Surfing 20-foot Tidal Surge Wave in Canada (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 6:26 PM ET

In the fringe realm of river wave surfing, the Skookumchuck Narrows are very well-known – and not just for its exceptional and extremely Canadian title; but also, for being one of the best, and most treacherous freshwater, surfable standing waves on earth.

And so, when a massive tidal switch was forecasted – somewhere between 17 and 20-feet, depending on which YouTube channel you believe below – novelty wave enthusiasts Jamie O’Brien and Ben Gravy headed to British Columbia to surf it.

Previously scored by weird wave specialist, Dylan Graves, the Skook is extremely dangerous. Whirlpools have been known to suck surfers and kayakers down to the depths. JOB and Gravy experienced all of that during their strike mission. See below.

“I got stuck in the gnarliest whirlpool,” JOB said after emerging safely from the river. “I did eight spins underwater, popped up for half a second, I was so dizzy, and did like four more. I was holding onto my board for dear life. I’m not letting go. Incredible. My legs are burnt. This place is gnarly. If you’re going to come here, be ready. Come with the right people. I almost died. That was like taking a wipeout between Teahupo’o and Jaws at the same time.”

As for Gravy, after surviving the Skook, he had similar sentiments. Happy to be alive:

“We scored the Skook, boys,” he said. “That was gnarly, death-defying, scary. A true Jamie O’Brien novelty wave. But we scored it. There were whirlpools, suck-unders, under-sucks, rippers, trippers, thrashers, shredders…those whirlpools have pulled boats under. We heard about it earlier from this local legend. And they can definitely pull people under.”

Definitely one of those sessions when you come in, you kiss the ground. And according to the locals, the boys were there for the biggest tidal surge in 15 years. The Skook is not for kooks.

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

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