Sabbatical from full-time competition hasn’t slowed John John Florence down.
If anything, it’s rejuvenated his love for surfing, and seeking out new waves.
In the latest chapter of his year-long sailing odyssey aboard the catamaran Vela, the 3x world champ drops anchor in Bocas del Toro, Panama—a Caribbean paradise famous for turquoise water, lush jungle, and one of the most violent beachbreaks on Earth.
The waves are as perfect as they are punishing.
Filmed from the beach and in the lineup, Florence threads impossibly hollow barrels that detonate directly onto the sand. On a handful of waves, however, even one of surfing’s greatest talents gets completely obliterated, disappearing beneath thick lips before being violently washed across the shallow bottom.
Bocas doesn’t care about championship trophies; it takes no prisoners.
The trip marks another stop on Florence’s global sailing adventure with his wife, Lauryn, and their young son, Darwin. Since stepping away from the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, the family has traded contest jerseys for anchor lines, spending much of the past year exploring the South Pacific, New Zealand, the Bahamas, and now the Caribbean.
“The jungle was thick all around these islands and came all the way to the water,” Florence said. “Felt like everything was alive! There were so many little islands that were uninhabited. Pretty cool to explore on the dinghy and find an empty beach to make camp for the day!”
Related: John John Florence Finds Secret Waves on the ‘Other Side of the World’ (Video)
Those quiet moments stand in stark contrast to the violence of the surf.
Bocas del Toro has long been considered one of the world’s premier beachbreak destinations, capable of producing flawless, perfectly hollow barrels that rival the best sand-bottom waves anywhere. The downside is just as (in)famous: shallow water, unforgiving sandbars, and wipeouts that leave even elite professionals battered.
Whether Florence ever returns to full-time Championship Tour competition remains one of surfing’s biggest unanswered questions.
For now, though, it’s hard to imagine he’d rather be anywhere else.
And we get to tag along for the ride—at least, digitally.
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