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Surfmen are highly qualified US Coast Guard personnel who operate 47-foot Motor Lifeboats (MLBs) in extreme conditions. It’s the Coast Guard’s highest qualification for small boat operations.
Training: Surfmen undergo at least eight years of training and experience, including a month at the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Washington. Training involves operating in breaking bar conditions, practical exercises, and an oral review board.
Qualifications: Surfmen must qualify to operate MLBs in 20 ft surf, 30 ft seas, and 60 knot winds.
Responsibilities: Surfmen maintain a watchful eye on their crew and keep a steady hand on the throttle. They commit to rescuing those in peril while avoiding unnecessary risk to themselves, their boat, or their crew.
Insignia: The Surfman insignia is a pewter life buoy crossed by two oars.
Numbers: As of October 2025, Petty Officer Braxton Harris became the 623rd surfman in Coast Guard history. There are also nearly a dozen female surfmen. @highlight David Michael Ramsey @surfman374 (374) 🎵🇺🇸🛟💙 rigsreefclassicspearfishing.com

“The Surfman” can refer to multiple fictional books by different authors, as well as the real-life title for an elite U.S. Coast Guard boat operator. 

Books Titled “The Surfman”

The Surfman by David M. Schroeder: This is a historical fiction novel set in the late 19th century along the Delaware coast. The plot centers on Jack Light, a surfman with the U.S. Life-Saving Service, who rescues an heiress named Elizabeth Harrison from a slave ship. He hides her, betraying his trust, to protect her from the ship’s captain, LeFrank, who seeks to sell her and gain control of her fortune. The story explores human will and the dangers of a world where people will do anything for gain, in contrast to the natural dangers of the sea.

The Surfman by Summer Wilson: This novel is a time-travel romance published in 2024. The story follows 27-year-old Julia Remy, who nearly drowns on Plum Island, Massachusetts, and is rescued by a mysterious man. After learning she was technically dead and no rescuer was present, she discovers she can see the year 1911 simultaneously with the present and falls in love with her rescuer from the past.

Surfman: The Adventures of a Coast Guard Dog by S. P. Meek: This is a collection of stories, often a children’s book, about a brave Chesapeake retriever who has many adventures as a Coast Guard dog on the Carolina Coast. The incidents narrated are based on true experiences and highlight the bravery and loyalty of dogs and Coast Guard personnel.

The Coming of the Surfman by Peter Collington: This is a young adult or children’s book, sometimes described as a graphic novel with text, about a stranger who opens a surf shop in an urban neighborhood far from the beach. He builds a “wave machine” that unites two rival gangs through surfing until reality encroaches on their fantasy. 

The Real-Life “Surfman”

The title of Surfman is the highest qualification in the United States Coast Guard for small boat operations. These elite operators undergo extensive training, including a course at the National Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment, Washington, to operate 47-foot Motor Lifeboats in extreme conditions (30-foot seas, 20-foot surf, and 50-knot winds). Their unofficial motto, popularized by the film The Finest Hours, is “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back”.