Surfing Tidal Bores

Perhaps the most unusual wave of them all, putting lakes and rivers to shame, is the elusive tidal bore. A tidal bore is a strong wave created when an incoming high tide pushes upstream and collides with a river’s natural current. When the ocean tide is forced up a narrow channel like a river, the water speeds up and rises from nothing to a full channel in minutes.

For Canadians, surfing this novelty wave may not be so elusive after all. When the Petitcodiac River in Moncton, New Brunswick meets Tides from the Bay of Fundy (home to the highest tides on Earth) you get a tidal bore just big enough to surf - and it happens twice a day! Despite the menacing name, a surfable tidal bore is closer to a slow moving bump in the water creeping down the river than a tidal wave, but that doesn’t stop anyone from surfing. In 2013 the longest wave ever ridden was recorded in the Petitcodiac River when two surfers from California made the drive north to surf the tidal bore for 29 consecutive kilometres! For anyone wondering, that would take about two hours and thirty minutes for the entire journey. Though these Californians aren’t the only people to surf the tidal bore as there is a local community of New Brunswick surfers frequently out on the aptly nicknamed “Chocolate River” due to its dark brown colour from heavy red mud and silt. Famous novelty wave hunter, Ben Gravy even made a YouTube video on his experience surfing the Petitcodiac in June 2026.

For anyone interested in surfing this wave, tourism New Brunswick recommends getting there early as the tide can arrive 10-15 minutes earlier than expected. Though the wave happens twice a day, you only get one chance to catch it and if you miss, you’re stuck waiting around for another 12 hours until your next chance - so start working on your pop-ups now!

Sources: Red Bull, Surfer, Tourism NB, CBC