Basis Surf Podcast

By Basis SurfSports

Basis Surf Podcast episodes

June 29 How a 4-Month Surf Break Led to 7-Hour Sessions in the Mentawais w/ Moose Huerta
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Moose Huerta is a longboarder from the Northeast who took a 4-month break from surfing before heading to the Mentawais. He still managed to surf 3-7 hours a day for 10 days straight all thanks to a month of paddle training beforehand. In this episode, we get into surf trip preparations, what keeps him out of the water in winter, what made him skeptical about the Basis Paddle Trainer at first, and what changed his mind. We also talk about how his longtime surf travel partner quietly got a paddle trainer without being asked, and why Moose believes that identifying the surfer you want to be in 10 years is key.
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Chapters
2:01 Meet Moose Huerta — Northeast longboarder
2:11 Growing up surfing in Pensacola and Jacksonville, Florida
3:21 Competitive surfing through the ESA and living 100 yards from the break
4:25 Flagler College, the surf team, and surfing on a budget
5:18 Traveling the contest circuit and life as a semi-pro surfer
7:36 Moving to California, Nixon Watches, and the film Sprout
8:46 Discovering the Northeast and landing in New York City
11:04 Traditional vs. high-performance longboarding and the Sprout era
13:09 CJ Nelson, gliders, and evolving surf style with age
14:17 Plateaus, equipment access, and lessons from competing young
17:53 Gliders, pigs, and the 6'8" egg — finding the right board
21:52 Why Moose got the paddle trainer before the Mentawais trip
27:55 First impressions of the trainer — skeptic to believer
38:29 The Mentawais trip — 10 days of 3–7 hours of surfing a day
46:27 Advice for surfers on aging gracefully and keeping the stoke
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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49 min
June 15 From Nearly Drowning to Helping Surfers Overcome Their Fears w/ Alex Novoa of Surfing Your Fears
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Alex Novoa of Surfing Your Fears has been surfing for 38 years and coaching for nearly two decades. Our conversation goes deep on what actually holds surfers back from becoming independent in the water. Alex breaks down why fear never fully disappears but can be worked through, how smart positioning beats hard paddling every time, why your pop-up habit will either cost or save you hundreds of waves, and why paddle fitness is less about catching waves and more about surviving the ones that hold you down. Beyond the technical side, Alex also shares a perspective that's hard to find; someone who has nearly drowned twice, rebuilt his confidence, and used that experience to shape how he coaches others through the same thing.
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Chapters
2:33 Alex's Background & 38 Years of Surfing in El Salvador
3:48 Still Surfing 8 Hours a Day at 50 - The Secret to Longevity
5:22 The Reverse Liters Strategy: Staying in Shape as You Age
6:36 Surfboard Evolution: From Boogie Boards to Shortboards to Longboards
9:28 Does Board Sequencing Matter for Learning?
11:34 Embracing Being a "Kook" - Why Starting Over is Valuable
12:59 How Trying New Boards Keeps the Love for Surfing Alive
16:36 Why the Program Is Called "Surfing Your Fears"
20:21 How Alex Defines a Beginner Surfer
26:39 Overcoming Fear: Internalizing What You're Actually Afraid Of
31:21 Wave Positioning Tips for Independent Surfers
36:02 Reading the Ocean: Sets, Intervals, and Wave Size
39:42 Time in the Water Is Everything - Why Fitness Matters
47:10 Alex's Near-Drowning Experience & How It Shapes His Coaching
57:34 Pop-Up Technique: Why Getting It Right from Day One Is Critical
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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1 hr 4 min
June 08 Dan Mann Tells All on Kelly Slater, Stab in the Dark, and the DRK Surfboard
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Stab in the Dark X winner and the shaper behind Kelly Slater's boards, Dan Mann joins the Basis Surf podcast. We get into whether Kelly actually knew which board was his during the event, what Dane Reynolds and Zeke Lau noticed when he was riding it, and why Dan sees the whole thing as bittersweet despite coming out on top. From there we dig into the design differences between the DRK and FRK, what changed and why, and how those decisions translate for everyday surfers, not just Kelly. Dan also breaks down his approach to fins and why keeping one constant across every board you ride matters. We also discuss Dan’s different models and I share why the Dominator Pro has genuinely changed my surfing.
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Chapters
0:01:46 Welcome & Stab in the Dark X Introduction
0:02:10 Was Winning Bittersweet? Dan's Honest Take
0:03:44 Stab as Entertainment vs. Competition
0:05:43 Did the Show Manufacture the Drama?
0:07:18 Watching Kelly Surf Other Shapers' Boards
0:08:25 Kelly's Competitive Mind & the "What If" Factor
0:10:20 The FRK's Origin Story & Kelly's Loyalty Since 2017
0:12:15 Did Kelly Know Which Board Was His?
0:12:47 DRK vs FRK: What Actually Changed
0:22:41 Breaking Down the Full FRK Lineup
0:26:16 What Makes Dan Mann Boards Distinct
0:38:01 Fins & How to Tune the DRK
0:44:45 DRK vs Dominator Pro: Which Board is for You?
0:55:48 The Dominator Pro's Impact on Everyday Surfing
0:59:03 What's Next: Spun Honey Groveler & Materials Innovation
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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1 hr 6 min
May 25 How A Skeptical Lifelong Surfer 4x’d his Wavecount w/ Adam Sime
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Adam Sime is a 51-year-old nurse, father of three, and lifelong surfer who drives 12+ hours to chase swells across the UK and beyond. In this episode, he opens up about what it actually feels like to blow a hard-earned surf trip because your body gives out after an hour, and what he did about it. We get into the moment that broke him at a firing point break in the Hebrides, his honest skepticism when he first came across the Basis Paddle Trainer, and how his results went from done-after-4-waves to back-to-back-4-hour-sessions in solid Southwest Cornwall swell. He also breaks down how relearning his paddle technique from scratch changed everything, and how getting fit enough to drop board volume opened up a completely different level of surfing for him.
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Chapters
02:34 Welcome & Introduction to Adam Sime
02:48 Adam's Life: Family, Work, and Surfing in Seaford
04:30 Chasing Waves Across Europe with a Motorhome
06:10 Growing Up Surfing in Western Australia
08:22 Charging Big Waves in Morocco
09:26 Why Adam Started Thinking About Paddle Training
11:29 The Wake-Up Call: Getting Fit After a Wipeout
12:40 The Hebrides Trip That Broke Him
13:14 Discovering the Basis Paddle Trainer
15:00 Early Struggles with the Trainer
17:10 Was He Skeptical at First?
19:23 The Results: Four-Hour Sessions in Cornwall
23:07 Quadrupling Wave Count in the Pool
28:12 How Technique Changed His Paddling
32:14 Going Down in Board Volume and Surfing Better
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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42 min
May 18 How to Improve at Surfing Working 80 Hours a Week w/ Lucas Hildreth
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Lucas Hildreth (@lucashildreth5692) is a second-year E.R. resident and aspiring big wave surfer from New York who has somehow managed to surf Mavericks, Iceland, Chile, and Portugal in between brutal stretches of 80-hour work weeks. In this episode, we get into how he stays strategic with his limited time off, how he approaches improving his surfing technically; from dialing in his cutback to breaking down the mechanics of a proper snap, and what it actually takes to prepare for big surf when you don’t live by the ocean. Beyond the technical stuff, we also talk about crowd navigation, adventure surfing in cold and remote locations, and the mindset that drives someone to chase serious waves while wearing scrubs five days a week.
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Chapters
0:02:06 Introducing Lucas: ER Resident & Big Wave Surfer
0:02:52 ER Doctors and Extreme Sports
0:03:31 Growing Up Surfing in New York
0:05:34 Getting Serious: Driving to Montauk
0:07:36 Choosing College Away from the Coast
0:09:29 Learning Without Coaching: Uncle's One Rule
0:11:25 Watching Surf Clips to Improve
0:14:07 How Filming Himself Transformed His Surfing
0:18:33 Going Vertical: The Hardest Skill in Surfing
0:25:06 Life as an ER Resident: The Real Schedule
0:27:18 Surfing the World Between Shifts
0:33:14 Paddle Training: What Actually Works
0:41:32 Navigating Crowds in Santa Cruz
0:50:40 Adventure Surfing: Iceland, Chile & Beyond
0:59:49 Rapid Fire: Advice, Intentions & Deserted Island Board
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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1 hr 2 min
May 04 The Key to Turning Midlengths w/ Taylor Jensen
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Taylor Jensen (@taylorjensentj) is a four-time World Longboard Champion who is equally comfortable noseriding as he is throwing down powerful carves. He also collaborates with Firewire Surfboards, making longboards, and more recently, alternative twinzer models. In this episode, we get into what makes a good turn on a longer board, why elite athletes never stop training fundamentals, and how land training can benefit your surfing in ways that surfing alone cannot. We discuss paddling, which Taylor considers one of the most important pillars of surfing, and why neglecting it can stifle your progression. He also gives a detailed breakdown of the twinzer model, why it sits in its own category between a twin and a quad, and what makes it such a fun setup coming off a longboard.
Chapters
01:23 Welcome & Intro to Taylor Jensen
02:05 The Secret to Throwing Buckets (Dad Bod & Big Feet)
02:49 Longboard Philosophy & Rail Surfing
04:28 Traditional vs. High Performance Longboarding
06:34 What Makes High Performance Longboarding Look Great
08:39 How to Carve on Longer Boards: Patience, Placement & Rails
11:03 Reading Waves on Mid-Lengths & Longboards
13:31 The Internal Battle: Switching Between Traditional & HP Longboarding
15:58 Training for World Titles: Physical & Mental Game
17:38 Drilling Fundamentals on Dry Land (Cross-Stepping & Footwork)
22:58 Why Paddle Power is Non-Negotiable
28:06 How Longboarding Changes the Way You Read Waves
32:42 The Twinzer Explained
37:27 Board Design Deep Dive: TJ Pro Mid vs. Twinzer Mid-Length
41:44 Closing Advice: Diversify Your Equipment & Surf with Intention
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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45 min
April 27 Lessons from Competitive to Creative Surfing w/ Garazi Sánchez
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Garazi Sánchez (@garazisanchezsurf) is a two-time Spanish national champion from the Basque Country who built her career competing on the world stage before finding a whole new relationship with surfing through twin fins and board shaping. In this episode, she opens up about what it truly takes to surf at a high level; from how a serious back injury became the turning point that led to her best results, to why paddle fitness is the foundation that most surfers overlook. She breaks down the mental side of competing, what it feels like to lose the joy of surfing and how she got it back, and shares her honest take on riding twin fins including the one mistake most surfers make when they first get on one.
Chapters
00:01:20 Introduction: Meet Garazi Sánchez
00:02:13 Growing Up Surfing in the Basque Country
00:03:30 How the Basque Culture Shaped Her Surfing
00:05:10 The Adventure Mindset: Surfing in Unlikely Places
00:08:04 The Joy of Watching Beginners Fall in Love with Surfing
00:08:52 Competition as a Path to Self-Knowledge
00:11:17 Starting Out: Competing in the Basque Country
00:16:36 Plateaus, Confidence & Finding Her Footing Internationally
00:18:35 Overcoming the Fear of Not Belonging in the Lineup
00:22:40 The Back Injury That Changed Everything
00:27:39 Training on Land: How It Unlocked Her Best Results
00:31:10 The Overlooked Fundamentals: Positioning, Paddling & Pop-Up
00:39:28 Coaching Maneuvers: Reading Wave Energy
00:45:25 The Shift to Twin Fins & Rediscovering Joy
00:52:22 Tips for Riding Twin Fins & Board Design with Lemon Surfboards
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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59 min
April 13 Learning the Details and Big Picture of Surfing w/ Kuio Young
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
Kuio Young is a Hawaiian competitive surfer and coach who works closely with everyday surfers, and professionals like Carlos Muñoz and Imaikalani Devault. His approach to surfing is simple; he sees it as a ‘dance’, where you work on specific pieces without losing the flow of the whole wave. We also get into why paddle strength and wave-reading is essential and how even high-level surfers benefit from guidance especially when it comes to mindset and board selection. Kuio also shares how his own mindset has shifted away from chasing clips, and more toward surfing as a way to feel free and stay connected to that true sense of glide.
Chapters
02:05: Introduction: Who Is Kuio Young?
02:26: The Secret Behind Throwing Massive Spray
03:24: How Riding Longer Boards Changed Everything
04:17: Board Design Deep Dive: Knifey Outlines & Low Volume
08:15: Short Boards vs. Long Boards: Sensation & Creative Freedom
11:22: How Kuio Broke Through as a Surfer
13:25: Hip Surgery, Physical Limitations & the Road to Recovery
17:32: Foundation Training & Taking Care of Your Body
19:43: Coaching Philosophy: Compartmentalization vs. the Full Dance
21:40: How to Read the Ocean & Build a Better Bottom Turn
26:01: Coaching Carlos Munoz & Imai: What Elite Surfers Actually Need
34:15: Common Mistakes & Instant Game-Changers for Developing Surfers
36:42: The Doug Silva Relationship: Coaching Styles Compared
44:07: Style, Watching Old Surf Footage & Finding Your Glide
47:36: Closing Wisdom & Intentions
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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57 min
March 23 Designing Edge Boards for Speed and Control w/ Saint Christopher Edgeboards
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan
New York–based shaper, Saint Christoper is pushing the envelope on Edge board design. We discuss how and why his boards create such a noticeable difference in performance. We start with the core question, “What is the Edge?” and break down the design principles behind concaves, reduced planing surfaces, and dual rockers that lead to effortless speed generation and the ability to hold a higher line for longer. We get into how to harness and design for speed through fin innovation, tail rocker, and experimental asymmetrical outlines. We also discuss Christopher’s experience not surfing for months before a trip to Nicaragua, used only the Basis Paddle Trainer in preparation, was able to surf for 5-6 hrs a day, and why building your ‘engine’ is just as important as dialing in your equipment. Tune in to learn about design, speed, and how to manipulate these elements to make the most out of your time in the water.
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Chapters
02:05 Meet Edge Board Shaper Saint Christopher
03:01 The First Time Seeing an Edge Board Fly
04:38 The Origin of Edge Boards George Greenough
06:21 Convex vs Concave Surfboard Bottoms Explained
09:22 Why Edge Boards Are So Fast
11:36 How Edge Boards Hold a Higher Line
13:12 ASYM Edge Boards Toe vs Heel Design
16:15 Why Edge Boards Work in Fast Beach Breaks
18:53 Surface Area Drag and Speed
21:03 What Riding an Edge Board Feels Like
24:42 How to Control Edge Board Speed
27:04 New Fin Designs That Change Everything
31:09 Outline Design Short Boards Fish and Simmons
37:10 Designing Surfboards Around Your Stance
41:05 Training Paddle Power for Surf Trips
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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1 hr 3 min
March 16 Skeptical Landlocked Surfer 4Xs his Wavecount w/ Aaron Buckner
🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds.
https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan

In this episode, 52-year-old Aaron Buckner shares how he went from 365 pounds, morbidly obese, and barely able to surf, to logging two-hour sessions in overhead waves and quadrupling his wave count. A few years ago at Kaisers in Waikiki, he paddled out, caught one wave, and was so gassed he couldn’t surf again for two days. Landlocked in Idaho and frustrated by “one wave and done” sessions, he was skeptical when he first saw the Basis Paddle Trainer. But after finally giving it a shot, and barely lasting five minutes on his first workout, he committed to structured training three to four days a week. Eight months later, he’s surfing seven days straight, holding his own in overhead C-Street, double-overhead South Bay, and even the North Shore, catching 2–4x more waves per session. By improving his paddle power and positioning, he’s getting into waves earlier, fixing his pop-up timing, and progressing again instead of just surviving sessions, proving that with the right foundation, decline isn’t inevitable.
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Chapters
01:39 Introduction to Aaron Buckner
02:17 Aaron’s Background and Move to Idaho
02:27 From 365 Pounds to a New Surfing Goal
04:25 Why Paddle Training Became Essential
06:21 The Hawaii Paddle Out Wake Up Call
08:02 Returning to Kaisers With Real Paddle Power
09:39 Initial Skepticism About the Paddle Trainer
11:04 The Moment He Decided to Buy
12:10 First Workout Reality Check
14:18 Building a Paddle Training Routine
15:13 From 5 Minutes to 30 Minute Paddle Sessions
17:45 Surfing Bigger Waves With Confidence
19:27 Surf Trips That Were Once Impossible
22:36 Technique Feedback and Community
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!
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40 min

About Basis Surf Podcast

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Interviews with pros, coaches, and shapers to help the everyday surfer get better at the thing they love.

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