About us

The idea for Surfers Recovery first emerged in 2006, when I received a signed copy of Shaun Tomson’s book, “Surfers Code.” Reading the book while on Sunday trips to San O’ with other sober surfers I could not help but to think about the similarities that Shaun’s ideas had with my own experiences in recovery from addiction. Rough drafts were created of what I would later call the Surfers Recovery Model. It was comprised of the same 12 lessons Shaun had outlined in his book, but formatted to the process of recovery. I shared this model over the next 5 years with numerous patients and clients in a variety of treatment settings and found great enthusiasm from surfers and non-surfers alike. I met with Shaun at this point and he agreed that this model was indeed new and fresh and could have a deep and meaningful impact on those trying to recover from alcoholism or addiction. Surfers Recovery was on solid ground, but needed a home. It found its home on the beaches of Mexico in 2015. In the tourist town of Rosarito, amidst a plethora of different types of waves, we have created a home where individuals can come to build and develop their recovery by harnessing the powerful lessons learned while surfing waves. We have incorporated a variety of activities, including strong 12-step meeting attendance, to provide individuals with the chance to catch the greatest waves of their lives. We look forward to sharing our home with you and passing on this great gift, the gift of recovery.