Your favorite decade of surfing

Your favorite decade of surfing


  • Total voters
    38
Jan 4, 2009
80
261
53
San Diego
Late 70's, you could still get fairly empty OTW, Pipe-backdoor if you went early or late. Laniakea and Rocky's were really manageable. Velzyland was very fun, but you still had to watch out the true locals there. Traffic was mellow. No cell phones or other bullshit to contend with. Waikiki was insanely fun for young guns. All south shore spots were accessible and seemed to pump alot more than now, but maybe thats just my memory. Always a crazy south swell in September as I recall. Ahhhh, that was the best time! Now I live in San Diego and still froth and make regular trips back home every year, but its not the same.
 

Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
13,496
10,104
113
LBNY
Surfers: 00s. Arc, First Chapter, Free as a Dog, Secret Machine

Music: 90s

Boards: 2021

Styles: DGAF

Chicks: DGAF

Spots: 90s.
Three of the Vero go-to's died in the late 90s/early 00s. First Peak turned to sh!t in early 00s. The last real Vero "spot" got worse after the Isabel swell in 2003 and now it's a shorebreak or blowout novelty.
This breaks my heart every damn time I visit my mother there. so much potential not that long ago, and I have yet to see a single rideable wave in over a decade of visits. Surfed other spots, but not Vero

also,, as much as I loved the surf world in the early mid 90s, 2019 was far and away my single best year of surf. 10 days of great to all time Tavarua and two epic weeks in hanalei for thanksgiving with non stop swell both trips. Add in a few decent tropical swells at home and it was near flawless for a working man
 
Last edited:

byoda

OTF status
Jan 3, 2006
285
166
43
Late 70's, you could still get fairly empty OTW, Pipe-backdoor if you went early or late. Laniakea and Rocky's were really manageable. Velzyland was very fun, but you still had to watch out the true locals there. Traffic was mellow. No cell phones or other bullshit to contend with. Waikiki was insanely fun for young guns. All south shore spots were accessible and seemed to pump alot more than now, but maybe thats just my memory. Always a crazy south swell in September as I recall. Ahhhh, that was the best time! Now I live in San Diego and still froth and make regular trips back home every year, but its not the same.
im with ya remember surfing perfect 5 ft OTW mid 70's before the free ride blowup just me my bud and an uncontrollable giggling j hakman then the mid 80's when i moved to the PNW spent the next few years lookin for somebody to surf with now its a shitshow like every where else
 

kidfury

Duke status
Oct 14, 2017
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scooch

Nep status
Jun 14, 2013
613
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Always felt I was born to late. Stood up on my first wave in 81 at Silver Strand at 10 years old. From everything Ive seen and heard the 70's seem to be the decade. For all the reasons previously mentioned. Seems like surfing was still a fringe activity. Done only by Outlaws and free spirits. Before it became homoganized. Hawaii looks like a fairly empty tropical paradise in those times, especially the NS. Bali, damn!! Full bush, natural t!ts, puka shells, fook sign me up!!!!
 

20W-50 and blood

Duke status
Feb 4, 2004
24,948
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SOCAL
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hasnt happened yet. waiting for the one where the ocean goes completely toxic and all health-minded/sane individuals quit surfing. if i could get five years without the crowds? be worth an early/untimely death. bring it on.
 

stringcheese

Miki Dora status
Jun 21, 2017
3,925
3,699
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Definitely this decade. All of the equipment is better, everyone can ride whatever boards, technology making it easier to get good surf with less wasted time, and pro surfing isn't cool anymore which has a few advantages.
 
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2surf

Duke status
Apr 12, 2004
15,282
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California USA
www.allcare.com
76 to 86
I arrived in California from Mississippi and rode more waves, won dozens of surf contests, got free surfboards and wetsuits, ran the first professional women’s surfing contest, qualified and surfed in half a dozen US Amateur surfing championships, ran 4 pro/am surfing contests at K38, elected President of the Windansea Surf club, surfed the North Shore in the winter and took numerous trips to the ranch.
Yes that was a pretty good decade.
 

gbg

Miki Dora status
Jan 22, 2006
3,866
3,378
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I've had some incredible 5-10 year stretches of surf in my life worth mentioning. Delaware and the OBX 1986 to 1991 were really good. Southside of Indian River Inlet before the Army Corps ruined it was special. Heavy hollow wave in its prime. Spent fall and winter of 88 and spring 89 in NC scoring from Nags Head to Frisco. 1992 to 1998 in San Diego were epic. I surfed Blacks several times a week. 2000s I started surfing Mugu regularly. Epic days with groovn. 2010s in my 40s I made Salina Cruz and Huatulco regular trips. And work funded trips to Hawaii.
 
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hammies

Duke status
Apr 8, 2006
15,587
14,214
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I'd say those were my best years too. Spent much of that time on the central coast, surfed some pretty burly waves. Crowds were less than half what they are now, across the board. No internet, no surfline. My waterman skills, surfing skills, and physical conditioning were at peak levels during those years and I surfed a lot. Once I hit my mid 30s all of those things kind of started slipping.
 
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