March 16, 2026

Skeptical Landlocked Surfer 4Xs his Wavecount w/ Aaron Buckner

39 minutes

🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

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.

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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