Blue Crush - Filming

Filming

The movie was shot primarily on the island of Oahu, including the North Shore, Mākaha, Waikīkī, and the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina. The production depended heavily on local talent. Many of the characters in the film are portrayed by real surfers found on the North Shore. Ruben Tejada, who plays J.J., was found by director John Stockwell outside of a grocery store. He liked him so much that he cast him in the movie. The fresh talent lent some raw energy to the film and kept the action real. All the surfing takes place in the ocean; no green screens or tanks were used.

While the actresses did learn to surf, some of the more difficult surfing scenes were not only dangerous, but impossible for them to perform. Some of the world's top female surfers, including ones featured in the original magazine article, surfed the larger waves for the film. The actresses' faces were later digitally superimposed on the surfers. Michelle Rodriguez did most of her own jet ski stunts, including towing Kate Bosworth's stunt double out to the biggest waves.

Actor/Pro Surf Instructor John Philbin was Bosworth's trainer for the film. Philbin starred in the film North Shore many years prior which was shot on the island of Oahu at the world famous North Shore.

Former surfing world champion Tom Carroll appears early in the film as a surfer with a cut eye. According to producer Brian Grazer, this was a real injury —Carroll had wiped out on the reef just seconds earlier— and it made Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez nervous about going in the water.