Dylan Graves: The Levity Effect

Dylan Graves: The Levity Effect

Author: Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich - surf stories & ocean adventures June 8, 2025 Duration: 1:55:16

How much has your homebreak shaped you - your life, livelihood, the person you've become? 

The quirkiness of Dylan Graves'  Puerto Rican homebreak shaped a lifelong obsession, and subsequent career in chasing, riding, and documenting Weird Waves around the globe. Tidal bores, standing waves, wedges, glacial calving swells; Dylan's Youtube channel shares an astonishing diversity of wavelengths. 

While the focus of Dylan's wildly successful series is taking viewers to obscure and novel waves on the periphery of surf culture, in the process Dylan masterfully un-earths the heart and vibrance of surfers around the world  – and the living cultures of stoke blossoming in unexpected places. 

Dylan's lightness, warmth and positivity are underscored by the adversity he's faced. He candidly shares the impact of losing his father at a young age. This loss brought him and his brother, surfer Josie Graves, closer together, reinforcing their love for surfing as a way to connect with their father's memory. 

Dylan talks us through the his DIY filmmaking process, the joy of not chasing perfection, and the cyclical experience of becoming a father. 

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This episode is made possible by our generous partners:

Patagonia is in business to save our home planet. 

Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.

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Primal Water, by Alkaway, is an at-home water filter that mimics nature and is boosted with molecular hydrogen. It's a game-changer.

Head to Primal-water.com and use the code waterpeople for $100 off your purchase until June 30th, 2025.

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray   + Ben J Alexander

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Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

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There’s a particular kind of life shaped by time spent in and around the ocean, one that blends saltwater with a deeper perspective. Hosted by lifelong surfers and storytellers Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich, the Waterpeople Podcast explores exactly that. Each conversation is less an interview and more a shared dive with guides who know the water intimately-from scientists and activists to adventurers and artists. You’ll hear firsthand accounts that stretch beyond simple adventure tales, touching on how a connection to the sea informs everything from ecological stewardship and community building to the pure, playful joy of a wave. This podcast serves as a meeting point for a far-flung tribe, weaving together themes of inclusivity, humour, and what it means to live thoughtfully along the coast. It’s about the stories that emerge when people are truly at home in the aquatic world, offering listeners a sense of place and connection within a global ocean community. Tune in for genuine, meandering talks that feel like sitting around after a long day in the swell, where the topics are as vast and shifting as the sea itself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Waterpeople Podcast
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