The lost art of tandem surfing is a sight to behold, but unfortunately all-too rare these days. While you might occasionally see a couple out at Waikiki, or maybe Noosa, your local beach break is almost guaranteed to have never been graced with the beauty of a tandem surfing couple in your lifetime.

To make it all achievable, tandem surfers need a few things to line-up, and that's why it's not that common to see. Firstly, the waves have to be long. Long enough for two to stand up, get their bearings and into whatever position they're shooting for. You might think that the waves also have to be small, but that's not quite the case! Although most tandem surfing is done in waves less than 3ft high, this couple in the video below often paddle out in overhead waves. Now that is gnarly!

Second, couples have to be work together in perfect unison. It takes two to tandem surf, and that goes for paddling, surfing and the training! It's a risky sport too, couples have to look out for each other, particular the bloke on the bottom when it's time to wipe out. That's not being sexist either, it's just a fact of tandem surfing. Guy lifts girl, always.

Speaking of girls, Krystl Apeles and her partner Kalani Vierra are tandem surfing world champions. Growing up with a background in gymnastics, Krystl makes it look easy in some pretty risky situations. "I grew up doing gymnastics; I was always familiar with waves, I felt really comfortable when I combined the two - the transition was nice for me."

"The risk is definitely higher." Explains Kalani, speaking compared to surfing on your own. "When I feel like we're going to fall, I usually push her well away from the board. It looks like I'm being harsh on her, but I'm actually trying to keep her safe."

Watch the video of him and his partner Krystl Apeles out training in Hawaii, making the lost art of tandem surfing look easy.

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