"Surfin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

The single effectively began the Beach Boys' music career, establishing them at the vanguard of what was later dubbed the "California sound".

In his book Becoming the Beach Boys (2015), James Murphy prefaces the chapter concerned with "Surfin'" with a warning to the reader: Murphy writes that accounts of the events surrounding the conception, making, and release of the song are "addled with errors and incongruities" and have "frustrated music historians and writers for more than fifty years".

[14][nb 2] All accounts credit Dennis Wilson's interest in surfing with inspiring the choice of subject matter.

[17] The Wilson brothers' cousin, Mike Love, is credited with contributing the lyrics and the "bom-dip-di-dip" hook, which had been lifted from Jan and Dean's 1959 hit "Baby Talk".

[18] Early rehearsal tapes include an audible remark, from Brian, in which he credits the song to himself, his brothers Carl and Dennis, and Love.

[17] In August 1961, Al Jardine contacted Wilson to help record a rendition of "The Wreck of the John B" at Hite and Dorinda Morgan's Stereo Masters studio.

[21][nb 3] Dorinda said that the group immediately set about writing "Surfin'" and later left the studio with only a rough draft of the song.

[21] Love remembered that the group "manufactured an instant surfing song after having spoken to ... Hite Morgan.

[22] Brian's home recordings of the band's rehearsals for "Surfin'" at this juncture were later released on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys (1993), Hawthorne, CA (2003), and the unauthorized Garage Tapes (2007).

'"[26] The group set up their music equipment inside the Wilsons' home and held jam sessions while the parents were away.

[29] Early sessions for "Surfin'" were held at the Morgans' studio; however, there is no reliable documentation that would confirm the two exact dates.

"[32] After "Surfin'" was completed, Hite announced that he was going to transform the song into a record and release it on local radio.

[33][page needed] According to most accounts, label promotion man Russ Regan renamed the group "the Beach Boys" without approval from the band members.