By Sue-Jean Sung

When most people talk about San Francisco, rarely is surfing brought up.

The aspects of the City and the greater Bay Area that keep people enamored include storied history and movements, the ever-changing landscape of innovation and the natural wonders we are so lucky to have surrounding us.

Ocean Beach might come up in conversation as a place to visit during the occasional heat wave, but there are many San Francisco natives and tourists alike who do not believe you when you say there is a year-round surf scene at Ocean Beach – it is too cold, too harsh and too dangerous. And in the winter time? There’s no way.

And then you show them the photos that prove otherwise.

Many avid surfers around the world have heard tales of how intense the Ocean Beach paddle out can be. Not too many outside of the Bay have taken the leap to experience it firsthand. But for various reasons, Ocean Beach photographers take it upon themselves to document and chronicle the (mis)adventures of navigating the heavy water our local break has to offer.

“When I started shooting in the water at Ocean Beach 24 years ago, there was a handful of folks documenting the surf at best,” said photographer Sachi Cunningham. “Come to think of it, there was barely anyone surfing! It’s in part because of the challenging conditions.”

It is true. Over the years, more folks have been lured by the call of Ocean Beach, opting into treading water, flying with the currents and diving under double overhead waves with cameras in water housings weighing over 10 pounds, sometimes closer to 20. They endure the pounding surf, all in the pursuit of capturing the chaos and calm from a more up-close and personal perspective than from land.

It is challenging, exhilarating and gives photographers the opportunity to experience the ocean in a different kind of way. With so much talent and passion abounding and the only form of sharing and connection being social media, Sachi and I came together over a dinner at Outerlands and looped in the beloved Steven Baker, manager and friendly face of Mollusk Surf Shop, to cook up the community event that took place on April 11.

“Heavy Water: Two Seasons at Ocean Beach” debuted with 22 photographers showcasing their work exclusively from the 2023-2025 fall and winter seasons at Ocean Beach. Mollusk’s art room displayed one print per contributor and a more extensive slideshow with storytelling and presentations from each contributor.

During her speech, Fiona Duerr commented on the tremendous representation of women pushing the limits in surf photography – nine of the 22 photographers identify as female.

Jack Bober noted that in his nine years of photographing the area since he was a child, this sort of coming together to celebrate the art of capturing Ocean Beach was the first of its kind. It really did feel like the first time Ocean Beach photographers were appreciated as an entity by the greater public, acknowledging both the eye and athleticism doing so requires.

“It’s clear that the community is hungry for reasons to come together,” reflected Baker. “I suspected there would be a good turnout, but this was on another level.”

If you happened to walk by Irving Street and 46th Avenue that Friday night, you would have seen hoards of attendees spilling into the street and a building filled to the brim with eager neighbors, surfers, photographers. Even folks from way out of town.

Maybe this is the beginning of something regularly occurring at Mollusk or elsewhere, but a huge takeaway was the abundant demand and positive reception. The community appreciation and love were flowing that night, with people putting faces and auras to Instagram handles and artwork.

“When’s the next one going to be?” was heard echoing from every corner of the room and has continued to be a frequently asked question in the aftermath.

One thing to acknowledge is the depth of complexity these types of events hold. On one hand, publicity and momentum gives an opportunity for a community like the surf photographers and enthusiasts of Ocean Beach to develop a shared identity and form deep connections. However, this all can lead to more complicated dynamics around localism and crowds. With photography comes implied sharing, and any form of public-facing coalition is bound to inspire more people to partake.

The compelling thought exercise is that if more folks take on the challenge of capturing Ocean Beach in all of her glorious spectrums, the field will continue to develop and be pushed.

“I love the solitude of surfing and photographing here,” Cunningham said. “And I have, at times, found myself thinking and behaving like the grumpy old men who I used to curse. Change is hard. But, like the ocean I love, the only constant is also change. I try to embrace it.”

And embracing it we are. Through building this type of community, we can navigate these changes together. And the reality is that Ocean Beach only attracts a specific type of person who can hold their own through the grit. So, we’ll just be out here having a good time.

Sue-Jean Sung is an Outer Sunset resident, a surfer, writer, photographer and one of the co-organizers of the inaugural “Heavy Water: Two Seasons at Ocean Beach” photography exhibit at Mollusk Surf Shop. She can be reached on Instagram @suejayvision.

More photos HERE.