Wade in the Water

Led by historical experts and community leaders in the BIPOC surfing movement, Wade in the Water resurrects the thousand-year-old Black surfing tradition, stirring the next generation of Black surfers. The film explores the neglected history of Black surfing’s heritage by charting the origins of African aquatic culture and examining the evolution of Black surfing through the modern day.

The journey begins with the first written account of surfing in the 1640s, from Africa, 200 years before Europeans described surfing in Oceania and the Pacific Islands. Advancing into the 20th century, Nick Gabaldón is highlighted as a surfing figure who is as significant as he is overlooked. We then learn of the shameful histories of weaponizing eminent domain and acts of white supremacist terrorism that drove Black communities and businesses from America's shores in places such as Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica. And finally, we bear witness to the reclamation of aquatic culture with the contemporary wave of young Black surfers.

The film offers a thorough introduction to modern Black surfing luminaries and influential figures, as they share their perspectives and illuminate the forebears who have shaped Black surfing’s traditions and spiritual ethos. These individuals are at the forefront of initiatives that foster equitable access to surfing in BIPOC communities, women’s surf clubs, and public policies that encourage environmental stewardship and social justice. Wade in the Water looks both backwards and forwards to offer a comprehensive history of the Black engagement with surfing, and calls for an equitable future for anyone who wishes to find a home among the waves.