect for each other, all the while exhibiting surfing's greatest quality: aloha. There’s only one location around the world that embodies all of this: Huntington Beach, otherwise known as Sur

All photos courtesy Kailey Aiken Great waves? Check. Delicious food? Check. A hotel on the beach? Big check. Barefoot surfers walking around town in bikinis and board shorts? Check. Nosara, Costa Rica checks every box for a fun, stress-free surf trip, so here’s how you should spend your week in Playa Guiones, Nosara. Getting to Nosara The closest major airport is Liberia (LIR), about two and a half hours from Nosara. Book transportation in advance — last minute rides will

Signage paying homage to Surf Expo's incredible 50 years was on full display throughout the January 7-9th event. Photo courtesy Stephanie Brown Throughout January 7-9, 2026, the surf collective, from legacy brands to startups, pros and more, gathered for the bi-annual Surf Expo. This time, it had more significance than ever: it was the 50th year of the tradeshow. Surf Expo's 50 years is a historic amount of time, because when the show first took place in 1976, pro surfing was

There's no sport more beatiful than surfing, and capturing it demands more than just skill. It requires the right gear. I'll be the first to tell you: as a seasoned surf photographer, I've learned through countless sessions the critical importance of selecting the perfect camera. Understanding key features like fast autofocus and durability is crucial, because I've experienced firsthand the consequences of overlooking these factors. Reliable gear can mean the difference betwe

With Dawn Patrol, all of these stats — and more — are all at your fingertips. Photo courtesy Dawn Patrol There's one thing that all of us surfers have in common, regardless of where we surf, the type of boards we ride and our skill level: we all want to improve our surfing. But unlike other sports where you can easily track your performances, doing so with surfing has been ambiguous. Improving your surfing meant catching more waves, and feel stronger while doing so. In today'

In mid November, El Sunzal, La Liberta, El Salvador played host to the worlds’ greatest collection of SUP and Paddleboard talent with over 169 athletes, representing 27 national teams. The waves were pumping, the air was warm (no wetsuits necessary), and the crowd — given the several team components of the event — was absolutely electric. You could feel the excitement and passion on the beach. Video courtesy Surf City El Salvador Oh, and if you missed the 2025 World Longboar

There's nothing worse than a cold child on the beach.

It's the holiday season, which means two things: there's going to be waves fueled by cold fronts, and you're going to be looking for new gear for yourself and your loved ones. But with so much surf and beach gear out there, where do you start? In the old days, catalogs used to arrive in your mail to inspire you with the year's latest and greatest gifts, and today, these catalogs take the form of digital gift guides. From shoes to clothes, sunglasses, towels, protein bars (we'

There's no better place to hold a championship longboard contest than the venue of El Sunzal in El Salvador. From the long and unraveling wave itself to the surrounding jungle and beach community, it's a true surfer's paradise. That's why, when there is a contest at El Sunzal, it's going to be historic, and that one word describes the 2025 Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships held in November. Your 2025 champs: Rachael Tilly and Kai Ellice-Flint. The event, a single

Let’s face it, for a lot of us surfers looking into college a main criteria involves the question: are we able to surf there? Personally, I wasn't able to ponder possibilities not bordering a coast as I knew there would be no surfing for quite some time. So I ended up in the surf mecca of California at arguably San Diego’s best college for surfers. Let’s look into why SDSU has it all for the surfer looking for quality education and waves. To begin, let’s talk about school. T

Surf Expo, the leading marketplace for watersports, coastal, and outdoor lifestyle brands, proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Since 1976, Surf Expo has served as the go-to destination for trend-setting product launches, industry connections, and business growth. This milestone year also marks a strategic spotlight on Shoreline Outdoor — a growing category that bridges surf, coastal, and outdoor lifestyles for today’s water-inspired outdoor consumers. For five

We’ve all heard of pro surfers traveling to crazy parts of the world like Antarctica to surf the most obscure waves. The everyday surfer tends to be absent from these types of adventures. Have you ever felt the urge to leave everything behind for a few weeks and spend your days sailing in the southernmost continent searching for an uncrowded, frost-touched, majestical wave? Let’s make this trip possible. Can You Actually Surf in Antarctica? Surfing Antarctica is no easy fea

Atlantic Park Surf is the latest wave pool to join the stage of synthetic surfing. Like the rest of the East coast, Virginia Beach suffers from a bad case of inconsistent waves — but no longer. Atlantic Park Surf’s cutting-edge wave lagoon aims to make this a problem of the past. History of Atlantic Park Surf Atlantic Park Surf is the first Wavegarden Cove facility in the United States. Wavegarden is a Spain-based wave tech company, which currently has 12 surf parks in oper

If you've ever been out in the water for hours on end or on a surf trip and didn’t bring a wetsuit top or rashguard, I’m sure you regretted it in the end. Not only do rashguards prevent rashes on the upper body, but they also provide an extra layer of protection from the sun. In this list, I have ranked the best rashguards on the market, considering both affordability and utility. The Best Men's Rashguards Option 1: Florence Marine X: Long Sleeve Utility Pocket Hooded Rashgua

Teagan Meza wins the 2025 Rip Curl Grom Search!