🏄‍♀️ Did surfluencers ruin surfing? 😜

👋 🌺 Happy Hawaiian Edition! We didn’t plan it this way, but most of our stories this week ended up being about Hawai‘i. Hope you enjoy it—it’s a double whopper!

🏄‍♀️ Let’s surf:

• Surfluencers ruined surfing, right? 📸

• There’s only one North Shore 🌊🌺

• Word of the week: The Paipo 🏄🏻‍♀️

• To Apple Watch or not to Apple Watch ⏱️

• Paddle out for Clyde Aikau ❤️

^SURFODRAMA

 😱 Surf influencers ruined surfing. Big time. Right? 🤨

For some, they’re aspirational. For others, they’re an insult to the sport. But love them or loathe them, they’re shaping the way surfing is seen, sold, and understood. And that's something we need to talk about.

So why do they make people so mad?

📱 What is a surf influencer?
I know you know, but just so we’re crystal clear. A surf influencer is a person who surfs and creates content—videos and photos—of themselves surfing (and doing surf-adjacent things) and gets paid for promoting products. We are not talking about pro surfers or former pro surfers with gigantic social media followings.

Some surfing influencers sell their own branded products, whether it’s hats, books or surf retreats. The platforms pay them too—there are Instagram bonuses for Reel views, the TikTok creator fund, and ads on YouTube.

And of course, they get free stuff—can be a physical product or a trip or an experience—in exchange for a tag.

💰 Why the hate?
It can be a lucrative gig to be a surfluencer. Which, I believe, is the main problem that the surf community has with surf influencers, although few will admit it.

Lack of skill vs. image is one primary argument. Where influencers appear skilled in curated posts, but often can't surf well in real life.

Then, there’s the fakery argument. “She didn’t even paddle out, just splashed some water on her wetsuit.” “That wave was not 6 feet, it was barely 0.5 foot.” and so on.

Some say that surf influencers don’t have any respect for surf culture. Bullshark. The majority of surfers today have no clue what an Olo is, who Tom Blake was, or how we ended up with shortboards.

The exploitation of surfing i.e. using surfing primarily as content fodder to gain sponsors is a weak one. It’s hard enough to paddle out, but to get someone to film you, then cut all this footage, produce it, post it, promote it. Honestly, I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Lest we forget: “surfing influencers got more people into surfing and ruined secret spots.” 😂

🚨 The one real concern
There’s one thing I do agree with. Beginner surfers don’t know what they don’t know, and they may take some of this social media content at face value.

So if a surfluencer happens to offer incorrect surf etiquette advice or encourages beginners to paddle to the back on a big day because “you can do it too,” this may result in harm. But honestly, I’m not seeing many of these types of posts.

🌊 Do the pros outnumber the cons?
Let me count the ways.

• Visibility

• Representation

• Inspiration

• Education

• Community-building

Now, here’s what to do.

Take the good—inspiration to surf from someone who looks like you. Scroll past the bad. And accept that social media is here to stay, there's no requirement to participate.

You can find a list of surfing influencers followed by the members of Girls Who Can’t Surf Good at the bottom of this article.

^{SURF SPOT SPOTLIGHT}

There’s only one North Shore 🌺🌊

Quick break from the beginner spots—we need to talk about the North Shore.

North Shore, in Hawai’i? As far as I’m concerned, there’s no other. And here’s what every surfer, from a beginner to a crusty, should know about the North Shore, in our guide to the North Shore for non-locals.

We’re heading to one of the most famous stretches of surf in the world: the North Shore of Oʻahu. Even people who never paddled out in their life, chances are they’ve heard of it—probably in the same breath as Pipeline, big waves, or pro surfers.

🌊 The 7-mile miracle
The North Shore is a 7-mile miracle on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. It's home to legendary surf breaks like Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, and yes—Pipeline. These are the kind of waves you see in surf competitions and movies.

In winter, the surf gets massive. We're talking 15 to 30 feet Hawaiian scale, which is more like 30 to 60 foot faces in normal-person speak. So, unless you're Laird Hamilton in disguise... you're not surfing those.

🏄‍♀️ Is it off-limits for beginners?
But does that mean the North Shore is totally off-limits for beginners? Not necessarily. There are a few spots that mellow out in summer when the swell drops.

Puaʻena Point near Haleʻiwa is a well-known beginner break—especially during the calmer months from May to September.

That said, the North Shore isn’t your average learn-to-surf beach. It demands a ton of respect—not just for the power of the waves, but for the local surf culture.

Crowds can be heavy, locals are very protective of their home breaks, and etiquette matters a lot—whether you’re surfing or watching.

🧳 Beginner advice
So if you’re a beginner dreaming of surfing Hawai‘i, here’s what I’d say:

Do visit the North Shore—it’s iconic and beautiful. In the summer, go for a swim, jump off a cliff, oh that’s fun I tell you. Maybe stay at Turtle Bay Resort where they filmed my beloved Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

In the winter, brace yourself, but go and watch the pros surf Pipeline. It’s mind-blowing. 2026—that’s where the pro tour will end.

If you want to surf, go with a local surf school that knows where to take you safely.

Or stay on the South Shore, learn to surf in Waikiki, and head for a day trip to visit Haleʻiwa and the North Shore.

The North Shore for many is like surfing’s Holy Land. It's epic, it's powerful, it's sacred, and it demands respect. So stay respectful.

📺 In case you can’t get there yet
Can’t go now? Watch Rescue: HI Surf about a bunch of North Shore lifeguards and listen to our pod with Noah Evslin, a TV writer who writes—you guessed it—Rescue: HI Surf, and many other Hawaiian-based shows that show surfing.

^{WORD OF THE WEEK}

🏄🏻‍♀️ What on earth is the Paipo?

The Paipo is one of the most ancient forms of the Planing Totems or surf craft. It was a short, roughly 4–5 feet in length​, flat board made from wood like koa, breadfruit (ʻulu), or wiliwili. It was primarily ridden prone (lying on your stomach). When you ever hear anyone use this word—prone. You could also ride it kneeling or even standing, but more on this later.

The ancient Paipo was a high-speed, low-drag, and finless, it was designed purely for planing across waves—not for floating or paddling out like a surfboard. Because of its close to the water feel, it offered what someone would describe as wave intimacy. You can’t make this stuff up.

Who rode the Paipo?
Depending whose historical side you’re going to take on, the boards were ridden in ancient Hawaii only by children or by both kids and adults.

In ancient Hawaiʻi: Paipos were part of a four-board system—olo, kikoʻo, alaia, and paipo—used by everyone: royalty and commoners alike unlike the olo.

As for what the name actually meant, it evolved, beginning with papa liʻiliʻi meaning small board to pae po’o—literally head-first.

The missionary pause and the Paipo comeback
You all know that we kinda lost surfing for 100 years because the missionaries.

But, in Waikiki, the 1920s through the 1960s paipo riding became a thing again. Interestingly enough, wooden bellyboards (paipos) also became common in Cornwall (UK) and Muizenberg (South Africa) where Agatha Christie discovered surfing by the mid-20th century​.

The Wall and standing paipo legends
Back to Hawaii. Beach Boys surfed plywood paipos at the Kuhio beach groin, known locally as “The Wall”.

Standing on a paipo was considered the ultimate at the Wall, and Hawaiian surfers like Valentine ‘Val’ Ching mastered riding the paipo board standing up in the fifties.

He was not alone. Some of the most influential surfers of the 20th century were paipo riders including Albert “Rabbit” Kekai, one of the original innovators of modern surfing, taught by the Duke himself.

Wally Froiseth who effectively invented the first big wave surfboard thanks to his "hot curl" design, has also built the first fiberglass paipo.

Not to mention Eddie and Clyde Aikau.

Paipo vs. boogie board
Honestly, I had no idea that there was such a thing as the modern paipo movement. The paipos were relegated to obscurity by foam bodyboards in the 1970s. Historians do call the Paipos “the great grandfather of the Morey Boogie Board.”​ Tom Morey is the dude who invented boogie boarding.

But. In the UK, traditional bellyboarding based on the paipo never fully died – beaches in Cornwall still host the annual World Bellyboard Championships.

In Hawaii and California, some surfers continue to ride paipos using modern tweaks like small fins or straps for control​.

The Paipo unlike the Alaia (more on this later) has not fully gone away.

Paipo spycraft: surfing meets espionage

One of the coolest stories I came across about the Paipo was about them being used as spycraft (see surfcraft spycraft).

Alfred Solomon (a cousin of Bill Sproat, a revered Hawaiian figure) owned two small concave boards about 1/4-inch by 1 foot by 3 feet made of wiliwili, and according to him, they were used for spying in Hawai’i.

He wrote: the spies selected a night with rough seas and then surfed in to gather information about various activities. The boards were easily concealed. I heard this from the old people and they said that's why the boards were called paepō, "night landing."

^{GIRLS’ RECS}

⌚️ To Apple Watch or not Apple Watch in the lineup?

Some of us call it the ultimate surf safety device. Others believe the lineup is sacred and should be screen-free. And some of us just don’t want to risk losing a $300+ gadget to a rogue wave.

So, what’s the verdict?

🆘 Emergency calls & safety
Probably the biggest reason people love wearing their Apple Watch is the SOS feature and the ability to call and text from your watch.

Amy, one of the Girls Who Can’t Surf Good, remembers: “I broke my leg surfing last summer. I dragged myself to shore and used my watch to call my husband. I never go out without it now.”

This is the kind of story that turns skeptics into believers. If you're alone or out of phone range, the cellular feature can literally save you. And don’t forget about the walkie-talkie feature!

📈 Surf stats & movement tracking
Whether you're using Strava, Dawn Patrol, or just counting your active minutes, the Apple Watch becomes a little surf diary.

I use it to log how long I surfed each day and add it to my journal.

⏰ Dawn patroller hack
Kristy sets an alarm for her morning surf before work: “It buzzes my wrist to let me know when I have to get out.”

No more pulling back your wetsuit sleeve to squint at your 2008 waterproof Casio.

🦈 Shark alerts (yes, really)
Some folks mention Sharktivity or similar apps. Not foolproof, but another layer of awareness—especially if you surf in sharky waters.

🍺 Surf, pay, repeat
Biggest pro for me—because I cycle to the surf—is the wallet-free surf beer. Tap to pay at the bar post-sesh? Game changer.

🫣 There’s one, big, fat con—Losing the damn thing

Lisa said: “My husband lost his during a wipeout. Miracle of miracles—it washed up and someone returned it. But he’s too scared to wear it now.”

Several surfers are afraid to wear theirs unless it’s under the wetsuit sleeve. Way harder if you’re surfing in the tropics, half-naked.

You can use:

• Shark Leash strap (a surf leash for your wrist)

• Catalyst band

• Heavy-duty Velcro

🌊 Saltwater damage
Apple claims water resistance to 50m (or 100m for the Ultra), but some watches still died.

Rebecca shared: “Mine died in less than 20 minutes. Saltwater fried it.”

Pro tip: If yours dies, do not mention saltwater to Apple support 😏

😵‍💫 Tech kills the vibe
Becca knows what she wants: “I surf to disconnect. I don’t want to be reachable. That’s kind of the point.”

Some wear a rescue whistle instead. Others turn off all notifications and put the watch in theater mode so the screen goes dark.

🧠 Should you surf with one?
Some of us want surf to be the last sacred offline zone. Others just want to know they can call for help—or pay for beer (me!).

Do what feels right for you. The waves don’t care.

Thank you Kristy B. for inspiring this post!

^{EVENT ALERT}

🌺 Paddle out for Clyde Aikau - June 26

Later this month, the public is invited to paddle out at Waikīkī for Clyde Aikau who died on May 3, 2025.

“The Last Ride with Uncle Clyde Aikau” organized by the family is planned for Thursday, June 26, at 7:45am - 9:45am.

Anyone who wants to join the paddle out is welcome to gather in Waikiki at the hula mound by the Duke Kahanamoku Statue on Kalakaua Avenue.

If you decide to bring flowers, make sure they are loose or remove the string from the lei before the flowers are thrown into the ocean. 

And if you’re not in Hawai’i, but happen to be surfing that Thursday, spare a thought for the legend. ❤️

Big wave surfer. Hawaiian waterman. Cultural ambassador and education advocate. A graceful regularfoot from Haleʻiwa. Waikīkī beachboy. Clyde Aikau.

⬆️ Aaaaaaand that was the last wave of the week!
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^HOUSEKEEPING

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