Dylan Longbottom has surfed massive 50-foot waves in Nazaré and 30-foot waves in Teahupo’o, but in the documentary film The Blind Sea, he faces his biggest challenge yet - making sure a blind surfer can safely tackle big waves and make it home to his wife and children.

Longbottom, who spent part of his youth in Kiama and now owns a surfboard manufacturing business in the Illawarra, specialises in big-wave surfing. His team ensures that every wave is tackled safely, including designing and shaping boards to handle those massive swells.

It was this expertise that led Matt Formston, a paralympian and four-time World Champion Blind Surfer, to approach Longbottom when he decided to take on big-wave surfing as his next challenge.

"Matt was a keen surfer even as a blind athlete, and he started getting into bigger waves. Since I’ve always been into big waves and shaping boards, one of the guys he worked with connected us about five years ago," says Longbottom.

"Over the years, I’ve worked on his boards and taken him surfing in Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia. We developed a strong relationship, and Matt just kept pushing for bigger waves."

Kyle Richardson with Matt and Dylan behind the scenes of the film. Source: Bonsai Films

Longbottom was determined to help Matt reach his goal and even tried surfing blind himself. "I tried surfing blind, and it was probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done - more terrifying than surfing the waves in Nazaré or Teahupo’o. It was seriously intense," he says.

After gaining some experience surfing big waves, the idea emerged to take Matt to Nazaré, and this would become the focal point of The Blind Sea.

"The producer of the film asked me, Do you think Matt could handle Nazaré? We’d considered other waves, but they were too close to rocks, and with Matt being blind, it was too dangerous," Longbottom recalls.

"But Nazaré is a massive beach break that comes out of the canyon, and everything there is beach break. It’s probably the heaviest wave in the world for hold downs, but I thought if any big wave could work, it would be that one."

With Matt excited to take on the challenge, the movie centered around the tension of whether a blind surfer could manage the brutal conditions at Nazaré.

The film's drama was amplified when Dylan had an incident while testing the waters at Nazaré before Matt’s turn. Although it was a real moment, it added enormous tension to the narrative.

"After that happened, Matt said to me, Oh my God, if that can happen to you with your experience, what’s going to happen to me?" Longbottom says.

Longbottom admits that the responsibility he felt was immense. "I had a lot of pressure on me because I knew how much Matt’s family depended on him. I really felt the weight of bringing him home safe - making sure he didn’t get injured or worse. I was terrified; I had a lot on my shoulders," he says.

A still from the film. Source: Bonsai Films.

To find out whether Matt succeeded in his big-wave challenge, you’ll have to watch the film. But for those wondering why anyone would put themselves in such dangerous situations, Dylan says it’s all about facing your fears.

“If you can get through your fear, you can achieve things that other people can’t. Pushing yourself to the limit is an incredible feeling. It’s dangerous, but we’re experienced, and we know what we’re doing to handle these situations," he says.

Dylan in his surfboard workshop in Port Kembla.

The Blind Sea was Longbottom’s second major film experience - his first being in the 2015 remake of the classic film Point Break, where he worked as a stuntman and shaped the boards used in the movie.

"That was unreal. When they asked me to be a stuntman for the remake, I couldn’t believe it. The original Point Break is one of my favorite movies, so working on a Warner Brothers film was one of the best experiences of my life," Dylan says.

"Hollywood stars, giant sets, we were filming in Tahiti - one of the heaviest waves in the world. They wanted me to do this crazy stunt, and they also asked me to shape all the boards for the surfers. It was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. You can spot me in the film because of my surfing style - they put dots on my neck and face and matched them to the actor’s face."

The Blind Sea is available on Netflix now, but the film’s sensational sound design and depiction of giant waves should be seen on the big screen. If anyone is interested in screening the film, you can contact Bonsai Films at [email protected].