This game combines my love of surfing — with all its subtle, intangible elements — and the strategy of card games. Themwaves the card game is a fast, playful game inspired by the tides, wind, swell, and timing that make catching a wave so magical. It’s not meant to replace the ocean, but it nods to the strategy and patience it takes to catch a good wave.

Goal

Collect the cards each spot requires: Wave, Board, Wind, Tide.
Then you must draw a sunny card from the weather deck to “catch a wave” and move to the next spot.
Catch waves at all four surf spots in order and you win

Setup

Shuffle the main deck and deal 5 cards to each player.
Place the rest face down as the draw pile. Flip one card to start the discard pile.
Shuffle the weather deck and place it nearby.
Give each player a Surf Spot Reference Card showing what cards are needed for each spot.
All players start at Spot 1.

On Your Turn

Draw a card from the draw pile or discard pile.
Discard a card so you always have 5 cards in hand.
If/when you have all the cards for your current spot, draw from the weather deck instead of the main deck:
- Sunny → catch a wave
- Stormy → wait for your next turn

After Catching a Wave

Return all cards to the main deck and shuffle.
Shuffle the weather deck if needed.
Everyone picks up a new hand of 5 cards.
The player who caught the wave moves to the next spot.
Other players stay on their current spot until they catch a wave.
Players may be working on different spots at the same time.

Cards

Main deck – Wave, Board, Wind, Tide (used to build conditions at each spot)
Weather deck – Sunny, Stormy (only used when catching a wave)
Special cards:
- Cruising Card – can replace any needed card
- Drop-In Card – steal a random card from another player (must be played instead of drawing; discarding does nothing)

Strategy

Watch what other players are collecting.
Hold or discard cards thoughtfully.
Use Drop-In cards at the right moment.
Balance building your own wave while slowing others from finishing theirs.