Sean Moffatt is one of a few surfers in the Falkland Islands and has found several new and un-surfed waves down there. He was kind enough to talk about surf exploration in this far region, and share some photos from his discoveries.

What is the general landscape and weather of the places you are exploring?

The landscape here is pretty bleak and baron.  There are no trees, just mountains, rivers and open countryside.  The coastline is mostly rocky, with large amounts of kelp around the Islands. However, there are a good number of sand beaches scattered about.

Do you have any unique methods of doing things in the cold?

The water temperature goes down to 3 or 4 degrees in the winter, so 5mm hooded suits, 7mm booties, and 5mm gloves are a must.  We don’t have any method as such to keep warm, any suggestions would be greatly received.  We just keep surfs down to a maximum of 3 hours in the middle of winter.

How do you go about researching, planning, and finding?

The Islands here are relatively small, and being locals it is easy to get permission to surf uncharted land.  We usually gather sheep for farmers when we can, and in return they let us cross their land to surf spots. It is during these gathers that we usually find new places to surf.

Who do you surf with?

There are only 4 people who surf in the Falkland islands, including myself. My brother and I have been surfing here for two years now along with another local. A brilliant South African surfer is down here to study albatross and will be here for three years.

Do you have any unique stories?

We live 5 min down the road from a beach which is consistently good. Around the corner are some slab-y reefs which often show a lot of potential but have not yet been surfed. A little further is a point break which needs a big Easterly swell to break.  It only works maybe 4 or 5 times a year, but when it does break it is world class.  This break, like many around the capital, is only accessible from the sea.  During the 1982 Falklands Conflict the Argentine forces laid mine fields around the capital that are still present today. Lucky for us we have a boat, so we anchor off and paddle in.

Has exploring these unsurfed places had any profound impact on your life?

Surfing and exploring un-ridden waves is a thrill, it can be challenging, but also very rewarding.  There’s nothing like surfing empty waves with your best friends.