Nathan Florence Unveils The Least Inviting Venue On His Shallow Water Circuit - Stab Mag
817 Views

Nathan Florence Unveils The Least Inviting Venue On His Shallow Water Circuit

“What you can’t see can hurt you”

elsewhere // May 21, 2024
Words by Holden Trnka
Reading Time: < 1 minute

“I feel like a lot of what people say is ‘core’ got tied to almost like hipster style, but I think the most core people are the guys who don’t care at all,” said Nate Florence, in our recent interview. “They’re just gonna do what it takes to spend as much time in the water as possible. Not to sound like an ad, but Florence makes some great, great padded suits. The impact absorption is unbelievable and importantly, they help you float.”

Known by some as the Florence Neoprene BBL, the padded suits Nate is referring to are put on display above. In some remote Antipodean chunky brine, Nate packs some enormous clamping slabs over an unappetizing plate of reef.

Though protective gear may have once been deemed lame by the pros of yesteryear, we wouldn’t be surprised to see these padded suits rise in popularity at the hand of the Florence empire.

Despite the drone-check + paddle effort above resulting in less successful tube time than many of the stops on Nate’s personal dream tour, the attempt to wrangle the deepwater benthic monsters is incredibly commendable.

“It was an epic adventure,” said Nate. “It looked probably six foot. We got out the back and first thing there were probably four or five 12-foot sets in a row. Just flexing on the ledge, huge dark barrels.”

Read our full interview with Nate on his transition to Florence here.

— — —

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Why Did 50 Men Just March Into The Sahara With Surfboards And Moroccan Flags?

The story of a decades-old feud and the desert wave it exposed.

Mar 15, 2026

Tahiti Clean Sweeps Challenger Titles + Liam O’Brien Squeaks Into The CT

Meet the 2026 qualifying class.

Mar 15, 2026

SEOTY: Imaikalani deVault Stars In ‘Little Bits’

"He pretty much got to the CT on talent alone.”

Mar 13, 2026

JJF + Dane Reynolds Recall The Best Session Of Their Lives

"It felt like you could do anything you wanted.”

Mar 13, 2026

86% Of Women’s CS Qualifiers Are Currently From Europe

Who are 'Euroforce Femme' and where did they come from?

Mar 11, 2026

Watch: Episode One Of ‘VELA’ Featuring John John Florence

A perfect empty right, a shallow empty left, and one 3x World Champ.

Mar 11, 2026

Unlocked: Brody Mulik Stars In ‘fourteen.’

Homeschooled at The Box and Tombies, the fifteen-year-old might be Western Australia's best student.

Mar 11, 2026

Watch: Patti Zhou In Her Element(s)

Snow, water, but mostly air.

Mar 11, 2026

Watch: Quiksilver’s King Of The Groms Final

Kash Brown, Mananalu Chandler, Brody Mulik, and Dylan Donegan try to freesurf their way into…

Mar 11, 2026

Ethan Ewing: The Next Stab In The Dark Star

Back to first principles, with modern horsepower.

Mar 10, 2026

Where Are Surfing’s Next Male Superstars?

Young women are dominating pro surfing, while the men’s tour ages. Why?

Mar 9, 2026

John Florence Is About To Capture The Attention Of The Entire Surf World (Again)

This is why the 3x World Champ won't be returning to the tour.

Mar 9, 2026

Do It For Your Postcode

Pros and Joes delivered a thrilling ABB Grand Final, in a format that remains undefeated.

Mar 9, 2026

A Dane Reynolds Extended Cut Of Craig Anderson + Ben Howard In Chile

*Instantly adds Defective Units Vol.1 soundtrack to Spotify playlist.*

Mar 8, 2026

Those Who Can’t Remember The Past Are Doomed To Repeat It

A second Newcastle Challenger preview — and a CT qualification update.

Mar 8, 2026

Dan Mann Won Stab In The Dark X — Now What?

Was Kelly Slater handed a frozen envelope?

Mar 7, 2026

Profile: Taro Kelly Slater Watanabe

Brad Gerlach, Jon Pyzel and Quinn Graham on the 23yo from Topanga.

Mar 7, 2026

Inside The Mind Of Kelly Slater, With Sam McIntosh | StabMic Episode 04

Stab co-founder joins Dane Reynolds and Damien Fahrenfort at the desk.

Mar 6, 2026
Advertisement