Tom Lowe Scores Outer Reef Left Months After Horrific Injury

Tom Lowe nearly died six months before catching this wave. In April 2023, the renowned British big-wave surfer and pioneer of many an Irish slab slammed into the reef at Teahupo’o . The result: five broken ribs, a fractured scapula, a punctured lung and a hefty hospital bill (his insurance wouldn’t cover the treatment).

But half a year later Lowe was ready to go for another Hawaiian winter. In late November, a large northwest swell rumbled across the Pacific Ocean, sending large, well-overhead waves to a particular outer reef left on the North Shore of Oahu. With Hawaiian heavy litters like Nathan Florence, Eli Olson and Koa Rothman in the lineup, Lowe scratched into one of the waves of the day.

Lowe has made a living finding, dialing and getting spat out of barrels all over the world. Compared to some of the frigid slabs he’s surfed in Ireland , a roll-in to a warm Navy Blue bomb while wearing boardshorts must feel just a bit mellower. Lowe timed everything perfectly on this wave, from the takeoff to the stall to the cover-up. After a long road to recovery, it had to feel pretty good.

Related: Tom Lowe Talks Near-Death Wipeout at Teahupo’o