Blue Water High
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Television drama series |
Blue Water High is an Australian drama series aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC1 channel and Nickelodeon within Australia, alongside broadcasts on multiple international networks. The storyline centers around a group of sixteen-year-old surfers selected to participate in a year-long elite surfing program at Solar Blue, a premier surf academy located at Bilgola Beach, Sydney.
The show spans three seasons. The initial two seasons were broadcast in 2005 and 2006, with no immediate plans for continuation. However, due to significant viewer interest, a third season was developed, featuring only Kate Bell returning as a principal cast member. The final season concluded with the closure of Solar Blue caused by financial difficulties, marking the end of the series.
Season 1
The debut season consisted of twenty-six episodes and starred Adam Saunders portraying Heath, the easygoing prankster; Tahyna Tozzi as Perri, the glamorous Gold Coast personality; Sophie Luck as Fly, the youngest participant; Kate Bell as Bec, the local surfer; Khan Chittenden as Edge, the fierce competitor; Chris Foy as Matt, the intellectual; and Mara Scherzinger as Anna, a renowned German kiteboarder. By the conclusion of this season, two contestants—one male and one female—secured wild card entries into the professional surfing circuit. The season was initially released on DVD across four volumes, though fan demand led to a full box set release for season two. Sophie Luck received the 2005 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Young Actor. The winners of season one were Fly and Edge.
Season 2
Production for the second season commenced in January 2006 in Sydney with an updated ensemble including returning Sophie Luck as Fly, Adam Saunders as Heath (who exited in episode six), along with newcomers Trent Dalzell as Corey, Ryan Corr as Eric, Lesley Anne Mitchell as Brooke, Taryn Marler as Rachel, Gabrielle Scollay as Amy, and James Sorensen as Mike. The season premiered on 28 June 2006. Guest stars from previous seasons such as Kate Bell, Chris Foy, Tahyna Tozzi, Nadine Garner, and Khan Chittenden made appearances. Brooke and Eric emerged as the winners of this season. The complete season was made available on DVD in Australia on 1 October 2007.
Season 3
Filming for the final third season began in October 2007. Kate Bell returned to her role as Bec alongside newcomer Craig Horner portraying Garry. New students at Solar Blue included Guy (played by Kain O'Keeffe), Charley (Lachlan Buchanan), Adam (Eka Darville), Bridget (Cariba Heine), Loren (Amy Beckwith), and Cassie (Rebecca Breeds). Season three premiered on Rollercoaster on 3 April 2008.
Bridget and Adam won this season; however, Bridget opted to pursue university studies instead of joining the Pro Circuit. Consequently, Loren was awarded the wild card following a tie-breaker against Cassie. The finale featured an unexpected return of Simmo acting as a judge who granted wild card entries during one of Solar Blue’s most memorable final competitions.
Season one
- Kate Bell as Rebecca 'Bec' Sanderson
- Khan Chittenden as Dean 'Edge' Edgely
- Chris Foy – Matthew 'Matt' Leyland
- Sophie Luck as Fiona 'Fly' Watson
- Adam Saunders as Heath Carroll
- Mara Scherzinger – Anna Peterson
- Tahyna Tozzi as Perri Lawe
- Martin Lynes as Craig 'Simmo' Simmonds
- Nadine Garner as Deborah 'Deb' Callum
- Liz Burch as Jilly
- Matt Rudduck as Joe Sanderson
- Clae Whitelaw as Simon Heart
- Don Halbert as Mr. Savin
Season two
- Ryan Corr portrayed Eric Tanner
- Gabrielle Scollay took on the role of Amy Reed
- James Sorensen appeared as Michael 'Mike' Kruze
- Lesley Anne Mitchell played Brooke Solomon
- Trent Dalzell featured as Corey Petrie
- Taryn Marler acted as Rachael Samuels
- Adam Saunders was cast as Heath Carroll
- Sophie Luck portrayed Fiona 'Fly' Watson
- Kate Bell returned as Rebecca 'Bec' Sanderson
- Martin Lynes played Craig 'Simmo' Simmonds
- Joe Ireland appeared as Dave Jones
- Liz Burch performed as Jilly
- Natasha Sitkowski took the role of Greta
- Don Halbert portrayed Mr. Savin
Season three
- Kain O'Keeffe played Guy Spender
- Lachlan Buchanan appeared as Charley Prince
- Eka Darville took on the role of Adam Bridge
- Cariba Heine acted as Bridget Sanchez
- Amy Beckwith portrayed Lauren 'Loren' Power
- Rebecca Breeds featured as Cassandra 'Cassie' Cometti
- Craig Horner played Garry Miller
- Kate Bell reprised her role as Rebecca 'Bec' Sanderson
- Tom Fisher appeared as James Cassidy
- Erol Cimen was cast as Michael De Santa
- Don Halbert returned as Mr. Savin
Series two (June–December 2006)
The second season included 26 episodes, numbered sequentially from 1 to 26, without individual episode titles. Each installment centered around a specific main character such as Fly, Amy, Corey, Eric, Rachael, Brooke, Edge, and Mike. This season further explored significant characters and advanced key story arcs that were integral to the show's success.
Series three (April–September 2008)
Comprising 26 episodes numbered 1 through 26 without distinct titles, the third season continued the narrative established in previous seasons.
International broadcasts
Africa
In South Africa, Blue Water High was broadcast twice weekly on DSTV's Go channel before shifting to a weekday slot at 19:30 on Magic World 112 starting July 2010, thereby broadening its viewer base via MNET’s satellite service.
Europe
The series was presented in Germany under the title Blue Water High, die Surf-Akademie on KI.KA. In Ireland, it aired on RTÉ Two within the program block The Den. Spain featured the show on La 2, Clan TVE, and Neox channels. France introduced it as Blue Water High: Surf Academy on Filles TV in 2007, with subsequent reruns beginning November 2012 on France Ô. Norway’s TV2 Zebra carried the series. Portugal’s SIC network secured the first season, broadcasting it weekdays at 5pm during summer 2009 as Mar Azul ("Blue Sea"), with occasional airings continuing on SIC K thereafter. The Netherlands aired the show on RTL 8 starting in 2009. In the United Kingdom, it was shown first on Boomerang and later on Pop Girl.
North America
In the United States, Blue Water High was accessible online through the relaunched The WB Television Network site by Warner Bros. in 2008. It is currently available for streaming on Tubi.
Oceania
As the country of origin, Australia broadcast Blue Water High weekly on ABC3. In New Zealand, the series is presently shown on Saturdays via TV2.
South America
Within Spanish-speaking Latin America, the program is known as Blue Water High, Escuela del Surf ("Surf Academy") and airs on Boomerang Latin America. In Brazil, it is transmitted by Boomerang Brazil and TV Brasil under the name Galera do Surfe (The Surf Crowd). The Falkland Islands’ Falkland Islands Television Service aired the series weekdays at 15:00 and Saturdays at 11:30.
DVD releases
Although Season 3 was not initially made available on DVD, a comprehensive box set encompassing all three seasons was released in October 2020.
| Title | Format | Ep # | Discs | Region 4 (Australia) | Special Features | Distributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Water High: Season 1 | DVD | 26 | 04 | 9 February 2007 | None | Roadshow |
| Blue Water High: Season 2 | DVD | 26 | 04 | 2007 | None | Roadshow |
| Blue Water High: Seasons 1-3 | DVD | 78 | 12 | 7 October 2020 | N/A | Via Vision Entertainment/Madman Entertainment |
Online streaming
Since 2019, all three seasons of Blue Water High have been accessible for streaming through 7plus.
| Title | Format | Ep # | Release Date | Distributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Water High: Season 01 | Streaming | 26 | 2019 | 7plus |
| Blue Water High: Season 02 | Streaming | 26 | 2019 | 7plus |
| Blue Water High: Season 03 | Streaming | 26 | 2019 | 7plus |