Best Surf Podcasts for Fans of Surfing History 2024-25
Surfers are serious content consumers. We have to be, given that wave conditions rarely cooperate with our idle time. In the beginning, consumption habits generally involve incessant scrolling of video clips (surf porn, etc.), but as we mature we invariably look for something more conversational and informative. Podcasts answer the call, keeping us immersed in saltwater when stuck in traffic, at the gym, and when blocking out the noise of a nagging companion. How many times have you pretended to be on an important call when instead your AirPods were belting out another Tom Carroll interview?
While youâll gobble up whatever surfy show shows up in your Spotify or Apple feed, youâre hungry for surf history. Listening to Millennials chat about the latest Catch Surf WOMPER for an hour isnât exactly your cup of kava. Are there any shows out there to satisfy this worthy desire? While sporadic in their consistency, there are. Below is a breakdown of the best surf podcasts for those who want to learn more about the surfers, shapers, boards, and waves that have defined out culture.
*This collection of best surf podcasts will be updated as great new shows enter our periphery. Moreover, Surf Museum Hawaii will be launching its own podcast sometime in 2025. Bookmark this page and check back for updates!
Best Podcasts About Surf History That You Need to Listen to Today
The Surferâs Journal presents Soundings with Jamie Brisick
Anything with âThe Surferâs Journalâ behind it (or in front of it) gets instant credibility. The same goes with anything that Jamie Brisick is attached to. For the initiated, Brisick is a former professional surfer who transitioned into the editorial side of things, running point for international surfing magazines and authoring several books over a period of about four decades. The Surferâs Journal presents Soundings with Jamie Brisick (TSJPSWJB, for short?) is the inevitable culmination of two powerhouses joining the podcast party, and itâs a success. Through their five seasons (thus far) Brisick has interviewed professional surfers, celebrity surfers (i.e. Mike D from the Beastie Boys), shapers, authors, and industry-adjacent personalities.
Notable episodes to check out:
- Tony Alva (Mar 2022)
- Kathy Kohner âGidgetâ (Feb 2023)
- Gordon âGrubbyâ Clark (Feb 2023)
Surf Splendor
With more than a decade in the game, Surf Splendor is the longest running surf podcast network, featuring four separate shows of note, including The Grit with Chas Smith, Spit! With Scott Bass, The Boardroom Podcast, and the same-named Surf Splendor. All shows are produced by David Lee Scales, who is the interviewer for the Surf Splendor show and quickly becoming quite the figurehead himself. The program features a wide range of industry personalities from past and present, with the former quenching the thirst of surf history buffs. Youâll need to subscribe to dig through the 10-year archive, but at just $5/month itâs worth the price of admission.
Notable episodes to check out:
The Surfing Historian
The Surfing Historian is produced by Dr. Jason Old, who holds a Ph.D. in History with research centering around the cultural and economic impacts of surfing and surf tourism. The title of the podcast is a little misleading, as it’s less about surf history and more about Old’s research focus. It can also go way off-brand every once an awhile. For instance, an episode titled “The Confederacy and Historical Memory” was all about the controversy surrounding confederate monuments in the southern United States. Surfing was not mentioned at all. That being said, there are some gems to excavate from the show’s two seasons.
Notable episodes to check out:
- Malibu Surf History (Apr 2021)
- George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture (Sept 2023)
The QuiverCast
Like with many podcasts, The QuiverCast was born during that unfortunate moment in history that the government overstepped and forced our community to connect over digital pathways instead of beachfront parking lots. Thankfully, Mike Steele’s podcast has persisted since its 2020 inception, logging a consistent stream of episodes that feature household names and underground boardriders alike. Within the catalogue are refreshing glances at surf history, including a recent interview with Hobie Surfboards’ Kris Carlow and Adam Davenport. This surf podcast has a lot of potential, and we hope Steele keeps the show running in our Apple / Spotify rotation.
Notable episodes to check out:
- Hobie Surfboards (May 2024)
- David Nuuhiwa (Nov 2022)
Temple of Surf Podcast
The Temple of Surf is a lighthearted show that asks its guests to reflect on the past. The interviews are dependable and formulaic, which provides listeners with the opportunity to compare interviewee responses to the same set of questions as they tune in each week. Some guests go off the rails from time to time (see Tom Parrish) providing added amusement as the host, Alessandro, nudges them gently to get the conversation back on script.
Notable episodes to check out:
- Jeff Hackman (Nov 2023)
- Greg Noll (Nov 2020)
Boardroom Podcast
The Boardroom Podcast is from the aforementioned Surf Splendor podcast network. It’s produced by Scott Bass, who you may know as the organizer of the California Gold Vintage Surf Auction and annual Boardroom Show in Del Mar CA. As one of the most knowledgeable individuals there is when it comes to vintage surfboards we’d like to see more consistency from him with the podcast. At the moment, a couple of months typically pass before Bass publishes an update.
Notable episodes to check out:
Surfers in Residence
The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort’s “Surfers in Residence” is one of the best surf podcasts for a few reasons. The fact that it’s hosted and recorded at the birthplace of surfing is a big bonus, while the program’s lineup of local surf legends and rising stars is another. At press, they havenât produced an episode in three months, so it may soon be moved to vault below.
Notable episodes to check out:
In the Vault
There are a few retired surf history podcasts that we recommend checking out once you’ve had your fill of the above. These include the following:
