I had a pretty bad cold last week and took / was forced to take a break from surfing. With days to kill in bed, I watched all the surf movies and surf documentaries currently streaming on Netflix. I mean, why not. And also, you’re welcome, because I can tell you know what’s on and, more importantly, what’s worth / not worth watching! 🖥
First up, surfing documentaries:
Africa, Europe – Europe and Africa: Surfers live differently on each continent and Africa marks a special place, as surfing is in many places at its very beginnings. Beyond: An African Surf Documentary follows locals along the coast of Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia into their homes, visits their home surf spots and takes a look into their surfing lives. Three months of shooting culminated in a 111 minute long episodic journey on a continent, that has the potential to be the next big thing in surfing.
As someone who travelled to Senegal and stayed on Ngor Island just off the coast of Dakar (yep, where they shot The Endless Summer!), I was really looking forward to watching this documentary and thoroughly enjoyed it. The surfers interviewed share their passions for surfing very intimately, and the hope and pride of each person’s love for their home is incredibly touching. One of the best I have seen recently, great stuff!
Ritratti di Surf (Surf Portraits) is a surf movie / documentary about surfers, shapers and artists connected to the Italian surf scene. The footage was shot between 2011 and 2013 by the Onde Nostre Crew firstly as a web series, before it was condensed into a shorter documentary film.
Can you surf in Italy?, is one of the questions that local Italian surfers are most often asked. Ritratti di Surf is a movie / documentary that tries to give an answer to that question through interviews.
Great documentary for a mid-week evening. It’s only 68 minutes long, with an interesting look at Italian surfers. It’s got a super chilled and mellow vibe, plus some great footage of longboarding. I felt it really captured the essence of “free surfing” and how that’s all about good vibes and fun times.
In Nordfor Sola, North of the Sun, Inge Wegge and Jørn Ranum spend nine months of cold, Norwegian winter in the isolated and uninhabited bay of a remote, arctic island by the coast of Northern-Norway, facing nothing but the vast Atlantic Ocean. There they build a cabin out of driftwood and other cast-off materials that wash up on shore, and eat expired food the stores would otherwise throw away. They bring with them two items of utmost importance: their surfboards. They become their biggest motivation for the arctic adventure as the remote bay holds a well kept secret: Some of the worlds’ finest surfing waves.
I found this documentary to be interesting and inspiring. The boys document an incredible experience while sharing a much broader environmental message. The cinematic qualities are great, beautiful shots and lighting, even on what seems to have been a small budget. The story is told authentically, there are laughs and frustrations, they show the difficulties of living in a cabin built from driftwood and other waste.
I went on an artic surf trip to the Lofoten Islands in Nordland, Norway. Seeing this documentary brought back so many memories of my trip there. In my opinion it was both an entertaining and honest account of the experience which made the documentary really stick with me. I can’t think of another documentary which has had so much impact on me. I recommend this to anyone who loves a bit of adventure, travel and a lot of surfing.
Filmed in beautiful locations in Australia, Cornwall and France, Behind the Tide provides an insight into creative individuals who have forged a living through their passion for surfing. It shows a different perspective on surf culture, focusing on those working independently and outside of the mainstream.
Behind the Tide is alternative, hip, cruisey and a lot of fun. If you’re into surfing nostalgia, like longboarding, single fins, alaias, hand planing and tandem surfing, then this documentary will make your heart sing.
Paralysed in an accident, a surfer falls into a period of depression before reconnecting with life through his passion for the ocean.
A short, 49 minute-long M-E-G-A inspiring surf documentary. Very powerful and open, it’ll leave you with a feeling of connectedness and love for the ocean.
Traveling the world with his longboard, Sam Bleakley uses surfing to explore the brilliant corners of the world highlighting often never before seen coastlines and communities that live at the intersection of travel, culture and surf. Former Longboard Champion Sam Bleakley uses surfing to get under the skin of the coastlines he visits, showcasing emerging local surf cultures, cultural tourism frontiers and capturing the power of surfing for social good. Through interviews, lyrical narrative and beautifully filmed surfing sequences, Sam celebrates surfing as dance, learns about local music, art, food and carnival, and demonstrates how surfing can offer detailed understanding of the changing relationship between cultures and coastlines.
There’s one on Barbados, Oman, Jamaica, Liberia, Haiti and Hainan. The whole show is a celebration of life, and shows happiness and positivity in often otherwise misrepresented surfing locations. The series touches on a few critical issues, such as sustainability within surfing communities and coastal environments, but is mostly very pleasant watching, thank you Netflix.
A journey in search of adventures, unexplored shores, empty waves in the mediterranean most secluded places living with almost zero carbon footprint. This is a surf-documentary about our small Ocean, the cradle of civilisation and a reflection on living a simple lifestyle in symbiosis with nature. The boats together with the Onde Nostre Crew traveled the Mediterranean Sea following Ulysses’ journey with surfers, sailors, free divers, musicians and other artists.
Another fab, short documentary from the same people who did Ritratti di Surf. Worth 24-minutes of your mid-week evening, for sure. It’s both exciting and relaxing at times and some of the shots just beautiful. Watch!
After years of nightmares, depression, and seizures, Iraq war veteran Bobby Lane could see no way out of his trauma other than suicide. Then he met Van Curaza, a former big wave surfer who since founded Operation Surf and dedicated his life to helping veterans find solace in surfing. Backed by a growing body of research demonstrating the healing power of the ocean on the mind and body, organisations such as Operation Surf and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation are using surfing to help veterans cope with physical and mental trauma.
As someone who has previously volunteered with The Wave Project, I couldn’t wait to watch this documentary. And it was all I hoped it would be, honestly. It’s super powerful. Yes, surfing can’t cure all ills, but it does help. Be committed and focussed, and it will give you a sense of purpose. It’s not lighthearted watching, folks, but nonetheless very worth seeing.
On a trip from north to south, from the most crowded spots to unknown breaks, Peninsula is the tale of a journey to discover and describe where surfing in Italy came from and what it is like nowadays.
Similar to the likes of Ritratti di Surf and Nausicaa, this surf documentary centres around Italian surfers and surf culture. I liked it. Did it rock my world? No. Is it worth watching? I’d say so. It’s not super memorable, but what’s 55-minutes in the grand scheme of things.
There are so many great surf movies out there, the likes of The Endless Summer, Soul Surfer, Big Wednesday, Point Break, Local boys and more. We’ve blogged about our favourite surf movies of all times here. Unfortunately, and I’m very sorry to say it, none of them are streaming on Netflix at the moment. Booooo!
If the surf movies that are currently on Netflix are any good is what I took a look at below:
An adventurous penguin convinces The Hang 5, a notorious big wave riding crew, to accompany him to a surfing location known as The Trenches, where the biggest waves in the world can be found.
To be perfectly honest, this film wasn’t even that bad. Most sequels are terrible, but this one was still funny and kept to the same format that made it funny first time round. It was a little weird as a fan of the first movie to hear Jeremy Shada’s voice instead of Shia Labeouf’s, but it didn’t completely ruin it for me. The jokes were alright, some even made us giggle, and the storyline was basic enough to keep you entertained.
This film was light hearted and not at all a struggle to watch. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I wouldn’t say it was rubbish. Would 10/10 recommend to a fan of the first film, but never openly recommend to anyone else older than 12-years-old.
After falling off a cliff on a desert beach, a seriously injured surfer starts a lonely fight to survive against the merciless nature.
It’s 127 Hours, but just not as good. It was filmed on beautiful Fuerteventura, one of my favourite surfing destinations ever, so I was mega thrilled to see some of my favourite surf spots. And cinematically (is I think what you call it), it’s really beautiful and powerful. The scenery is gorgeous. But, I’m sad to say it, apart from that it’s 91 minutes of a grown man crying and whining. Ouch. Not worth your time, I’m afraid.
Teenage model Cora (played by Disney star Debby Ryan) is the daughter of the head of a major modelling agency and has always worked hard to live up to the expectations of her mother (Danielle Carter). When a damaging video of Cora goes viral she departs for Australia to spend time with her aunt Margot (Genevieve Hegney). Margot is also facing her own difficulties and their time together becomes a learning experience for them both.
Vance Joy’s Riptide song was the soundtrack to the year I lived in California. It’s also been one of the go-to open mic night song for our Star Surf Camps team in our surf camp in Moliets. All the positive associations I had with this song have vanished since seeing the 2017 film called Rip Tide. I mean, it’s not so much that the film isn’t a surf movie really in the first place, it’s simply put a very, very, VERY BAD FILM.
The writing and storyline are off. There are way too many different things going on, none of which are properly explored. There’s no chemistry between the actors who are essentially a lot of beautiful people making fools of themselves. There’s just too many bad films like this out there, parts of it made me angry, honestly. I had to turn it off. Not worth watching at all!
It’s slim pickings at the moment for TV shows based around a surfy theme. Netflix currently streaming 2 and well, see for yourself what I had to say about them:
On an island of haves and have-nots, heartthrob John B enlists his three best friends to hunt for a legendary treasure linked to his father’s disappearance.
This one will divide the crowds! I’ve watched it all, and I’m really not sure if I like it. But there is enough to get you hooked. It’s over-the-top, melodramatic, adventurous and sure captures that summer feeling I love in our surf camps. It’s a bit like Stranger Things on Spring Break or as if Ozark was set in The OC, but worse than both if you know what I mean. Watch it for yourself and let me know what you make of it all, I’m very confused!
Rebellious Brooklyn teen Summer Torres is sent to live with family friends in the tiny town of Shorehaven on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, AUS. Despite her best efforts, Summer falls in love with the town, the people and the surf.
Parts made me cringe and others were a bit too-cool-for-school type of attitude. Typical teenage coming-of-age story with a ton of surfing clichés tied up into one neat little series. If that’s what you’re into then give it a watch. Otherwise, stay clear, it’s not worth your time.