Best Surfing DVDs – Top 30
We have watched and reviewed all these surf movies so we can recommend them for you.
Watching surfing DVDs is a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!
Some of these are classic surf films, some are big wave documentaries, some are longboard movies, and a few are just good flat-day viewing when the surf is doing nothing and you still want to feel salty.
Want more surf inspiration? See our best surf books.
Our Recommended Surfing DVDs and Surf Movies
Fish: Surfboard Documentary
Great movie. Should come with a warning: viewer discretion advised, you may end up buying a fish. I loved this movie; it is right up there with Single Fin Yellow and One California Day. Good surfing footage, great history lesson, and just an all-round good surf documentary. Great to watch while the surf is flat.
Thicker Than Water
Compared to many surf films, this one still holds up well. The music is good, the footage is good, and it was shot on film rather than video. The director’s commentary is witty and gives a bit more perspective than most surf movies, which gives you a good excuse to watch it again.
Archy Built for Speed
Matt Archbold was one of the most explosive surfers ever to set foot on a surfboard. This movie follows his life and surfing, and it is more than just a highlight reel. It teaches you something about surfing, character and living life your own way. Definitely a must-see movie.
Riding Giants
I have watched this movie many times and never get bored with it. The men and women who ride those massive waves, and their philosophy about surfing and life, keep you wanting more. A great surf movie for surfers and non-surfers, and definitely a keeper.
Bustin' Down the Door
This documentary focuses on the Australian and South African surfers who helped pioneer professional surfing in the 1970s. With original footage and honest interviews, it shows the challenges faced by Shaun Tomson, Mark Richards, Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew and others. More than just a surf movie.
Hot Buttered Soul: The Movie
Hot Buttered Soul tells the story behind Hot Buttered Surfboards and Terry Fitzgerald, one of surfing’s true originals. It follows the handmade, hand-painted boards and the surfing styles that grew around them over three decades in some of the best surf on the planet.
Ocean Rhythms - Steve Core
A friend, Steve Core, a surf photography legend, dropped into our surf shop and left a few copies of his classic movie Ocean Rhythms. It has incredible vintage footage of MP, Rabbit, Mark Richards, P.T., Terry Richardson, Col Smith, Ian Cairns and Peter Crawford.
If this movie was a book it would take pride position on my coffee table. If you are from this era, you will appreciate the surfboards, surfers and those cute boardshorts we all used to wear. If not, you will still appreciate the pure stoke of the early Australian surf pioneers.
The Endless Summer
The ultimate surfing adventure, crossing the globe in search of the perfect wave. From West Africa to Australia, Tahiti and beyond, these California surfers live the dream most people only talk about. Still one of the great surf films.
Step into Liquid
This movie takes you back to the real reason we surf: the joy of the ride and being one with the wave. It is funny, impressive and full of life lessons, not just surfing ones. If you want someone to understand why you surf, show them this movie.
Peel: The Peru Project - A Surf Odyssey
This is more than a surf flick. It is a travel and adventure movie in the tradition of the Brown family films. The bonus documentary about the filming is also worth watching. Good for anyone who has been to Peru or is thinking about going there.
Chasing Mavericks
Based on the true story of Jay Moriarty and his quest to surf Mavericks. It follows his relationship with the local legend who mentors him, and the lifelong bond that grows from chasing a wave most people would sensibly avoid.
Toka Toka - A Documentary About Surfing In Forbidden Fiji
Fiji is the destination for a group of surfers chasing dangerous waves usually considered off-limits. A good one for adrenaline addicts and anyone who likes surf travel with a bit more risk than usual.
Laird Hamilton: DVD Box Set
Laird and Strapped capture the birth and development of tow-in surfing. For years, surfers watched huge outer-reef waves break beyond normal paddling limits. In 1992, a group of watermen began developing the techniques to safely ride them. Big wave history on DVD.
Billabong Odyssey
Biggest seller. The opening sequence, with Mike Parsons riding a 70-foot wall of water, is one of the most exciting starts to any surf film. The movie follows eight hardcore surfers chasing the world’s biggest waves from Oregon to Australia, Tahiti, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe.
The End of the Road Project: Corey Lopez
The Spring 2003 Tahiti sessions saw the world’s best surfers, hellmen and local crew meet the Swell From Hell head-on. The film includes Teahupo'o, The Right, the Billabong Tahiti Pro, and some serious barrel and high-performance surfing.
Kelly Slater - Black and White DVD
An in-depth profile of Kelly Slater before he became the most dominant and influential surfer of all time. One of the best surf films focused on one of the most exciting surfers in the world.
RIP CURL: Windows
Mick Fanning. That is already a pretty good reason to watch it. A Rip Curl surf film with strong surfing, quick sections and plenty of performance footage from the era.
Classic Surf Movies from the 50s and 60s
I always wondered why many new surf movies cannot stand up to the old movies of the sixties. The new surfers are phenomenal, but that old feeling of gliding along the water is more obvious in these classic films.
Blue Horizon
Jack McCoy follows world champion Andy Irons and soul surfer Dave Rastovich, looking at the differences between competition surfing and free surfing. It also travels through surf history and some incredible locations around the world.
September Sessions
An amazing surf adventure shot on 16mm film. Jack Johnson is not only a gifted surfer and singer-songwriter, but a talented filmmaker too. The visuals are strong, the trip feels real, and the soundtrack helps make the whole thing work.
Rip Curl: This Way Up
From Mick Fanning tearing at J-Bay to Jamie O’Brien getting barrelled at Backdoor, this is a fast, well-edited surf video. It also includes Dane Reynolds, Travis Lynch, Pablo Gutierrez and plenty of progressive surfing.
Longboard Fever
The action never stops in this longboarding DVD: Kevin Connelly’s footwork, Swami’s, Cardiff, Rincon, The Wedge, Joel Tudor at Cardiff and the US Open, plus a funny radio-controlled surfer section. A must-have for longboard fans.
Endless Summer 2
Twenty-eight years after The Endless Summer, Bruce Brown went on another quest to find the perfect wave. It is bigger, more polished and more spectacular than the original, even if the first one still has that innocent magic.
Chords: J Bay, Naturally: Kelly Slater
Jeffreys Bay is one of surfing’s natural wonders. This film features Kelly Slater, Mark Occhilupo, Damien Hobgood, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, Taylor Knox, Dean Morrison, Taj Burrow, Dan Malloy and more.
Surfing for Life DVD
An incredible film for young and old, and a tribute to the fact that life does not end after 60. “Doc” Ball still surfing at 93 says plenty. Joy, laughter, tears and plenty of Aloha spirit.
Roxy Surf, Now
A cute surf movie with some basic surf tips. Good for beginners and anyone who wants something light, friendly and easy to watch.
Step Into Liquid
A really great movie and one of the better all-round surf films. If you love old-school surfing or need something to get you amped before a session, this one still does the job.
Big Wednesday
Big Wednesday is a coming-of-age surf film covering the early 1960s to the early 1970s. Younger viewers can enjoy the surfing sequences, while older surfers may recognise the era, the mood and the history.
Laird: White Knuckle Extreme
Teahupoo, Tahiti. On August 17, 2000, Laird Hamilton rode one of the heaviest waves ever captured on film. Had it not been filmed, many people would not believe it was possible. Heavy, dangerous and historic.
Doc Ball - Surfing's Legendary Lensman
Doc Ball’s photography was published worldwide, and this film covers his relationship with Duke Kahanamoku and the early surf world. It even includes Doc skateboarding down a steep hill at 92 years old. That alone is worth something.
More Surfing DVDs and Movies
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