Dan (Mole) Joel

Dan Joel, AKA: Mole is known for the big wave riding he did on the West Coast of Ireland in his early 30s (2008).
A Porthleven boy, he was inspired by older guys like Budgie, Bernie, Milky and Dave Burr who were riding the reef.

Interview: Dominica Williamson 07/10/13 Ref: AV4029

Full interview available in The First Wave Archive.

Surf spots

Themes

Timeline

Psyching up with Mad Wax

For many people music has been an intrinsic part of surf culture. Here big wave surfer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel recalls how he used to listen to badly recorded music from surf films.

Tow partners

Big wave surfing is a dangerous sport. Cornish surfer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel talks here about the importance of the relationship between the surfer and the partner on the jet ski.

Porthleven boy competes

Cornish surfer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel never thrived on the UK competition scene. He puts it down to competitions not being geared towards surfing the type of waves found at his home break of Porthleven.

Riding polystyrene

Big wave surfer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel remembers his first ever time riding a wave at Great Western in Newquay.

Big wave boards

Surfing the biggest waves requires very specialised equipment. Here UK big wave pioneer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel talks about some of the boards that he used to use.

Banana boards

White – green thanks mum

Cornish surfer Dan ‘Mole’ Joel is well known as a big wave surfer, but he remembers those smaller early waves.