What it does
Surf is a Water-type special move with base power 90 and 100% accuracy. In doubles, it hits all adjacent Pokémon — both opposing Pokémon and your own partner. As a spread move, the ×0.75 damage multiplier applies to every target hit, bringing the effective power to roughly 67.5 per target. That's still substantial special damage on two or three targets simultaneously, which single-target moves can't replicate in raw hit count.
Hitting your own partner is a mechanic to design around, not ignore. The useful pairings: Pokémon with Water Absorb or Dry Skin take no damage from Water moves and actually recover HP — Surf becomes a heal for them. Pokémon with Storm Drain redirect all single-target Water moves to themselves and gain Special Attack, though that specifically helps with single-target moves rather than spread ones. High-physical-defense partners may simply tank the reduced spread damage with minimal consequence.
The Dive interaction (Surf hits at double power while the target is underwater) is irrelevant in competitive doubles play.
Who runs it
Empoleon is the main user at 20%. Water/Steel typing, solid Special Attack, Torrent for a damage spike when HP drops low. Steel typing gives it enough bulk to survive return hits after spreading Surf pressure. Surf is its primary Water STAB — reliable, no accuracy risk, and the spread coverage applies pressure to both opposing Pokémon simultaneously.
How to use it
Surf earns the most value when both opposing Pokémon are neutral or weak to Water. If one opposing Pokémon resists or is immune to Water, you're getting a free pass on half the spread — at that point a single-target Water move or a different attack entirely might be more efficient.
Partner planning is the prerequisite. Build your team selection around what happens when Surf hits your partner. The cleanest setup: a partner with Water Absorb turns Surf into a double offense plus a self-heal. Toxicroak with Dry Skin, Lapras with Water Absorb, Gastrodon with Storm Drain are the types of partners that specifically synergize. Without one of these, you need to account for the spread chip each time you click Surf.
If your partner has taken prior damage and can't safely eat a ×0.75 Water hit, hold Surf for a turn or use a different move. Getting your own partner knocked into KO range by your own spread is a tempo loss that's hard to recover from.
Tips & strategy
Surf under rain (from Rain Dance or Drizzle) hits meaningfully harder. Combining rain boost with Torrent activation on Empoleon when it's low HP creates a late-game damage spike that can KO Pokémon that seemed safely out of range earlier in the match.
Grass- and Dragon-type partners aren't immune to Water and take the full spread chip. Be deliberate about this in team building — don't accidentally design a team where your own Surf chips down your partner faster than the opponents are threatening it.
The 'Surf into Water Absorb partner' combo is one of the most explicit synergy setups in doubles. If you're building around Empoleon, consider whether your second slot actively benefits from being hit by Water rather than just surviving it.