Naradah aka DJ Tantrum Rocks is a steady in the lineup at BSR Surf Resort in Waco Texas. While BSR is three hours away and the Gulf Coast just one hour from his home near Houston, Naradah now splits his time between ocean waves at Surfside Beach and the pneumatic magic of BSR. But he has spent so much time at BSR that he has the scene dialed as few others do. In this episode of Locals, Naradah shares some of his hard-earned insight and wisdom with you dear reader.

What is your local wave pool?
BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas!

What is your surfing background?
I would call myself an Intermediate surfer at best. I learned to surf in Galveston, Texas, and my home break is Surfside Beach, Texas. I’ve surfed in Costa Rica, Spain, Barbados, Mexico, California, Florida, Virginia, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Still learning a lot but having an absolute blast doing it! 

How many sessions do you do each month?
I usually do about two to four sessions each month. Occasionally I’ll have long days with 5-7 sessions in a day, but it’s rare since the place has gotten so popular.

Do you think of yourself as a ‘wave pool surfer’ or as an ‘ocean surfer’?
Both, well 60/40 Ocean/Wavepark.

We also heard that you surfed in Dubai – share with us what that experience was like? 
Wadi Adventure in Al Ain was unreal. To ride waves in the middle of the desert was amazing. The scenery with the backdrop and rock formations, even night surfing there was great. It was the older Murphy’s Wave technology (like Typhoon Lagoon Orlando), where. water fills a tank and then is released to create a swell over a reef. The waves decay quickly, but the take-offs had meaty head-high faces and the waves pealed across the pool. It was a great experience and great to see the evolution of technology since then.

What other wave pools have you sessioned?
Only NLand in Austin, Wadi Adventure in the UAE and BSR in Waco.

What is the best thing about your spot?
It’s a tie! The best things about BSR are 1) the ability to fit a whole day’s worth of ocean surfing into a 1 hr session of perfect waves and 2) the vibe and community in this place is awesome.

What is the worst thing about your spot?
Currently, the thing that I hate the most is that we don’t have the same availability/season pass access as we did in Season One. It sucks that the sessions are always full!! You have to book quickly, or you’ll miss out. It would be nice to have a couple more pools built there…like ASAP…or build one in Houston.

Share with us something most people don’t know about the BSR wave pool.
Most people underestimate the way to catch the wave. Once you’re up and riding, it’s like any ocean wave, but the takeoff has a little learning curve. I’ve seen pros and local vets miss the wave a few times.

What’s the biggest piece of Insider Advice you can give to someone about the BSR wave pool?
If you want to improve your surfing, record and watch yourself surfing. Book a session with pics from Rob Henson Surf Shots if you can. Not only does he know all of the angles to get rad pics, but he also has seen every type of surfer in the pool – newbies to literally the world’s greatest. This can be key evidence of your positioning, stance, critical points in maneuvers and more. If nothing else, have someone take cellphone video or something And ASK THE WATER PATROL FOR HELP. They’re awesome and don’t get enough credit! Shout out to the guys! Brian, Otis, Jacob Ryan, Zach, Jake, Maks, Slater and the whole gang.

You can find more at Naradah’s website The Surf Republic. All photos by Rob Henson.