Nathan Florence Takes 31 Waves on the Head at Shark Island Slab

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 7:41 PM ET

I’ve never thought about counting the number of duck dives per session, but going underwater 31 times sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Consider doing that repetition in another recreational activity. Shooting a basketball. Swimming laps. Lifting weights. 31 times. That adds up. Now imagine if you caught 31 waves. That'd be a good day.

Anyway, 31 is the number of waves Nathan Florence had to duck dive under in his latest video. The surf wasn’t punishing by his standards, but the location is interesting. Shark Island, a renowned bodyboard spot off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. A fitting choice for the Slab Tour. However, it was not ideal conditions (which led to the high figure), but sometimes that’s what it takes to get an uncrowded lineup these days.

It's the kind of wave that looks more inviting than it really is. A steep, tricky yet widely popular slab with the local crew. Space gets tight. Shoulders rub. You gotta know what you're doing and mind your manners here. Nathan has an etiquette playbook we all could learn from, no matter where you're paddling out.

So, did Nathan set some sort of high bar for duck dives in a single session? Or is this an average session? What if it’s stat padding? Either way, Nate’s five-mile session piqued his curiosity. And mine, tbh. I’ll be counting on my next session. And I really hope it’s under.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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