Surfing

Surf Kodiak

Ever thought about surfing in Alaska?! It may be a surprise, but Alaska actually has an extensive surfing community of those brave enough to face the icy waters. Cold water surfing is amazing for the refreshing sea, snowy and rugged views, and clear line-ups! Some surf spots around Alaska include Yakutat, Sitka, many remote breaks that you can only get to by boat or float plane, and of course Kodiak!

Surfers at Surfer’s Beach June 2025 (Photo taken by Isaiah Edenfield)

The community of surfers in Kodiak is laid back and friendly. The line ups are small, often you end up surfing alone, but on a perfect Saturday, you might see 3-4 others out there. The wildlife is amazing too! I have surfed among the whales and seals while looking at bears and cows on shore! Most of the time I wear a 5/4mm wetsuit with hood, gloves, and booties. Gloves become optional in the summer.

Surfing in Kodiak was actually featured on Jamie O’Brian’s site on top 5 Best Cold Weather Surf Spots in the World. Here is a cool YouTube compilation video of surfing at Fossil Beach and a mini documentary about surfing at Surfer’s Beach.

Surfing in mediocre conditions at Fossil Beach

Surfing in Kodiak is generally done near Pasagshak, 42-45 miles down the road from the City of Kodiak. The City of Kodiak can be seen as the point on the map and the surfing area is within the red circle. There are two main spots surfed in Kodiak: Fossil Beach and Surfer’s Beach. But if the waves are large and messy at Surfer’s, sometimes there can be a nice break at the mouth of Pasagshak River at Pasagshak State Recreational Site.

There are more spots to surf around the Kodiak road system and possibly past the end of the road in Chiniak, but you’ll have to explore and find those out yourself! I hope this page gives you a helpful start to find good waves in Kodiak AK!

Disclaimer: lots of photos were taken on calm water days because I was too busy enjoying the water on good wave days!

Driving to Pasagshak to Surf!

Driving down to Pasagshak is a gorgeous, winding road experience about 1hr from town. Especially just after winter, there are sometimes a few places along the way where the road is so torn up you might need to slow down to 10 mph or avoid the section of road entirely. So, keep an eye out! There will be a more thorough description of the magical drive and places to explore in Pasagshak on in the Pasagshak page. Sometimes if the surf if too messy and big on Surfer’s Beach, you can surf at the mouth of Pasagshak River at Pasagshak State Recreational Site. The mouth of the river will turn into a nice, relatively clean right with a super easy paddle out!

Surfer’s Beach/ Three Mile Beach

Surfer’s Beach, also known as Three Mile Beach, is a popular spot in Kodiak. By popular, I mean by far the busiest day I have ever seen were 4-5 low key groups of people at the beach on the Saturday summer solstice. The largest line-up was 4 people including me. About 1hr 10 min out of town with parking on the sand, it’s a great place for activities like beach walking, surfing, foil boarding, campfires, dirt biking, camping, etc. This spot is a beach break and can have a significant cross current. I have spent the night there surfing, having a campfire, and sleeping on the beach during the midnight sun. This is often the best location if the waves are small, and you are looking for a casual surf.

Pro tip: rinse off your gear and take a mini shower in the freshwater river that cuts through the beach after a surf. Often little seals will play in the surf and keep you company! If you drive down the road just a bit farther and look towards the beach, you can see this sign of a cow getting abducted by aliens!

Fossil Beach

The best surfing in Kodiak is likely at Fossil Beach, about 1hr 20min out of town. It is a journey to get down there, but if the waves are good, you can surf a clean break with epic cliffs on either side and pristine waters. Fossil Beach is a beach break when it is small and a reef break that can barrel if the swell is large enough. It’s often worth checking out Fossil if the waves at Surfer’s are large and messy. To get there, continue past surfers and through the Spaceport (approx 4 miles) until you see a brown Fossil Beach sign pointing you to take a right then transition to the dirt road. You can park at the end where the road becomes a cliff. Don’t forget to check out the cliffs and broken rocks to find fossils!

WARNING: Road through the Spaceport has a VERY broken cattle guard. The road is also occasionally closed, but signage is posted in Bell’s Flats and other places, giving lots of advance notice. After turning from the Spaceport to Fossil Beach, the road is very rough with the pictured steep dirt hill, large potholes, bumps, and mud!