In the mood for a movie featuring waves and a lifestyle so carefree it makes you want to pack up your bags and live in a beach shack? We’ve got you covered with the ten best surfer movies.
This 2002 movie was Kate Bosworth’s breakout role. The plot may be predictable, but it makes up for that with its surfing scenes and likeable cast of characters and actors.
Is the plotline improbable? Sure. But this 1991 movie about a surfing gang of bank robbers is still a cult classic and has spawned a remake. Go with the original, though – it’s hard to beat the combination of Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.
3. TEEN BEACH MOVIEIf you have kids in your household and you’re looking for a movie the family can watch together, 2013’s Teen Beach Movie is a great pick.
It’s a musical featuring two teenagers who are in love with surfing and each other.
Warning: You’re probably going to have this movie’s catchy songs stuck in your head.
This 1959 flick starring Sandra Dee helped surfing go mainstream throughout the U.S. It was the first taste of surfing for many teens who didn’t live near a coast. With great scenery and plenty of teenage drama, it’s a fun classic to watch with the whole family.
North Shore, released in 1987, stars Matt Adler as a teen surfer who wants to give becoming a professional surfer a shot before he enrols in college.
The real star power in this movie might come from the real-life surfers who are featured.
Prominent names include: Gerry Lopez, Shaun Tomson, Laird Hamilton, Mark Occhilupo, and many others.
Although 2007’s Surf’s Up is an animated movie, it’s a great surfer flick because of the main character’s devotion to the sport. Movie lovers of all ages will be rooting for Cody, a penguin, as he tries to reach his dream of winning a surfing contest.
Gary Busey, who was also in Point Break, stars with William Katt and Jan-Michael Vincent in this 1978 coming-of-age surfing movie. If you’re looking for a lighthearted flick, this isn’t it. But for fans of weightier dramas, this is one you’ll want to check out.
8. BEACH PARTYIf you’re looking for scenic views and plenty of singing, you’ll like Beach Party.
If you like a good shark movie, check out 2016’s The Shallows, starring Blake Lively. This thriller features a great white, a determine heroine, and some epic surfing and beach shots.
Chasing Mavericks is the dramatized real-life story of surfer Jay Moriarity, who drowned in 2001 while freediving. It follows his journey with surfing after meeting his mentor and surfing legend Frosty Hesson.
SHANNON SERPETTE is an award-winning journalist, having received 10 Illinois Press Association writing awards across a wide variety of categories. An avid metal detectorist, Shannon spends most of her vacations at the beach searching for buried treasure. Follow her daily adventures on Twitter.
