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The Swell Report — Surf & Beach Statistics

Search data · Surfing

America's Most Surf-Obsessed States (2026)

Which states love surfing most, measured by what they search for: Google searches for surf lessons, boards, surf reports and surf parks in every state, adjusted for population, over the 12 months to September 2026.

The rankingLandlocked states

By Laurence Tuchin, Founder, SurfSpotGuide

Surf searches per person vs the US · Hawaii
15.2×

Hawaii searches Google about surfing more per person than any other state, from lessons and boards to surf reports, in the 12 months to September 2026.

Second: California2.1×
New Hampshire's rank for surf searches per person, ahead of Florida (4th)
3rd
Utah, the most surf-obsessed landlocked state, ahead of coastal Texas (27th)
10th
where surf parks and wave pools are the standout surf search
9 states

Key takeaways

  1. 01Hawaii searches Google about surfing 15.2× as much per person as the US average, more than any other state, in the 12 months to September 2026, according to Google Ads search estimates analysed by SurfSpotGuide.
  2. 02California and New Hampshire rank second and third for surf searches per person, ahead of Florida (4th).
  3. 03Utah is the most surf-obsessed landlocked state, 10th of 50 overall, ahead of coastal Texas (27th), according to Google Ads search estimates analysed by SurfSpotGuide.
  4. 04Surf parks and wave pools are the standout surf search in 9 states, including Virginia, Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts: they take a bigger share of those states' surf searches than they do nationally.
  5. 05Outside Hawaii, California searches most per person about surf lessons and learning to surf.

Which state is most obsessed with surfing?

Hawaii, by a mile: 15.2× the US rate of surf searches per person. California, New Hampshire, Florida and Rhode Island follow.

Surf searches a month per 100,000 residents (top 15 states, the 12 months to September 2026)
  • Hawaii743.8
  • California102.3
  • New Hampshire74.9
  • Florida68.3
  • Rhode Island66.8
  • Oregon64.3
  • Maine61.1
  • North Carolina58.3
  • New Jersey56.6
  • Utah56.1
  • Delaware55.6
  • Washington55.2
  • Massachusetts54.1
  • Virginia51.5
  • South Carolina47.7

Hawaii is shown at full length; the scale shrinks every other state.

Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of Google Ads search estimates (DataForSEO); population: US Census 2020.

What does each state search for?

Coastal states lean to surf reports: checking the waves. Surf parks stand out in Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Massachusetts and Utah. Many inland states search too little to call.

Each state's standout surf search
Learning to surfBoards & gearSurf reportsSurf parks & wave poolsToo few searches
ALAKAZARCACOCTDEDCFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY

The group that takes a bigger share of the state's surf searches than of the nation's. Grey: fewer than 3 groups with 50+ searches a month. Hover or tap a state for the figure.

Which landlocked states search most about surfing?

Utah, 10th overall, then Vermont, Wyoming and Colorado. Per person, surf parks and wave pools draw the most searches in Hawaii, Virginia, Utah and Arizona.

Surf searches per 100,000 residents: landlocked states
  • Utah56.1
  • Vermont43.5
  • Wyoming42.3
  • Colorado42
  • Idaho37.6
  • Nevada36.4
  • Montana36.3
  • Arizona36
  • Kansas33.5
  • Pennsylvania31.2
Surf park and wave pool searches per 100,000 residents
  • Hawaii8.2
  • Virginia4.6
  • Utah4.3
  • Arizona3.9
  • Florida2.5
  • California2.2
  • Colorado2.1
  • Massachusetts2
  • New Jersey1.6
  • Washington1.5

Where do people most want to learn to surf?

Per person, Hawaii searches most about surf lessons, then California, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.

Searches about surf lessons and learning to surf, per 100,000 residents (top 10)
  • Hawaii182.6
  • California14.1
  • Wyoming8.8
  • Utah8.6
  • Colorado7.7
  • Washington7.6
  • Florida7.5
  • New York7.5
  • Rhode Island7.4
  • Kansas7.3

Ready to try it? Find a surf school near you.

When do Americans search for surfing?

Surf-lesson searches peak in March, surf reports in July, boards and wetsuits in May and surf parks in August.

US surf searches each month, as a % of each group's busiest monthLearning to surfBoards & gearSurf reportsSurf parks & wave pools
45%55%65%75%85%95%105%
Learning to surfBoards & gearSurf reportsSurf parks & wave pools

How does my state rank?

Every state's rank, surf searches per 100,000 residents and standout search.

Surf searches per 100,000 residents by state, October 2025 – September 2026.
StateRankPer 100kStandoutLearning to surfBoards & gearSurf reportsSurf parks & wave pools
Alabama3922.5Boards & gear2.217.22.30.8
Alaska2237.5–6.724.53.82.5
Arizona2536Surf parks & wave pools3.926.91.33.9
Arkansas4718.5–2.314.20.91.1
California2102.3Surf reports14.167.318.72.2
Colorado1942Surf parks & wave pools7.7302.22.1
Connecticut2037.7Surf parks & wave pools4.927.34.11.4
Delaware1155.6Surf reports5.736.310.43.2
Florida468.3Surf reports7.541.217.12.5
Georgia3128.9Boards & gear3.422.32.20.9
Hawaii1743.8Surf reports182.6265.5287.48.2
Idaho2137.6–4.129.42.12
Illinois3525.3Boards & gear3.620.10.90.7
Indiana4022.1–2.618.30.60.6
Iowa4320.6–2.416.30.91
Kansas2633.5–7.323.41.31.5
Kentucky4917.9–214.40.80.8
Louisiana4619Boards & gear2.1151.10.8
Maine761.1Surf reports6.736.815.52.1
Maryland2832Surf parks & wave pools3.924.22.61.3
Massachusetts1354.1Surf parks & wave pools7.234.210.62
Michigan3625Boards & gear2.820.51.10.6
Minnesota3326.4–3.421.50.70.8
Mississippi5016.1–2.811.311
Missouri4221.3–2.517.60.50.7
Montana2436.3–5.824.82.92.9
Nebraska3426.2–2.620.51.41.6
Nevada2336.4Boards & gear4.828.121.5
New Hampshire374.9Surf reports7.334.430.32.9
New Jersey956.6Boards & gear6.93991.6
New Mexico4122–3.2161.31.5
New York1643.8Learning to surf7.529.851.4
North Carolina858.3Surf reports6.138.612.21.3
North Dakota3029.4–4.420.42.12.6
Ohio3823.1Boards & gear2.8190.70.6
Oklahoma4520.5–2.216.50.90.9
Oregon664.3Surf reports6.739.416.91.3
Pennsylvania2931.2Boards & gear3.325.41.70.8
Rhode Island566.8Surf reports7.440.515.93
South Carolina1547.7Boards & gear5.133.57.81.4
South Dakota3226.5–3.418.822.3
Tennessee4420.6Surf parks & wave pools2.716.40.70.8
Texas2733Surf parks & wave pools4.324.23.41.1
Utah1056.1Surf parks & wave pools8.641.41.94.3
Vermont1743.5–7.5265.94.2
Virginia1451.5Surf parks & wave pools5.2374.74.6
Washington1255.2Boards & gear7.63971.5
West Virginia4818.2–2.313.11.61.2
Wisconsin3723.3–2.619.30.70.8
Wyoming1842.3–8.824.454

Download the CSV for search counts and indexes.

Definitions

Surf searches
The sum of the average monthly Google searches for every phrase in the four groups, in that state.
Per 100,000 residents
Monthly searches divided by the 2020 Census population, times 100,000.
Index vs US
A state's searches per person divided by the US figure. 2× means twice the US rate.
Standout search
The group with the biggest share of a state's surf searches compared with its share nationally.

Methodology

We grouped search phrases into four kinds of surf interest and pulled Google Ads' estimated monthly searches for each phrase in the US, every state and DC, averaging the 12 monthly figures. Phrases are generic, never tied to a place, so every state is measured on the same words.

  • Learning to surf: "surf lessons", "learn to surf", "surf camp", "surf school", "surfing lessons for beginners"
  • Boards & gear: "surfboard", "wetsuit", "soft top surfboard", "surfboard rental"
  • Surf reports: "surf report", "surf forecast", "surf cam"
  • Surf parks & wave pools: "surf park", "wave pool surfing", "indoor surfing", "artificial wave"

Left out: "surfing" (mixes the sport with channel, couch and web surfing); "surf" (too broad (brands, apps, slang)); "board shorts" (mostly fashion shopping); "surf shop" (spiked in every state at once in December 2025 (165,000 searches in Ohio that month, against a usual 400–900): something other than surfing went viral). Google reports no volume for "surf school", so it counts as missing, not zero. Small states sit on Google's rounding steps, so their figures are approximate and close values are ties.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Does this measure how many people surf?

No. It measures interest: how often people search about surfing. A state can search a lot (planning trips, watching surf reports) without many residents surfing.

Why do landlocked states search about surfing?

Travel planning, lessons on holiday, and a growing number of surf parks and wave pools inland.

How often is this updated?

Once a year. The URL stays the same.

Use this data

Free to use with a credit

Need your state's numbers, a beach-by-beach list or a quote? Email Laurence Tuchin, Founder: laurence@surfspotguide.com.

Suggested citation

SurfSpotGuide (2026). America's Most Surf-Obsessed States (2026). https://www.surfspotguide.com/surf-statistics/most-surf-obsessed-states

Download the full data (CSV)