Surf Vagabond is a longboard surf travel site for people who like mellow waves, interesting beach towns, and the adventure of following a map toward the ocean.
My name is Chris Wilson. I’m a wildlife artist from San Diego, California, and travel has always been part of how I gather inspiration, reference, and stories.
A lot of my trips started with wildlife in mind, but somewhere along the way I kept finding myself looking at surf maps too. I would be planning around animals, landscapes, and places I wanted to draw, then I would start wondering where the nearest surf town was, what the waves were like, and whether I could fit a session into the trip.
That combination is what became Surf Vagabond.
I grew up surfing in San Diego, and these days I only longboard. I’m not the best surfer in the water, and I’m not trying to write from that angle. What I love is the adventure and experience that comes with traveling the world and surfing along the way.
The early mornings. The rental boards. The awkward logistics. The walk through a beach town with sandy feet. The feeling of paddling out somewhere new, even if the waves are small, messy, or nothing like the photos.
A Surf Site for Longboarders and Travelers
Surf Vagabond is built around the kind of surfing I actually care about.
I like waves that are fun, approachable, and worth traveling for. Long shoulders. Softer takeoffs. Warm-water trips. Beach towns with character. Places where surfing becomes part of the rhythm of the trip instead of the only reason to be there.
That does not mean every guide here is only for experienced longboarders. It means the site leans toward surf that feels more relaxed, stylish, and travel-friendly.
If you are looking for heavy slabs, contest-style breakdowns, or advice from someone trying to prove how hard they charge, this probably is not that kind of site. If you want grounded surf travel guides from someone who cares about mellow waves, good towns, and the full experience around the session, you are in the right place.
How I Think About Surf Travel
For me, surfing is one of the best ways to experience a place.
It gives a trip shape. You wake up early, check the wind, look at the tide, and start paying attention to the coastline in a different way. You notice the road to the beach, the first coffee shop open in the morning, the surfers watching sets from the sand, and the feeling of a town before the day gets busy.
That is what I like writing about here.
Surf Vagabond is not just about naming surf spots. It is about the bigger experience of traveling with surfing in mind. The waves matter, but so does where you stay, how easy it is to get around, what the town feels like, and whether the place makes sense for the kind of trip you actually want to take.
What You’ll Find on Surf Vagabond
The guides here are written for people trying to make real surf travel decisions.
I focus on questions like where to base yourself, when to go, whether a wave is actually good for longboarding, how beginner-friendly a place feels, and whether a surf town is worth staying in beyond the wave itself.
Since I longboard, I naturally pay attention to different things. I notice softer waves, longer rides, crowd levels, beach access, surf schools, board rentals, and whether a destination feels welcoming for someone who wants a real surf trip without needing to prove anything.
You’ll find articles about longboard waves, beginner surf spots, surf camps, seasonal surf windows, and country-specific surf trips around places like Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, Portugal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond.
Why I Made Surf Vagabond
I made Surf Vagabond because I wanted a surf travel resource that felt useful, personal, and honest.
A lot of surf content makes every destination sound perfect, while other guides feel like they are written only for advanced surfers. I wanted this site to sit somewhere else. More relaxed. More practical. More interested in the kind of waves and places regular traveling surfers are actually looking for.
Surf Vagabond is for people who love surfing, but also love the places surfing takes them.
Start Here
If you are new to the site, these are good places to begin:
Longboard Waves is the main starting point for understanding the kind of waves this site is built around.
Best Longboard Waves in the World is a broader guide if you want ideas for future surf trips.
For destination planning, start with Costa Rica, Hawaii, Nicaragua, Portugal, Indonesia, or Sri Lanka.
You can also dig into more specific planning guides like the best time for longboard surfing in Costa Rica or where to surf in Sri Lanka.
Surf Vagabond is here to help you find the next wave worth traveling for.