Dale Webster facts for kids

Dale Webster, known as "The Daily Wavester," was an amazing American surfer from Valley Ford, California. He became famous for setting a world record in surfing! He surfed for more days in a row than anyone else, a total of 14,641 days. His incredible journey was even shown in a surf movie called Step into Liquid.

The Amazing Surfing Streak

Dale Webster achieved something truly special in the world of surfing. For forty years, he surfed every single day! His incredible streak began on September 3, 1975, and lasted until October 4, 2015.

He surfed in Bodega Bay in Northern California. Each day, he made sure to catch at least three waves all the way to the shore. Most days, he caught many more waves than that!

This wasn't always easy. Dale surfed through very strong winds and even when there were many sharks in the water. He kept going despite car problems and even when he had a health issue that caused him pain. His dedication earned him the official Guinness World Records title for the "most consecutive days spent surfing."

He surfed for 40 years, one month, and one day straight. That's 14,641 days in a row! He also set another record for catching the most waves, with 43,923 confirmed waves.

Why Dale Kept Surfing

Dale finally stopped his amazing streak on October 5, 2015. He was 66 years old and needed to have a medical procedure.

He had a couple of interesting reasons for starting his long surfing journey. At first, his wetsuit was damaged. He thought if he surfed for a whole year, the company would have to replace it because of the warranty. He later realized he had misunderstood the warranty!

Another reason was that he wanted to break a record. He thought the record for consecutive surfing days was 5,280. But it turned out that 5,280 was actually a record for the longest distance surfed to shore, measured in feet! Even with this mix-up, Dale kept surfing and made his own unique record.

Dale's Life Beyond the Waves

Dale Webster was born in Alhambra, California in 1948. While he was busy setting his surfing record, he also lived a full life. He married his wife, Kaye, and raised his daughter, Margo. At the time of his passing, Margo was a college student.

Dale also worked several jobs during his surfing streak. Over the years, he used up thirty different surfboards and twenty-eight wetsuits! His daughter, Margo, also achieved something special. She was the first student in her school district to attend every single day from elementary school all the way through high school. That's a perfect attendance record!

Dale Webster passed away at the age of 77. His passing was announced on August 12, 2025.

Dale in the Spotlight

Dale's incredible story caught the attention of many people. He was featured in an article in Surfer magazine, which called him "The Daily Wavester." Many other newspapers also wrote about his amazing achievement.

He appeared in a four-minute scene in Dana Brown's 2003 surf movie, Step into Liquid. In the movie, you can even see a character using stickers that say "DALE WOULD GO." This shows how inspiring Dale's dedication was to others.

A local newspaper also shared a thrilling story about Dale. It described how he narrowly escaped from a great white shark while surfing! Dale was even invited to the Surfer Poll Awards in Hawaii on December 6, 2015, to celebrate his achievements.