Simon Schuetz has studied almost every book and website on surf spots. He has spent countless hours compiling data on wave frequency, quality, tide, and shape to create a world surf map. While evaluating each location and deciding which spots to include, he found that some coastlines have almost no surfing information. In this interview, Simon talks about the blank areas of the map.

Are there any regions with little information about waves, that might have potential for future discoveries?

When you take a look at the surtripmap you will notice some gaps like in Namibia or Angola. India and the Middle East also have very little discovered spots. And especially remote, cold regions have so much potential. Iceland, Russia, Japan, Norway, Canada, Patagonia… I could keep this list going.

There are many reasons why some of these coastlines are relatively unexplored. It is just extremely hard to get to remote spots in Russia or Iceland. And not only do you have to go there, but you also have to get lucky as many of these spots are extremely fickle and forecasts aren’t that reliable. The weather can change quickly. Also ‘artificial’ restrictions like military zones or dangerous countries like Yemen are a reason for unexplored coastlines. There are plenty of world-class waves out there waiting to be surfed for the very first time.

What’s your interest in discovering waves in the arctic, antarctic, and sub-antarctic?

I really enjoy driving along the coast looking for empty waves because of the adventure that comes with it. Also in my mind there is nothing more amazing than raw nature. Planet earth has so much to offer. I am sure every surfer can relate to that. Combine the two things, and you have the adventure of discovering great surf spots and the raw nature in those regions.

What’s ahead in mapping waves around the world? Are there any other map ideas that you have been thinking about?

All the research that went not only into the surf spots but also into all the illustrations really showed how many amazing places there are on our planet and that we are far from having it all captured. It is impossible to show every region with the detail it deserves on a worldmap, so the idea of the surftripmap really is to remind people to keep searching.

Check out the website, surftripmap.com for more info, or follow http://www.facebook.com/surftripmap.

Alaska, the final frontier. Throughout history it has taunted the hearts of the hardy with dreams of wealth: fishing, oil, and gold. In recent times the northernmost state has reached into the world of surfing like Jack Frost nipping at your toes, enticing a frigid fringe of surfers to mine it’s wealth of waves. With scarce coastal access and a juicy swell window, murmurs of cold-water boat trip businesses have been circulating in Yakutat pubs. Scott Dickerson is at the forefront of Alaska’s surf community and has spent some time contemplating a surf charter endeavor.

Scott: The most striking things about surfing the cold frontiers are the spirit of discovery and the incredible scenery. I can’t think of a more stoke inducing thing than discovering a new surf break that in all likelihood has never been ridden before and pioneering it with a handful of friends. And all this surrounded by untouched wilderness and wildlife. To me, that’s what surfing in Alaska is all about. It was nicknamed the Last Frontier when the US purchased it in 1959 and for us surfers that name still rings true.

Arctic Surf Blog: A boat trip in Indo sounds pretty neat, so what kind of person would prefer to go on a cold water charter?

Scott: A surfer who desires a sense of discovery and exploration and wants to surf uncrowded waves. Personally when I see a crowded surf break my stoke fizzles. Growing up in Alaska and surfing with just a few friends my whole life has clearly been a unique experience. But I think that any surfer could appreciate the special experience of pioneering a new surf break with just a few friends.  This is what a surf charter in Alaska can offer. With more coastline than the entire US combined and less people than most large cities in the US it’s easy to understand how Alaska remains as a paradise for surfers looking for adventure.

Arctic Surf Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Scott is also an accomplished surf photographer. Checkout his work at SurfAlaska.net.

A few charters have already sprung up. The screen grab below is a glimpse into the birth of arctic surf boat tripping. Like the Mentawais in the early 80’s, the potential for Alaskan breaks is just beginning to be realized. Get your waves before it blows up.

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.

What drives your interest in distant cold-water waves?

Cold water (below 35 degrees north / south) makes up 55% of the planet. That’s an enormous amount of potential. When you consider that the majority of surf holidays occur within around 20 degrees of the equator it makes for some very un-crowded potential as well. It’s more than that though, the solitude of some of these destinations is incredible. These are the last corners of the Earth.

What areas have you specifically been to or been interested in?

Alaska and the west coast of Canada are a lot easier to travel around than the sub Antartic islands. The sub-Antarctic islands and the Chilean coast have astounding potential but access is difficult and expensive. Still, I think a true cold water surf resort will be a reality as the tropics become more and more crowded. This is what really interests me, cold water surf tourism. New Zealand would be a good test site and their lower west coast receives ample year round southern swell to make that a reality. Add surf camp with roaring log fires and your in business.

What informed your decision to visit some of these specific areas?

A lot of my sub-Antarctic island trips were done with the Australian Navy. Permission is needed to surf many of these areas but its not impossible to obtain. We were in 5000 tonne warships and still some of the swells down there make you feel under-gunned. Again, this is a big impediment to getting around down south. The sheer amount of swell is incredible, you spend most of your time waiting for it to die down as opposed to pick up.

Did you see any waves or potential for waves?

There are some great points on the north of Heard Island and incredible set ups on New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands (Auckland and Campbell) as well. Your challenge is squeezing in a surf window. You can wait weeks for storms to die down, its the reverse of waiting weeks for swell in a lot of areas. If you are there on a ship then it becomes an expensive process. I saw excellent surf at the above destinations for about 3 days in a 2 week window, The rest of the time they were out of control. Surf would have been possible though at some point on the island — it would have been offshore somewhere.

Did visiting these remote and cold areas have any sort of profound impact on you personally?

To be honest, surfing down in these waters makes you long for the company of other surfers. You see surf that is right at the edge of your ability as far as size goes and if you had someone to share it with and to watch your back ala buddy system approach then you would probably go for it. If you’re by yourself though you have to be sensible and only go out when its smaller and perfect.

Any thing else you would like to share?

Places like South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are incredibly exciting. Literally this is a sub-Antarctic version of the Hawaiian Island chain mid way between Antarctica and South America. The two continents were once linked here and so parts of it are very shallow, with excellent cold water reefs — stand by for a lot of discoveries to come out of here in the future.

Thank you so much for your time.

All the best with your project!