In contrast with the volcano, which represents the fear and terror that exists in a conflict between man and nature, surfing in Eruption represents man’s harmony with nature. As described in Chapter 1, surfing requires an understanding and healthy “fear in the ocean” (18); if you act with inexperience you can end up underneath the board—or worse. However, if you learn to read the waves, as Mac teaches the local boys, including Lono, to do, you can “flawlessly [ride] the inside curve of the wave” (18). For Mac, surfing with the boys is symbolic of the beauty and joy that is at risk of being destroyed by Agent Black and the volcano. He demonstrates its importance to him when, amid the crisis, he takes a break to go surfing with Lono. In that moment, he thinks “This is what we’re trying to save” (332). In Mac’s final scene in Eruption, after the crisis has passed, he is once again at the beach, surfing with Lono. As he walks into the water, he thinks to himself, “Just another day in paradise” (418). This is emblematic of the connection between surfing and the enjoyment of nature in the novel.

Surfing is also symbolic of the Indigenous culture and language of Hawaii.