Why Good Surfers Think Like Stoics - and How Stoic Philosophy Can Make You a Better Surfer

If you surf, you are already a student of Stoicism.

If you are a good surfer, you are already stoic - whether you realise it or not.

And if you are new to surfing, Stoic philosophy can give you a significant head start.

“The goal of life is living in agreement with Nature.”

Zeno

One of the core teachings of early Stoicism, attributed to Zeno of Citium, is that “a smooth flow of life comes from living in agreement with nature.” Surfing is a literal embodiment of this idea. You cannot fight the ocean. You must observe it, respect it, and move in harmony with it. Resistance only leads to suffering.

But Zeno didn’t just mean “nature” in just its literal sense, he also meant human nature - other people and society - And our own nature - our unique traits, tendencies and innate desires. As surfers, we must learn to live in agreement with all three.

Mother Nature: the ocean and the weather. Surfers must not only submit to these forces, but also learn to read, predict, and adapt to them.

Other people: surfers are everywhere. Lineup politics and ethics are unavoidable. To surf crowded lineups well, we must become students of surf culture and human psychology. Best learned by observing rubber-clad grown adults behave like feral children over pieces of moving water.

Our own nature: our deep desire to surf. Reject or belittle it, and you restrict your own experience and create frustration. Let it run your life unchecked, and it will damage relationships and balance. But embrace it wisely and deliberately, and that desire becomes a life force — enriching the soul, vitalising the body, and sharpening the mind.

We must live in agreement with all three, because surfing - like life - will test you.

'The first 20 years of surfing is just to see if you’re interested or not.’

Gerry Lopez

You don’t become a competent surfer without hardship. There are wipe-outs and embarrassments, bad forecasts, poor board choices, and a constant accumulation of small frustrations. You get skunked, humbled, and occasionally humiliated. The list is endless. Becoming a good surfer is a long, demanding journey, and it has a way of stripping away ego. Nothing humbles a man faster than missing the best wave of the day while everyone watches.

Learning to surf is war. The ocean wants to suck you under, drag you out to sea, or repeatedly push you back to shore. Other surfers try to intimidate you, drop-in on you, or quietly hope you quit altogether. None of this is accidental. Surfing is not designed to be easy, and that is precisely why it shapes people so deeply.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

Epictetus

At the heart of Stoic philosophy are four virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. Surfing relentlessly trains all four.

Surfers are always learning and evolving, refining ocean knowledge, technique, self-awareness, and equipment choices. Surfing constantly places us in challenging, uncertain, and sometimes hostile environments. Without these virtues, long-term progression is impossible.

Courage

Surfing demands courage.
Courage to paddle out when the conditions are intimidating. Courage to make mistakes, to wipe out, to be held under, and to go back out again. Courage to face angry locals, critical lineups, and your own fear.

The ocean is indifferent. It does not care about your confidence, your excuses, or your intentions. Learning to surf means repeatedly stepping into discomfort and danger - not recklessly, but willingly. Over time, this builds a quiet, grounded courage: the kind Stoics admired most.

Temperance

Temperance is self-control and moderation. If you surf long enough, you will eventually become a local somewhere.

Temperance shows up in choosing waves selectively rather than greedily, controlling emotional reactions in crowded lineups, and behaving fairly even when no one is watching. It governs how you conduct yourself on a wave, in the lineup, and in the carpark.

Surfing quickly punishes emotional excess - anger, impatience, entitlement, and rewards calm, measured decision-making. This is Stoic temperance in practice.

“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.”

Seneca

Justice

Justice is deeply embedded in surf culture, particularly in lineup politics. The ancient Stoics associated justice with fairness, kindness, and reverence.

Fairness and kindness are obvious. But every lineup also has its informal judges; experienced surfers who enforce unspoken rules. Sometimes this enforcement comes through harsh words, sometimes through passive-aggressive drop-ins. “You know the rules.” And if you don’t, you won’t get many waves - or much respect.

Reverence; a deep respect for something greater than yourself. Surfing demands reverence for the ocean’s power, chaos, and cycles. Choose the wrong wave, hesitate too late, or push beyond your capabilities, and the consequences arrive swiftly. The ocean humbles without malice. Surfers learn reverence through experience and acceptance.

Wisdom

Wisdom is the application of knowledge, and in Stoicism it begins with understanding what you can and cannot control.

Surfing teaches this lesson with brutal clarity. You cannot control the ocean. You cannot control other surfers. You cannot control the conditions. What you can control is how you respond.

Good surfing comes from focusing only on what is within your control:
positioning, timing, equipment choices, movement, breathing, awareness, and inner dialogue. A wise surfer reads the ocean accurately, chooses the right board for their ability and the conditions, and exercises restraint when necessary. This wisdom cannot be rushed. It only comes through time in the water.

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

Marcus Aurelias

Courage develops into wisdom when you learn not just how to face the ocean, but how to roll with it. Temperance allows you to stay even-tempered and make rational decisions despite chaos, we maintain our reverence and accept the balance of justice. Over time, these traits become instinctive - we become wise surfers.

Experienced surfers reading this may begin to realise just how stoic they already are, and how the philosophy learned in the water can be applied to other areas of life.

And if you are new to surfing, Stoicism offers a powerful framework. It’s simple principles can help you relax in the water, manage frustration, trust the process, and approach surfing with intelligence rather than ego.

As surfers, we remember the seven seconds on a wave - not the ninety minutes of paddling, the four wipeouts, the cold water, or the angry bald guy yelling at everyone. We stoically choose not to dwell on the suffering. Instead, we remain patient, resilient, and quietly optimistic. Always ready-for, and seeking-out, the next opportunity. It is the stoke of those brief, perfect moments that keeps us engaged and courageous, despite everything we know we must endure to reach them.

Stoic = Stoke

To learn more about Stoicism:

“The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday is great concise and modern summary.

“Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius is the most quoted and popular original text.

Keep Surfing.