The Little-Known Black History of Surfing

Black people DO swim! The rich history of swimming and surfing in Africa highlights the profound contributions of black people to watersports globally.

The modern iconography of Surfing has captured our hearts and minds; whether it’s the bronzed ‘surfer dude’, his perfectly manicured board, the high-stakes contests, or the mountainous waves that he rides. In today’s world, surfing has become an immutable symbol of pop culture. 

Yet, for much of human history, surfing was a practice rooted in subsistence aquaculture, communalism, and even, spiritual practice. It's well-known that Europeans encountered this sport being practiced by native peoples in Hawai'i and the rest of Polynesia for both religious and recreational purposes in the late 1800s. The setter colonization of those islands, combined with efforts to 'Americanize' indigenous practices to encourage American immigration to Hawai'i, propelled surfing into the popular consciousness of the American public.

Yet, little attention has been paid to the indigenous histories of surfing outside of Polynesia, particularly in Africa. On the Gold Coast of Africa, abundant evidence suggests that the people living there were skilled in all manner of aquatic abilities, including swimming, diving, and even surfing!

Swimming on Africa’s Gold Coast in the late 1800s

When European visitors first arrived in Africa around the 1500s, among the first things that they noticed about African peoples living in coastal regions was their incredibly advanced swimming and diving capabilities, as noted by the work of Dr. Kevin Dawson, author of "Afro-Surf", a Professor at UC Merced, and a preeminent expert on the subject.

These 'Atlantic Africans' could typically far outswim their European counterparts, who rarely engaged with the sea outside of their ships. In Europe, since the Navy was considered more of a military career, swimming was only considered a last effort to save oneself if disaster struck. For this reason, in the late 1800s, even US Naval Academy cadets were not taught to swim in basic training. As a consequence, their swimming abilities were typically confined to rudimentary techniques like the breaststroke or dog paddle. Therefore, upon arriving on the Golden Coast of Africa, they likely experienced a blend of shock, curiosity, and envy as they observed West Africans effortlessly maneuvering in and out of the water, treating it as if it were a second home.

This was the first skill that made them highly desired among slave-catchers for use as pearl divers. They would usually be taken to islands in the West Indies, where they would expected to dive deep within the ocean’s murky depths to retrieve the precious gems that would enrich their captors (enslaved pearl divers could dive as far as 90 ft without help from an oxygen tank).

While perilous, this task was often preferred over traditional fieldwork, as it offered slaves the opportunity to retain some of the pearls they retrieved, eventually allowing them to accumulate enough funds to purchase their freedom. Following the depletion of enslaved salvage divers by Europeans, the profession transitioned to being predominantly comprised of free blacks who earned wages for their labor.

Photo of enslaved African Pearl Divers, circa 1782

The miraculous swimming and diving capabilities of native West Africans were an early point of European spectacle. Onlookers would have watched wide-eyed as they completed seemingly impossible dives for long periods to retrieve valuables from sunken ships or decorative shells from the coral reefs. Unfortunately, these observations became another point later used to justify conclusions about Africans' inhumanity and racial inferiority due to their perceived ‘unnatural’ skill in the water. These observers decided that these differences had to be a result of the native people's increased lung capacity or ‘animal’ strength. Concluding that these acts could not arise from genuine bravery, but rather from instincts or impulsivity more akin to those of animals.

European explorer, Jean Barbot notes that the crucial difference that Europeans noticed about West African swimming practices is that they employed a freestyle stroke which involved the “throwing [of] one [arm] after another forward, as if they were paddling, and not extending their arms equally, and striking with them both together, as Europeans do” . This method of swimming worked far better for the accumulation of speed in the water and keeping oneself upright to avoid drowning. However, Europeans viewed it as less civilized compared to their preferred method of swimming, the breaststroke, which they considered more "graceful" due to its lack of splashing and arm flailing. This observation reveals something even more relatively unknown - is that Africans were among the first in the world to utilize the world-famous freestyle stroke.

Dawson, 2010, p.84

Swimming held a central place in the lives of coastal West Africans, serving as a unifying activity that people of all classes, genders, and ages participated in. Traditionally, swimming was practiced in the nude, as clothing could impede the body's natural range of motion and flexibility in the water, hindering the swimmer's abilities (which further stigmatized the sport in European eyes).

It was seamlessly integrated into various aspects of daily life, encompassing not only work-related activities but also personal endeavors and spiritual practices, shaping the cultural fabric of Coastal West communities.

Unfamiliar with the dangers of coastal Africa, early European visitors, and slaveholders frequently found themselves in precarious situations. They were often left to solely rely on the Africans they had either employed or enslaved to rescue them if they happened to fall into the water. This dependence underscored the remarkable aquatic skills possessed by Africans, highlighting their indispensable role in navigating and surviving the coastal environments where they resided.  

The 'Birth' of the Surf in West Africa

In 1966, a documentary entitled "Endless Summer," directed by Bruce Brown, chronicles the adventures of two young white American surfers, Michael Hanson and Robert August, as they journey around the world in pursuit of the elusive "perfect wave." 

Amongst Hanson and August's many exploits was a trip to Accra, Ghana. During this trip, the two would teach several local children to surf, and following the film's widespread popularity in America, the erroneous claim emerged that they had introduced surfing to West African communities.

Despite these popular claims, evidence suggests that surfing is a centuries-old practice that is both indigenous and endemic to populations across Africa's coastlines, from Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and possibly even West Central Africa. Even more impressive, no evidence surfing in West Africa was influenced at all by Polyneisa, meaning that it most likely evolved independently without outside influence.

Beach on the Gold Coast. Accra, Ghana circa 1890

It's unclear exactly why or when Africans began to surf, but Dawson suggests that the answer may be simpler than we would expect. One possible scenario: a lone paddle-boarder could have been caught in the surf, and felt the ocean rise around themselves as they were propelled towards the white sand of the beach, and upon realizing that they could replicate the pleasure-inducing scenario, a sport was born. Early Africans could have also observed the actions of marine animals and in trying to replicate them, surfing was born; as we can't be sure of the exact details, any number of possible scenarios could be true.

While the more popularized and commercialized image of surfing now includes the rider standing up and steadying themselves on the wave. Ancient wave-riding in West Africa usually involved the rider either lying down perpendicular to the board or crouching/kneeling on the board in a low position (This was the more popular form in Polynesia as well before the development of modern surfing). 

Board making was an important endeavor, as was surfing itself, trees would be especially picked for the task of becoming a surf, canoe, or paddle board. The process could be varied among the different tribes and ethnic groups, overall, boards were usually considered to be sacred and deeply personal to the rider. They were usually carved from cotton silkwood trees which were thought to form a spiritual connection between the spiritual realm and the rider's heart. They crafted each board specifically for the type of wave it would surf and the beach it would launch from, considering factors like “steepness of the beach and size, shape, and power of waves" (Dawson, 2023, p.32)

Dawson's research uncovers numerous accounts of surfing in early Africa. The first two known accounts of African surfing were written by Micheal Hammersam and Jean Barbot respectively in the mid-late 1600s. Both accounts detail the use of "bits of board" which were tied to African children at a very young age by their parents to teach them to swim, utilizing a methodology that logistically mimics surfing.

Children Bathing and Surfing on the Gold Coast in Accra, Ghana circa 1910

In Ghana, James Edward Alexander provides a poweful and magical description of young African surfers: "[f]rom the beach, meanwhile, might be seen boys swimming into the sea, with light boards under their stomachs. They waited for a surf, and came rolling like a cloud on top of it" . 

Dawson, 2010, p.100

Thomas J. Hutchinson's account of Cameroonian fishermen riding waves in dugout canoes particularly highlights the skill and technique of the fishermen in wave-riding, showcasing how they utilized the practice both as a supplement to their subsistence fishing and for recreational purposes, providing an accurate depiction of an African surfer's 'wipe-out'.

The ocean’s dangers to swimmers and surfers were paramount —- Hutchinson continues in his observation that shark attacks were not uncommon among African canoemen and swimmers. Despite facing such dangers, even after losing a limb, they would courageously return to the water the very next day, refusing to be deterred or kept away for any longer. (Dawson, 2010, p.100)

Canoemen also played a pivotal role in the economic ecosystem of Early Africa, especially for slave traders who heavily depended on them to utilize their canoes for transportation, both for themselves and their goods or human cargo. For Europeans fortunate enough to take a ride with these surf-canoemen, they uncovered the pleasure and thrill that could be obtained from riding the ocean’s waves.

Surf-Canoemen in Accra Ghana circa 1910

Exploiting this economic advantage proved immensely profitable for canoemen, who would often guide their European passengers through perilous surf zones unless generously compensated or presented with lavish gifts. Canoemen would play a sort of ‘game’ with their passengers where they would tie a chair to the front of the canoe, and ask any brave European passenger to take a ride there as they knew that their European passengers deeply feared falling into the water

Alongside its role in recreation and commerce, West Africans attributed deep spiritual significance to water. Among these beliefs is the reverence for Mami Wata, an African spirit believed to inhabit bodies of water and often described as a fish-tailed woman or a mermaid. It was common for those seeking to enter the surf to seek her blessing through prayer before entering the water.

Poster depicting Mami Wata circa 1880

 According to various sources, she could either save drowning people or abduct people swimming in the surf, by transporting them to her realm in the spirit world. There, the mysteries of the spirit world be unfolded before them, and if permitted to return, they would often come back to the physical world imbued with a heightened sense of spirituality, as well as increased attractiveness and wealth.

An 'Endless' Summer

After the arrival of Europeans and many Africans were stolen from their sacred shores, the racist stigmatizations of black people, stemming from colonialism and slavery, further complicated their relationship with water. During colonization and the era of the slave trade, many Africans in America were forcibly separated from the sea, both on inland plantations and in the bellows of slave ships, depriving them of both the time and proximity necessary to continue swimming and surfing.

However, in the Caribbean, many black people continued swimming and occasionally surfing —-- using any spare downtime during the day they had to swim and lay their drenched bodies on the golden banks of beaches. In those few stolen moments spent in the sea or the surf, they were able to achieve momentary reprieve from the brutalities of their predicament. Occasionally, they even indulged in informal swimming contests, arranged by plantation owners as a form of entertainment or competition, often accompanied by betting among the spectators.

The practice of swimming and surfing was further disrupted during Africa’s colonization, through the spread of European missionaries frequently condemned these practices as immoral, sinful, dangerous, and even reckless, further discouraging their continuation.

After emancipation, blacks frequently faced social restrictions, which limited their access to public beaches and pools. Moreover, economic constraints often left them with insufficient finances to pay for and leisure time to dedicate to lessons in either swimming or surfing (having been separated from their ancestral knowledge for generations).

Today, surfing is practiced across the African subcontinent for a variety of reasons; usually either competitive or recreational. In West Africa, surfing is usually considered a child’s game or just a way to have fun while keeping cool. After years of European interference with the development of West African water sports and depletion of its coastal populations, interest in, and memory of the sport seems to have waned.

In South Africa, the practice of modern surfing — brought there by European settlers and American globalization — was an important space for white supremacy, often excluding the native people from its practice. Since beaches were often segregated and considered exclusionary public spaces. The efforts of black people both during and after Apartheid to surf at public beaches and participate in surfing competitions have brought change to South Africa’s surfing scene and social environment.

In the Caribbean, swimming and surfing remain cherished pastimes for Afro-descendant communities, ingrained deeply in their cultural fabric. The region has emerged as a vibrant hub for black surfers, boasting numerous black-owned surf schools and hosting exciting competitions that celebrate the talent and passion of its participants.

Woman swimming underwater. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

In America, black surfers are actively reclaiming their rightful place within this rich tradition, asserting their presence and contributions to the sport. As a result, there is a notable resurgence of interest in surfing within black communities across the country, as more black people utilize surfing as a way to embrace the waves, share their stories, and foster a sense of unity and empowerment through this ancient and deeply meaningful activity.

Despite ongoing efforts, the stigma surrounding black individuals and water persists. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the joke "Black People Don’t Swim" became a popular punchline in comedy routines and sitcoms. Understandably, many black individuals, given a history marked by drownings and forced sea voyages, approach the water with caution. While we are only beginning to scratch the surface of understanding the nuanced ways in which black people have interacted with water throughout history, delving into this subject has unearthed complex and multifaceted conclusions.

For Afro-descendant people around the world, the essence of water has been deeply understood for centuries. Like its resident spirit, Mama Wata, water embodies both benevolence and peril, mirroring the rhythmic ebb and flow of the tides. It has served as a source of solace and camaraderie, a gateway of no return, a route to liberation, and a space of reclamation. 

Uncovering this history offers a valuable insight from Early Africans to black people living in the modern world. Despite our ancestor's profound awareness of the inherent dangers and uncertainties lurking beneath the water's surface, they never hesitated to dive in.

Much of this research was made through the work of Kevin Dawson, and his articles Swimming, Surfing and Underwater Diving in Early Modern Atlantic Africa and the African Diaspora and Surfing in Africa and the Diaspora, due to his tireless work and promotion of this history. I would recommend purchasing his book, Afro-Surf if you can get your hands on a copy!