“Sailing for me has opened up a whole new aspect of learning about the ocean,” John John Florence wrote in TSJ 32.5’s “Gunboat Captain.” “What you can learn is endless. And that feeling of accomplishment, when you can sail from one place to another on your own, when you’re responsible for everything, creates a lot of pressure, but it also creates this relief when you arrive.”
Now with multiple years at the helm, he’s documenting his open-ocean crossings with his wife, Lauryn, and their son, Darwin, in Vela, a new six-part series titled after his 48-foot carbon catamaran. In each episode, the Florences invite the viewer into a candid view of anchoring at lone reef passes, pioneering early tracks at sketchy slabs, and hanging with remote surfing cultures—seasickness, mosquito bites, meltdowns, and all.
At the series premiere, John John and Lauryn sat down with Jamie Brisick to talk about Vela, life at sea, and remote solo sessions. Hit play, enjoy the conversation, and stay tuned for the next episode.
Get caught up on Vela here.
Read TSJ 32.5’s “Gunboat Captain: Exploration, efficiency, and riding open-ocean swell aboard Vela,” by John John Florence here.
Read TSJ 34.1’s “The Southern Audit: Glaciers, slabs, and talking parrots on New Zealand’s South Island,” by John John Florence, here.
