Continuity mistake: During the night surfing scene, you see a shot of the surface of the water from below, the sun is obviously visible.
Continuity mistake: During the scene where Utah is chasing the ex-president, we see Ronald Reagan run out of a house and scale a fence into a neighbours garden, instead of running down the driveway. The next shot then shows Utah running out of the house with the fence coming into view, but without seeing the ex-president, and then give chase over the fence. He wouldn't have known to jump over the fence, because he wouldn't have seen him go over it.
Suggested correction: Watching this scene now. It's not clear whatsoever that Utah didn't see him hop the fence. Utah was not that far behind.
Continuity mistake: In the stakeout at Latigo Beach, Pappas is surveying Utah's surfing activities from a parked car with binoculars. Pappas takes off his sunglasses and puts them on the dashboard. Watch the sunglasses change position from upside down to right side up for no reason and in a matter of seconds between shots of Pappas watching Utah surf and then especially when Pappas and Utah are communicating on the radio. (00:32:35)
Continuity mistake: In the first sky diving scene all of the ex-presidents have joined hands waiting for Johnny Utah to join them they then cut to a close up of Johnny Utah and then a shot from behind Utah trying to reach the group which is not holding hands anymore for about 2 seconds.
Continuity mistake: In the night surfing scene, as Johnny gets up for the first wave, he is riding regular (left foot forward), but as the camera cuts back and forth he jumps back and forth between this stance and goofy (right foot forward). All other surfing shots of Johnny in the movie show him surfing goofy.
Continuity mistake: During the chase scene, some of the hub caps fall off the Lincoln, but they are not always the same ones as shown, some of the hubcaps jump back on for a shot.
Continuity mistake: Pappas describes Tyler correctly according to the first look at the computer screen as having blue eyes and black hair, but when Utah looks at the screen it says blond hair, green eyes.
Continuity mistake: When Angelo gets shot in the back in the airport, right when the shot is fired all of his back is bloody, but in the next clip when Johnny comes up to him, there is much less blood.
Continuity mistake: In the last jump scene with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, when they need to pull the cord and Keanu has to hold on with both hands, it cuts to a shot where Keanu is not holding on at all.
Continuity mistake: When Gary Busey looks at the computer description it says Lori Petty has black hair, but when Keanu Reeves looks at it, it says she has blond hair. (00:17:25)
Continuity mistake: When Utah is playing football on the beach with Bodhi, and his buddies and Bodhi makes a catch, he begins running down the beach towards the endzone. Utah can be seen giving chase and checking the same two people twice. (00:26:15)
Continuity mistake: In the final skydiving scene, Johnny Utah is holding his gun on Bohdie in his left hand. A shot from above them during the fall shows Utah holding the gun in his right hand. Much is made about how Utah can't switch hands.
Continuity mistake: When Angelo is sitting in his car while Utah is surfing he puts sun glasses on his head so he can look through binoculars. When they pan back to him the sunglasses are gone.
Continuity mistake: After Pappas is shot by Roach he gets a big bloodstain on his back. When he is lying on the floor the stain becomes smaller.
Continuity mistake: While the surfers are making the star in the air, the four guys are holding each other, but in the next shots they are loose.
Continuity mistake: When Grommet dies, at first there's lots of blood on his face, but then there's all of a sudden a lot less.
Continuity mistake: The first time Patrick Swayze is seen surfing, his surfing stance changes between shots from natural to goofy.
Continuity mistake: When Bodhi is talking with Johnny before the last robbery his shirt looks white, but in the bank it's dirty.
