Surfing has supply and demand issues.
Waves are like a product, a commodity, and they’re in high demand, especially as the world gets ever smaller and smaller, and more and more people pick up surfing yearly. But the issue is – waves are finite; there’s only so much to go around.
Not to mention, the better the wave, the more demand. Hence, crowds, the eternal bane of the surfer. And to riff off Biggie Smalls: more surfers, more problems.
In his latest YouTube video, surfer, seasoned traveler, and thought-provoker Dan Harmon explores “the most crowded surf spots on earth…”
Harmon further explained:
“We all know that many of the world’s most well-known breaks are painfully crowded, particularly on the best days. After all, we all want a slice of perfect waves, right? Here’s a rundown of some of the most crowded lineups I’ve ever surfed.”
As one might expect, and like Harmon mentioned in the description, many of the world’s most famous waves topped the list; here's a few:
Snapper Rocks
“This is widely regarded as the most crowded surf spot in the world. If you’ve ever surfed it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. On a good day, or even a bad day, this place can have literally hundreds of people out there.”
Lower Trestles
“Because it’s an A-Frame, it has a really condensed takeoff zone. Everybody is packed in on that one little bit. You’ve got the top locals, pros, traveling surfers, average surfers…just like 100+ people packed into this one little area.”
Pipeline
“Definitely one of the most crowded, and most dangerous, surf spots on earth. It’s a super, super famous wave, and obviously super crowded.”
Uluwatu
“Most well-known spots in Bali are ridiculously crowded. These are all famous waves, and they’re going to draw crowds. You’ve got to go way further afield these days if you want to score a wave to yourself. Someone once told me they counted 273 surfers out at Ulus the other day.”
Hit play above to see all the other spots.
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