A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

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aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Alexandre, João (Dapin)

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

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Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

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Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

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Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

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August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

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Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

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Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

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Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

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Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

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Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

A period of moderate-to-huge winter surf along the American West Coast and Hawaii, lasting roughly from mid-January to mid-March, generated by a chain of El Niño–fortified storms in the North Pacific. "Landmarks fell into the ocean, seawalls came down, porches fell into the surf, trees drifted through the lineup, " North Shore surf photographer and writer Bernie Baker reported. "Beaches completely disappeared in some areas and doubled in size in others. It was almost surreal." Along with hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage, the Swell of 1983 marked the beginning of a new era in big-wave riding.

In December 1982, the North Pacific jet stream—a west-to-east stratospheric current that moderates weather over much of the hemisphere—suddenly dropped 1,200 miles south, placing a series of low-pressure storm systems that much closer to mainland America and Hawaii. In early February, after five consecutive big-wave swells hit California, the 

 reported that more than 1,200 structures along the Southern California coast had been damaged (including the end portion of the famed Santa Monica pier, which collapsed); it was later reported that a single wave had demolished 17 houses in Santa Cruz, and that the piers in Seal Beach, Oceanside, Pacific Beach, and Redondo were damaged or destroyed. President Ronald Reagan designated 17 California counties as federal disaster areas; public property damages along the coast were thought to be about $100 million ($240,000,000 in 2015 dollars); private property damages were thought to be in excess of a half billion ($1.2 billion in 2015 dollars). "While hundreds of surfers joined beachfront residents in sandbagging buildings," 

 magazine added, "thousands more turned to the double and triple overhead surf. As this issue goes to press, there have been 25 consecutive days of overhead surf, and the weather maps show more to come."

The weather during this period in California was often stormy and windy, destroying surf conditions, but there were also periods of sunshine and light offshore winds. Some of the best waves were found at Swami's and Blacks Beach in San Diego County, and Rincon in Santa Barbara County, but every winter break along the coast was in top form at one point or another during the wave-filled weeks. The El Niño condition in 1982–83 was later said to be the second strongest on record.

In Hawaii, the Swell of 1983 produced the biggest waves since the fabled winter of 1969. Roads were closed and beachfront houses were flooded, but the damage was mild compared to California. Waimea Bay, then the world's best-known big-wave break, had what is still regarded as its best season. "It wasn't so much about sheer size as consistency," the 

 wrote years later, marveling at how the surf had funneled into Waimea for up to three weeks at a time. "For the first time ever, big-wave riders actually got their fill." Standout surfers included Ken Bradshaw, James Jones, Roger Erikson, Chris Lundy, and Charlie Walker.

After years of concentrating on professional surf contests, tuberiding, and zippy small-wave performance surfing, the surf media, for the first time since the late '60s, refocused on big-wave riding. 

 ran a Waimea photograph on the cover of the July 1983 issue (the first Waimea shot so used since 1965), and published two articles, "Whatever Happened to Big-Wave Riding?" and "Dinner at Charlie's," both loaded with 1983 Waimea photos. Interest in big-wave surfing continued to grow in the years ahead.

Swell of 1983

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