Ask any surfer why they surf, and their answer will never simply be for the exercise. For surfers, getting in the water can mean many things, meditation, personal time, and reverence for nature. Surfing is both a spiritual and adventurous experience.
In his first-ever film, Surfer’s Dharma – The Journey to Purpose, filmmaker Uriel Jean-Armel takes us on a transformative exploration of how surfing shapes our identities, heals mental health, and connects us to a greater sense of purpose. Uriel wanted to release the film on YouTube (LINK) to increase accessibility and ensure its message could be heard across global surf communities. Starting on April 12th, 2025, you can watch the film for free online.
Disconnected from surfing due to three herniated discs during the pandemic, Uriel was forced to find alternative ways to occupy his time. He immersed himself in the water as a photographer and filmmaker, gradually questioning his bond with the sea and exploring new ways to express that connection. This journey ultimately led him to create this film.
The 30-minute short film begins with a brief explanation of the word “Dharma,” and while no direct translation into English can be made, Uriel describes it as your unique purpose in life. In a time when many of us grapple with existential questions—especially in the face of climate change and global instability, he set out to explore how fellow surfers he admires understand their own sense of purpose.
Uriel connects with his subjects in a meaningful way that feels like you’re sitting right there with him on the living room floor, having tea and chatting with a friend post-surf. Using four pillars of questioning, he explores how surfing connects individuals with their “Dharma”, uncovering what once held them back from expressing their gifts, how they transcended these obstacles, and how they continue to move beyond fear.
Uriel portrays the nuanced ripple effects that surfing has on our lives through the lens and stories of four of his close friends and mentors. Featuring insights from 2x World Champion Tom Carroll, environmental activist and former pro surfer Pacha Light, renowned Hawaiian charger Koa Smith, and Indonesian eco-advocate Risman, Surfer’s Dharma reveals how these surfers’ passion for the sport permeates into all aspects of their lives.
Through cinematic shots of waves from around the world, Uriel beautifully captures the ethereal essence of surfing and the diverse ways in which surfing serves as a spiritual practice, mental health tool, and vehicle for community and environmental activism in the face of impending climate change. Uriel implores, “There’s so much environmental destruction happening, as we all know. What I’ve come to understand through my personal meditation practice, through observation, and from teachers I’ve learned from, is that this outer destruction is often a reflection of our inner state.”
Each individual spotlighted in the film has a relationship with the ocean that transcends surfing and influences the way they live their lives in and out of the water. This intersection of passion and purpose, ”Dharma”, is at the heart of what Uriel wanted to explore.
As a freesurfer, Pacha Light was driven by her intuition and passion to leave her previous brand sponsor, choosing instead to surf on her own terms with Patagonia. She aimed to prioritize environmentalism in her platform, using it to inspire the youth in Ecuador to learn how to surf while also integrating ocean and mangrove education into her lessons.
Reeling after an intense surf injury, Koa Smith had a complicated and intense relationship with surfing. Depression and serious concussions led him to take some time out of the water and reassess his ability to surf and his relationship with the ocean, much like Uriel himself. Intense discipline, structured to ensure he could surf again, helped him learn meditation, breathwork, and tools to continue surfing.
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Risman, a dear friend of Uriel’s, saw an issue in his own community and felt compelled to tackle it. Through his nonprofit, Lombok Plastic Free, he wants to shift the dialogue around plastic pollution in Lombok from the local community outwards by empowering his peers to learn more about plastic pollution and address the problem from within. His story includes archival footage of Lombok before the tourist industry, highlighting the significant growth and change Lombok has experienced in recent decades.
Meeting through a workshop, Uriel and Tom Carroll discuss Transcendental Meditation and the tools Carroll has used in his surfing to overcome addiction and get back in the water. Uriel reflects, “Practices like meditation can help us become more aware of these internal patterns. And when we become more conscious, we have the chance to act differently. We can heal ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. If we don’t, we risk going in the other direction: toward self-destruction or harming others. In the film, Tom Carroll represents that full spectrum; he’s experienced both the darkness and the healing.”
With insights like “fear is the opposite of trust,” and Carrol imploring other surfers struggling with mental health and addiction to “just keep the camera rolling,” these intimate interviews, lush visuals, and candid reflections capture the depth and diversity of surfing’s impact on individuals and communities. Light emphasizes this when she explains how important it is to “give yourself a moment to look inwards about your purpose, giving yourself those quiet moments where only you can decide your next steps. Going for a walk in the forest, reflecting on your relationship with yourself and nature, is so important.”
The film is a beautiful celebration of how surfing serves as a tool for discovering our “Dharma” and living a purposeful life, whether that purpose is rooted in personal healing, environmental activism, or spiritual growth.
“The reason I’m focusing on these aspects within our surfing communities is because I have hope in surfers to embody the change. We spend so much time in the water, we witness firsthand the destruction of our playgrounds and the marine life around us. I see surfers as naturally more connected to nature, simply because we’re immersed in it every day. And like Koa says in the movie, I believe we can carry that energy with us onto the land, to influence how we live, relate, and take care of the world around us.”
The film is an inspiring testament to what brings us together as surfers, something more important now than ever as we move through an era of global change. It will be where we connect that remains important as our guiding light in continuing to advocate for and share our love for the ocean.
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