15 Top Surfing Influencers on Instagram in the USA to Follow

The top surfing influencers on Instagram in the USA include Kelly Slater, Bethany Hamilton, John John Florence, Alana Blanchard, Kai Lenny, Jamie O'Brien, Coco Ho, Carissa Moore, and Caroline Marks. Together, these athletes and creators cover elite competition, big-wave surfing, North Shore culture, surf travel, training, family life, and behind-the-scenes footage from some of the world's most famous breaks.

Top Surfing Influencers on Instagram in the USA: Quick List

Follower counts are approximate and were checked on September 16, 2026. The ranking is editorial, not a live follower-count leaderboard.

15 Best American Surfing Influencers to Follow on Instagram

1. Kelly Slater — @kellyslater

Best for: surf history, elite technique, ocean issues, and a champion's perspective.

Kelly Slater is the most recognizable name in American surfing and an obvious starting point for anyone building a surf-focused Instagram feed. The Florida native is an 11-time world champion, and his posts connect several generations of surf culture. One week may bring competition footage or an exceptionally clean barrel; another may feature board design, wave technology, environmental concerns, golf, food, or a tribute to an influential surfer.

Slater's value on Instagram goes beyond celebrity reach. His captions often provide context: why a wave mattered, what happened in a heat, how equipment affected a line, or who deserves credit in surf history. That makes the account useful to core surfers as well as newer fans who want to understand the sport rather than only watch highlight clips.

Follow Kelly Slater on Instagram

2. Bethany Hamilton — @bethanyhamilton

Best for: resilience, family life, adaptive performance, and motivational content.

Bethany Hamilton has one of surfing's best-known comeback stories, but her Instagram account is not simply an archive of it. The Kauai surfer shares current sessions, family life, training, speaking projects, and the practical mindset that has kept her in the water after losing her left arm in a shark attack at age 13.

Her audience extends well outside surfing because the account consistently connects ocean experience with courage, faith, motherhood, and recovery from setbacks. Surf fans can still find high-level riding and an unusual look at adapting technique, while families and casual followers get a personal, accessible entry into Hawaiian surf life. Among U.S. surfing influencers, Hamilton has one of the clearest identities and broadest crossover audiences.

Follow Bethany Hamilton on Instagram

3. John John Florence — @john_john_florence

Best for: world-class surfing, ocean cinematography, equipment, and sailing.

John John Florence combines rare competitive credibility with a visual style that feels closer to an adventure film than a standard athlete feed. The three-time world champion grew up on Oahu's North Shore and is known for powerful surfing in everything from Pipeline barrels to open-face conditions. His Instagram reflects that range through carefully shot surf clips, still photography, board testing, travel, and time at sea.

Florence is especially worth following for viewers who care about how surfing is filmed. The framing, water angles, sound, and pacing often make his posts distinctive before the maneuver even begins. Sailing has also become a major thread, giving followers a broader view of weather, navigation, family adventure, and life built around the ocean.

Follow John John Florence on Instagram

4. Alana Blanchard — @alanarblanchard

Best for: surf lifestyle, fitness, travel, and motherhood.

Alana Blanchard brings together professional surfing and lifestyle content without losing the beach-centered identity that built her audience. Raised on Kauai, she posts surf sessions alongside workouts, swimwear, travel, nutrition, and candid family moments. The result is one of the most accessible accounts on this list for followers whose interest in surfing overlaps with fitness and coastal living.

Blanchard is also a useful example for brands researching surf creators in the United States. Her content naturally moves between athletic performance and everyday products, and her audience is much larger than the core competition-surf niche. Follow her for a polished but personal view of how surfing fits into work, parenting, and an active outdoor routine.

Follow Alana Blanchard on Instagram

5. Kai Lenny — @kai_lenny

Best for: big-wave surfing, foiling, ocean innovation, and spectacular action footage.

Kai Lenny is best described as a waterman because no single discipline contains his work. The Maui athlete surfs giant waves, rides hydrofoils, windsurfs, kitesurfs, stand-up paddles, and experiments with equipment that can change how a wave is approached. His Instagram is consequently one of the most varied and technically interesting feeds in ocean sports.

The account is built around motion: Pe'ahi drops, foil runs, cross-training, safety preparation, and point-of-view clips that show both speed and consequence. Lenny frequently explains the equipment or thinking behind a session, which adds value beyond the spectacle. For anyone following the future of big-wave performance and surf technology, this is an essential account.

Follow Kai Lenny on Instagram

6. Jamie O'Brien — @whoisjob

Best for: Pipeline footage, surf entertainment, tutorials, and North Shore energy.

Jamie O'Brien understands how to turn a surf session into a story. The Pipeline specialist mixes serious tube riding with playful challenges, unusual boards, travel, wipeouts, and behind-the-scenes clips from his larger video projects. That combination makes @whoisjob feel faster and less formal than a traditional professional-athlete account.

There is real expertise beneath the entertainment. O'Brien has spent much of his life around Pipeline and regularly shows wave knowledge that most viewers would never see from shore. Beginners may arrive for approachable tips and surf-school content, while experienced surfers stay for the positioning, equipment choices, and local perspective. It is a strong bridge between core North Shore surfing and mainstream creator culture.

Follow Jamie O'Brien on Instagram

7. Anastasia Ashley — @anastasiaashley

Best for: surf lifestyle, fitness, travel, fashion, and creator-led campaigns.

Anastasia Ashley sits at the intersection of professional surfing and lifestyle media. Her feed features ocean sessions, workouts, travel, fashion, events, and creator-business content. That broader mix has helped her build a large audience that includes surfers but is not limited to them.

For marketing teams, Ashley is a relevant case study in how an athlete can develop a recognizable personal brand across several categories while keeping surfing at its center. For regular followers, the appeal is straightforward: warm-water destinations, beach fitness, polished visuals, and an upbeat tone. Her profile is a particularly good fit for people looking for Southern California and Florida surf-lifestyle inspiration rather than detailed contest analysis.

Follow Anastasia Ashley on Instagram

8. Coco Ho — @xococoho

Best for: women's surfing, style, travel, and North Shore culture.

Coco Ho grew up in one of Hawaii's most influential surf families and developed a career of her own on the professional tour. Her Instagram blends high-performance surfing with fashion, travel, friends, family, and day-to-day island life. It feels polished without becoming detached from the surf community that shaped her.

Ho's account is especially valuable for followers who want women's surf content with both competitive credibility and personality. She qualified for the top tour as a teenager and earned Rookie of the Year honors early in her career. Today, her content offers a wider view: good waves, design, humor, wellness, and the relationships behind a long life in surfing.

Follow Coco Ho on Instagram

9. Laird Hamilton — @lairdhamilton

Best for: big-wave history, strength, recovery, longevity, and ocean innovation.

Laird Hamilton's influence reaches well beyond his follower count. The American big-wave pioneer helped popularize tow-in surfing and has spent decades testing how training, equipment, and preparation can expand what is possible in the ocean. His Instagram now connects that legacy with strength work, breath and recovery practices, family, entrepreneurship, and current water sessions.

This is one of the better accounts for older athletes or anyone interested in staying capable over the long term. Posts often emphasize consistency and physical readiness more than competition results. Historical footage also gives newer followers useful context for modern big-wave surfing, foiling, and the waterman approach seen across social media today.

Follow Laird Hamilton on Instagram

10. Carissa Moore — @rissmoore10

Best for: championship surfing, Olympic legacy, positive leadership, and youth programs.

Carissa Moore is a five-time world champion and the first women's Olympic surfing gold medalist. Those results make her one of the most accomplished American surfers of her generation, but her Instagram is notably warm and community-minded. Competition memories and powerful surf clips appear alongside family, personal reflections, and work connected to young people in Hawaii.

Moore is a strong follow for junior surfers because she discusses the emotional side of performance as naturally as the victories. The account also documents a changing stage of an elite athlete's life, including new priorities away from a full-time tour schedule. Brands and fans looking for credibility, optimism, and a family-friendly voice will find all three here.

Follow Carissa Moore on Instagram

11. Koa Rothman — @koarothman

Best for: heavy-water surfing, swell chasing, North Shore access, and surf travel.

Koa Rothman gives followers a close view of waves most people will only watch from a safe distance. The Hawaii professional is known for heavy barrels and for documenting the travel, forecasts, waiting, equipment, and decisions behind a successful strike mission. His Instagram works as the quick-hit companion to longer episodes from his This Is Livin' video series.

Rothman's content is useful because it shows that big-wave surfing involves far more than the final ride. There are boards to prepare, safety teams to coordinate, flights to catch, and conditions to read. The account retains a relaxed North Shore personality even when the surf is consequential, making it a reliable follow during major Pacific swells.

Follow Koa Rothman on Instagram

12. Mason Ho — @cocom4debarrelkilla

Best for: creative lines, unconventional waves, humor, and pure surf enthusiasm.

Mason Ho has built a following by making difficult surfing look playful. The North Shore surfer is willing to ride waves with rocks, odd sections, tight pockets, and imperfect faces that many professionals would ignore. His unusual line choices and expressive style make even short clips immediately recognizable.

The feed is less about maintaining a polished athlete image and more about the fun of discovering what a wave might allow. Weekly surf edits, family appearances, travel, dogs, and spontaneous commentary reinforce that personality. Follow Ho if highly standardized contest clips have started to feel repetitive and you want surfing that looks inventive again.

Follow Mason Ho on Instagram

13. Caroline Marks — @caroline_markss

Best for: current elite competition, powerful goofy-foot surfing, and Olympic content.

Caroline Marks pairs a compact, powerful surfing style with the results to match: a world title and an Olympic gold medal. Born in Florida and based in California, she represents two important centers of U.S. surfing. Her Instagram follows the rhythm of an elite career through training blocks, travel, contests, sponsor projects, and time at home.

Marks is one of the best accounts to follow for the present and near future of American women's surfing. Her posts provide a recognizable athlete perspective without overproducing every moment. The surfing remains the main event, especially when conditions reward committed backhand lines and strong rail work.

Follow Caroline Marks on Instagram

14. Lakey Peterson — @lakeypeterson

Best for: professional surfing, training, California life, and candid tour updates.

Lakey Peterson has spent years among the leading U.S. competitors and has ranked as high as No. 1 during a Championship Tour season. The Santa Barbara surfer's Instagram mixes strong performance footage with gym work, travel, sponsorships, podcast updates, and quieter moments away from competition.

Peterson is particularly relevant for followers interested in what sustains a long professional career. Rather than presenting only wins, the feed has room for injuries, resets, changing goals, and the everyday work between events. It offers an honest athlete-led view of modern women's surfing with a clear California identity.

Follow Lakey Peterson on Instagram

15. Sage Erickson — @sageerickson

Best for: California surf culture, competition memories, wellness, and family life.

Sage Erickson is a California professional surfer and two-time U.S. Open of Surfing winner. Her account balances surfing with fitness, travel, wellness, fashion, home life, and motherhood. The mix feels personal and conversational, which distinguishes it from feeds built almost entirely from sponsor assets and event clips.

Erickson is a good follow for anyone who wants a realistic picture of how an athlete's relationship with surfing changes over time. Competitive achievements remain part of the story, but they sit alongside current priorities and everyday sessions. That range gives her content relevance to both dedicated surf fans and a broader active-lifestyle audience.

Follow Sage Erickson on Instagram

Which U.S. Surf Influencers Should You Follow?

The right account depends on what you want from your feed. These are the strongest starting points by interest:

• Best overall surf icon: Kelly Slater
• Best performance surfing and filmmaking: John John Florence
• Best big-wave and ocean innovation account: Kai Lenny
• Best Pipeline entertainment: Jamie O'Brien
• Best heavy-wave travel content: Koa Rothman
• Best creative and unconventional surfing: Mason Ho
• Best Olympic and women's competition content: Caroline Marks and Carissa Moore
• Best surf, fitness, and lifestyle mix: Alana Blanchard
• Best motivational surf account: Bethany Hamilton
• Best surf training and longevity content: Laird Hamilton

Why Hawaii and California Dominate This List

Most of the top surfing influencers on Instagram in the USA are connected to Hawaii, California, or both. Hawaii provides year-round exposure to powerful waves and a deep surf culture, with Oahu's North Shore serving as a global proving ground each winter. California combines a large surf population, major brands, media production, wave variety, and high-profile competition venues from Huntington Beach to Lower Trestles.

Florida also matters. Kelly Slater, Caroline Marks, and other leading American surfers developed in the state's fast, often inconsistent beach breaks. That background can reward quick decision-making and the ability to create speed in smaller surf. The result is not one uniform American style, but several regional surf cultures that perform well on Instagram for different reasons.

How Brands Should Vet a Surfing Influencer

A dramatic barrel clip can reach millions of viewers, but public views and follower totals do not reveal whether an account can move the right audience. Before paying for a partnership, check the creator's audience location, normal Reel performance, comment quality, previous sponsors, content rights, and brand-safety history.

1. Confirm geographic fit. Ask for recent Instagram Insights showing the leading countries and cities. A U.S. surfer can still have a highly international audience.
2. Use a consistent performance window. Compare at least 12 recent posts and separate ordinary content from viral outliers. Followerus publishes current Instagram engagement rate benchmarks for comparing accounts of similar size.
3. Calculate engagement the same way. Run every shortlist candidate through the free Instagram engagement rate calculator using the same recent-post window.
4. Review audience quality carefully. The Instagram fake follower checker can provide an additional third-party estimate. It is a screening signal, not proof that an account purchased followers.
5. Match the creator to the campaign. A board company may value technical authority, while a tourism campaign may need travel storytelling and broad lifestyle appeal. Follower count alone cannot answer that question.
6. Put usage rights in writing. Define organic posting, paid amplification, editing, whitelisting, exclusivity, territories, and how long the brand may use the content.

Teams comparing several athletes can use the Followerus workflow for marketing teams, while agencies managing multiple client shortlists can review the dedicated Instagram influencer vetting guide for agencies.

How We Selected the Top Surfing Influencers in the USA

This is an editorial list, not an automated ranking. Each account was reviewed using five criteria:

1. U.S. relevance: The creator is American or has a substantial career and cultural connection to surfing in Hawaii, California, Florida, or another U.S. surf community.
2. Surfing authority: Competitive results, big-wave experience, technical influence, or a long-standing role in surf culture.
3. Instagram reach: Audience size was considered, but follower count alone did not determine the order.
4. Content value: The account consistently offers surfing, useful context, distinctive storytelling, education, or access that followers cannot easily find elsewhere.
5. Audience fit: The final list includes accounts for core surfers, beginners, competition fans, travelers, families, fitness audiences, and brands.

Follower totals were checked directly against publicly visible Instagram profile data on September 16, 2026 and rounded to avoid false precision. Achievements were cross-checked against athlete bios, Team USA and Olympic profiles, official sites, and established surf reporting. No creator paid for placement. See Followerus Methodology and Data Sources for additional information about public metrics, third-party estimates, and engagement calculations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the biggest surfing influencer on Instagram in the USA?

Kelly Slater and Bethany Hamilton each have an Instagram audience of roughly 3 million followers as of September 2026. Slater has the strongest competitive legacy, while Hamilton reaches a particularly broad audience through surfing, resilience, family, and motivational content.

Who is the best American surfer to follow on Instagram?

Kelly Slater is the best all-around choice for surf history and champion insight. John John Florence is a better fit for cinematic performance footage, Jamie O'Brien for entertaining Pipeline content, Kai Lenny for big waves and innovation, and Caroline Marks for current U.S. Olympic and Championship Tour surfing.

Which female surfing influencers in the USA should I follow?

Bethany Hamilton, Alana Blanchard, Coco Ho, Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks, Lakey Peterson, Sage Erickson, and Anastasia Ashley are among the leading female surf influencers in the United States. Their content spans competition, fitness, family, travel, lifestyle, and Hawaiian and Californian surf culture.

Which Instagram accounts are best for big-wave surfing?

Kai Lenny, Laird Hamilton, Koa Rothman, Jamie O'Brien, and John John Florence are strong choices for big-wave and heavy-water content. Kai Lenny offers the broadest mix of giant-wave performance, safety preparation, foiling, and equipment innovation.

Are follower counts enough to choose a surfing influencer for a campaign?

No. Brands should also examine audience location, recent engagement, video views, brand fit, content consistency, previous partnerships, and the proportion of posts that are genuinely about surfing. A smaller specialist account may be more effective than a celebrity profile for surf equipment, lessons, camps, or a regional campaign.

How often is this list updated?

The profiles and follower ranges in this guide were checked on September 16, 2026. Instagram audiences and athlete priorities change, so the list should be reviewed periodically rather than treated as a permanent follower-count ranking.

Sources and Data Notes

• Public Instagram profile headers and recent publicly visible posts, checked September 16, 2026.
• Official athlete websites and biographies, including Bethany Hamilton's official media biography and Laird Hamilton's official site.
• Team USA's Caroline Marks profile and Olympic athlete profiles used to verify U.S. representation and Olympic results.
• Reuters reporting on John John Florence and Caitlin Simmers, used to verify Florence's third world title.
• Kai Lenny's Red Bull athlete profile, used to verify his multi-discipline waterman positioning.

Followerus is not affiliated with the creators listed above, Instagram, or Meta. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by a creator. Public follower counts and third-party estimates can be incomplete, rounded, delayed, or inaccurate.

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