🏄‍♀️ Bored with the ocean? Got another option for you (not a 🏊‍♀️)

👋 Happy National Sports Day! We could call this the “murky” edition since we’re talking a lot about how dirty the water we surf in can be. Because what’s more sporty than dodging sewage and microplastics?

🏄‍♀️ Let’s surf:

• Bored of the ocean? 🥱

• Malibu can be a circus 🎪

• When it’s too dirty to go out 💩

• Riding Giants is why I surf 🌊

• News roundup is here 📰

• Halloween happenings 🎃

^{SURF SKILLS}

🥱 Bored of the ocean? Time to try bore surfing, perhaps?

“I’m bored of surfing in the ocean”, said no one ever. But, just in case, how about some bore wave surfing?

It must be one of the weirdest and rarest forms of surfing. Like, surfing in a river?!

🌪️ What even is a bore?

A bore (also called a tidal bore) is a natural tidal phenomenon where the incoming tide forms a wave—or series of waves—that travels upstream in a river or narrow bay, against the direction of the current.

It’s like if the ocean were pushing so much water into a river mouth during high tide that it created an actual breaking wave moving inland. That wave is the bore.

Bores are not a common occurrence. They usually form in areas where the difference between low and high tide is pretty high, typically more than 20 feet. It also helps if the incoming tide is funneled into a shallower and narrower river or lake.

🤪 Why all this excitement?

Okay, what’s the longest ride you’ve ever had in the ocean? 30 seconds? 1 minute on the slow-rolling waves of Hawai’i? Ha!

Bore wave rides can last several minutes to even… wait for it… an hour! I kid you not.

The world record for the longest duration of a bore wave surfed is 64 minutes. The record was set on the Bono tidal bore in Indonesia by Steve King in 2013, with that ride lasting for 12.8 miles or 20.6 km. Insane!

When you watch surfers ride the bore in Alaska, they ride for so long, they need to sit down. Actually, they might just be admiring the views.

🌍 Where to find them

Tidal bores only occur in about 60 rivers and lakes worldwide, which makes sense, because you need a huge tidal range and funnel-shaped estuaries.

Some of the most famous ones are:

• Pororoca, Amazon River, Brazil – the most famous (and loudest) bore in the world. The water is brown, debris-filled, and home to trees, snakes, and piranhas—so it’s a wild ride.

• Severn Bore, River Severn, UK – the most famous bore in Europe. It happens several times a year when tides in the Bristol Channel push into the river.

• Qiantang River Bore, China – a national spectacle; thousands of people gather on the banks every fall to watch it.

• Turnagain Arm Bore, Alaska – spectacular views and icy perfection.

⚠️ Why not do it

I know what you’re thinking: OMG, all of this sounds amazing, lemme try!

But, tidal bores surge up muddy rivers, and the water is often full of branches, logs, plastic, even dead animals swept in from upstream—because, you know, flooding.

Because it’s so murky, you can’t see below the surface, so it’s easy to hit hidden objects. Not to mention, these rivers often run through populated or farmland areas. The water quality can be horrible—bacteria, fertilizer runoff, sewage, etc.

It can be cold. It can be muddy. There could be piranhas, snakes, and crocodiles—although not all at once.

^{WAVE OF THE WEEK}

Malibu is not a beginner wave. It can be a circus 🎪

Malibu is not on our 25 best beginner spots on earth for a very simple reason. It is not a beginner friendly break. But it’s a magnificent wave, and you can with a bit of luck, and perhaps a local instructor get to surf it.

If you’ve ever seen an old surf film, a Beach Boys record cover, or basically anything to do with 1950s and 60s surf culture, you’ve already met Malibu—it’s the most iconic longboard wave in the world. This is where modern surf culture grew up, and it’s still one of the most—unfortunately—surfed spots in California.

🌊 The surf
Malibu is a right-hand point break divided into three main takeoff zones: First Point, Second Point, and Third Point. Beginners will want to stick with First Point—the softest, longest, and friendliest of the three.

• First Point: Long, rolling, peeling rights that can run for 200+ yards on a good day. Perfect for longboarding and learning trim.

• Second Point: A bit faster and steeper. Popular with intermediates on performance boards.

• Third Point: Punchier, shorter rides.

It breaks best on a south or southwest swell (summer is Malibu’s season), but it’s surfable almost year-round. Waves here are mellow when small, but on a solid swell, Malibu becomes a conveyor belt of endless rides—and a zoo.

🚿 Water quality
Malibu’s water quality is…complicated. On clean days, it’s clear and beautiful, but after rain, it can be some of the dirtiest water in LA County. Follow the 72-hour rule after storms. And yes, you can surf it now if you’re still worrying about the post-fire debris.

👙 Wardrobe
Water temps are classic SoCal:

• Winter (Dec–Feb): 56–60°F (13–15°C) — 4/3 or 3/2 fullsuit.

• Spring (Mar–May): 58–64°F (14–18°C) — 3/2 fullsuit.

• Summer (Jun–Aug): 64–70°F (18–21°C) — springsuit, sometimes just a pair of board shorts

• Fall (Sep–Nov): 62–68°F (17–20°C) — 3/2, sometimes lighter.

☀️ Best time for beginners to go
Late spring through early fall (May–October). Summer is prime swell season, and the water’s warmest. Morning sessions are best to avoid the worst of the crowds. You can get luck in late afternoon when most people are at work.

⚠️ Hazards
Malibu is famous, beautiful, and can be welcoming—but it’s also chaotic. Things to keep in mind:

• Crowds: This is one of the busiest surf spots in the world. On a good summer day, expect 100+ surfers in the lineup. It’s the only place I have ever heard “Get off my wave or I’ll kill you”. Thankfully I wasn’t on the receiving end

• Drop-ins: Because of the crowd, etiquette can break down. Don’t be surprised if someone snakes you

• Rocks: The bottom is mostly cobblestone reef—watch your step getting in and out or if you’re riding straight to the beach on low tide

🏄 Rentals + lessons
You won’t find surf rentals right on the sand, but nearby Malibu Surf Shack (at the pier) has rentals, soft-tops, and lessons. There are also surf schools in Santa Monica and Venice if you’re coming up the coast.

🍉 When you’re not surfing
Malibu is a day trip central:

• Stroll the Malibu Pier for tacos, fishing, or cocktails at Malibu Farm

• Drive up the coast for the best views ever along PCH

• Check out the Adamson House Museum next to the break

• Hike in the Malibu hills for waterfalls and canyon views

• Shop at local Ralph’s for some celebrity spottage

• If you can’t handle the lineup, return your surfboard, and go paddleboarding instead

🧳 Solo friendly?
Yes—with caveats. Malibu can feel intimidating at first because of the crowds and vibe, but it’s also one of the most legendary spots to tick off your surf bucket list. If you’re traveling solo, be courteous and manage expectations: even one wave at Malibu feels like a win.

And one more thing. It’s legendary. Take whatever you can get.

^{SURF SCIENCE}

💩 When is it too dirty to surf?

You might’ve seen the news this week that we’ve crossed the first tipping point in climate change.

Namely, scientists have determined that the "tipping point" for coral reefs begins, and now we’re being told that we’re in the middle of the coral reef dieback—the collapse of coral reefs worldwide, if you will.

You may be wondering what this has to do with the water conditions at your local surf spot. It’s the temperature. The warmer the ocean, the dirtier it becomes.

🧴 Plastics and microplastics

As if just having plastic in the ocean weren’t enough, now the higher ocean temperatures speed up the breakdown of plastic debris into smaller, more harmful microplastics.

These tiny particles can be ingested by marine life, who then carry the toxins up the food chain. Or you can just gulp a handful of microplastics yourself.

🦠 Algae blooms & runoff soup

Warmer ocean water—especially when combined with nutrient pollution from runoff—creates perfect conditions for bacteria to grow.

Now, what is runoff? Basically, it’s rainwater and everything it sweeps up going straight into the ocean. Runoff sounds so benign, but how’s this: fertilizers and pesticides from farms, oil, gasoline, and heavy metals from roads, trash and plastics from urban areas, animal waste, or sewage overflow. Oh my.

Back to algal blooms. They deplete oxygen in the water, creating "dead zones" where most marine life cannot survive. Not all algal blooms are harmful, but some types of algae produce toxins that can cause skin irritation and even severe illness.

🚫 So, are we saying that it’s already too dirty to surf?

No need to fully panic yet. One could say that surf spots occasionally get too dirty to surf.

Urban runoff after a storm will ruin any surf spot for about 72 hours, and even if the water looks surfable—i.e. not brown as baby’s poop—it can still be full of E. coli, staph, and other gross things that cause ear infections, skin rashes, pink eye, sinus infections, and even gastrointestinal issues. So, be aware of the risk you’re taking.

🚧 What can you do?

It’s always good practice to follow beach closures and health advisories, even if they’re sometimes conflicting.

Practical advice from surfers who deal with less-than-ideal water conditions daily: neti pot religiously to avoid sinus infections.

😜 A little bonus

This week, Doheny Beach—one of SoCal’s most beloved beginner spots—got flooded by runoff from the San Juan Creek. And yeah… it wasn’t a pretty sight.

^{SURFODRAMA (BUT NOT REALLY)}

🌊 Riding Giants is why I surf

I don’t think I would’ve ever started surfing if it wasn’t for Riding Giants by Stacy Peralta (and Sam George). Some people fall in love with surfing on vacay in the tropics—I fell in love with surfing on a couch in my North London apartment.

To this day, I’m surprised more surfers can’t recite key lines from memory. You could say I have a very romantic notion of Riding Giants.

👉 Read the full story

^{THE WIPEOUT WEEKLY SURF NEWS ROUNDUP}

🗞️ Nor’easters, 14-year-old pros, and bachelorette surf trips. Also—what’s Mundaka?

🌀 Nor’easter delivers 10-foot chaos to NYC
A powerful nor’easter slammed the East Coast this week, throwing 10–15 ft walls at Rockaway and beyond. While most New Yorkers were battening down bins, frothing surfers hit the lineup.

🌟 Tya Zebrowski, 14, joins the CT
French-Tahitian prodigy Tya Zebrowski has qualified for the 2026 WSL Championship Tour—making her the youngest surfer ever to do so.

👰‍♀️ Surfing, not shots: the new bachelorette trend
Forget Vegas. Brides-to-be are swapping hangovers for Costa Rica surf camps, yoga, and beachside massages.

🧜‍♂️ Kai Lenny finds secret slab in El Salvador
Hawaiian waterman Kai Lenny just stumbled on a hidden left-hand gem serving Mundaka-style barrels—long, hollow, reeling, and rare.

👉 Read the full news roundup

^{SURF EVENTS CALENDAR}

🎃 Halloween happenings are on!

🗓 Saturday, October 18, 9am—10am
📍 South Side, Oceanside Pier, California
👯‍♀️ Spooky Surf Women Meetup organized by Kyla Peterson
💵 Free
🎭 Costumes encouraged

🗓 Saturday, October 19, 9am
📍 Topanga Bay, California
🏄 Annual Kooky Spooky Halloween Meetup organized by LA Kooky Girls
💵 Free
🎭 Costumes and booties (rocky bottom) encouraged

_{P.S. If you would like your event featured in our newsletter (and soon, on our website)—for free—just reply to this email and pitch us. Free events only, please!}

⬆️ Aaaaaaand that was the last wave of the week!
If a friend forwarded this and you liked it, hit subscribe & join us! We will see you all next week! 🌊

^HOUSEKEEPING

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