‘So Dangerous’: Nathan Florence Dodges Dry Reef at Undisclosed Tropical Locale

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean (or is it the Indian Ocean), Nathan Florence got the adventure he wanted. He made it a point in 2025 to travel to new places and surf waves he’d never ridden before. This one checked those boxes and then some. 

The wave in question isn’t the scariest, craziest slab ever, but getting to it requires real bravery to get past the exposed reef shelf jutting from the water. Not only is the reef sharp (hence the booties), it’s also uneven and littered with gaping holes and gaps, some 20 feet deep, according to Nathan. On the debut session, Nathan only just made it to the lineup via “a highly disturbing” keyhole, then his friend and filmer, Daniel Russo, somehow swam out unscathed with a massive camera housing and no flotation.  

Of course, the swell doubled in size the next day. So they attempted round two. 

Without giving too much away, I’ll say this: Leave it to Nathan to find an empty, hollow, seriously sketchy slab and get stand-up pits all by himself (plus Russo). This video epitomizes all that makes Nathan such a successful YouTuber: a raw, POV feel in A+ waves, with some unexpected twists and turns. Come for the surfing, stay for the cat and mouse game between wave and reef shelf. Hats off to the Slab Tour CEO, again.