For this Spotlight Session, the tables were turned and this time I, John Hall, was the one being interviewed. I got to share my story and journey behind building and growing First Light Surf Club. Thanks to our friends at Ride of Passage for having me on their podcast. We hope you enjoy the interview.
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I. Introduction to First Light Surf Club: Building a Surf Community for Working Professionals
Steve: Welcome to the Ride of Passage Podcast, a show focused on turning the camera around and interviewing the photographers, shapers, surf shop owners, and today, the community builders who make surf culture what it is. Today, we’re joined by John Hall—entrepreneur, father, surf community builder, podcaster, and founder of the First Light Surf Club. John has humble beginnings, growing up locally, and wished there was a surf brand that catered to the working professionals who live the 9-to-5 office life but still prioritize time in the water. First Light Surf Club has grown organically, with an avid community that supports everything John and the club stand for. We're excited to share his story today—a true Ride of Passage.
John: Thanks for having me.
II. The Origins of First Light Surf Club: From Local Roots to Global Reach
Steve: I’m excited to walk through your entire journey with First Light and share it with those who may not know about it. First Light has grown pretty quickly, as far as I can tell. I actually found out about it through a friend of a friend who shared a post. That seems to be how a lot of people discover it around here. Do you think growing up locally and having that built-in community helped it spread? Or what do you think has contributed to its growth?
John: First off, I appreciate you saying it’s been fast because, for me, it’s felt like a slow grind. But it’s been fun. Growing up in Escondido, North County, I do think that being part of the local community helped. I still have a ton of friends in the area, and I guess I know a lot of people. So yeah, it was mostly friends and friends of friends who started coming to the events. Then, through word of mouth and social media, more people started finding out. It’s been growing organically, which has been really cool to see over the past year and a half, two years.
III. Organic Growth and the Power of Community in Surf Culture
Steve: I’ve noticed a lot of interesting people coming to the events—some with a lot of influence. It’s like surf culture in general—everyone seems approachable and calm. But then, you see someone at one of the First Light Surf Club morning SIP & RIP sessions, and later you realize, “Oh my God, this person is actually doing big things.” They seem so humble and stoked on what you’re doing. The community feels really fun to be part of.
John: Yeah, I think that speaks to how I’ve been trying to frame the community. There are other surf meetups geared more toward beginners, but with SIP & RIP and the other events we’ve done, there’s a mix of new surfers and more experienced ones. It’s cool to have everyone sharing waves and good vibes. What I’m trying to do with First Light is change the mentality of surf culture, making it more welcoming to all surfers. It’s all about sharing waves, having fun, and keeping that stoke alive. Our events are planned out ahead of time, so you might get a day when the waves aren’t great.
Steve: But you don’t change event dates based on the surf forecast. Do you think that’s ever a downside? Have you ever thought, “Maybe we should follow the forecast and go when the surf is really good,” or do you prefer sticking to the schedule?
John: I’ve thought about doing a waiting period, like saying, "We’ll meet up sometime in the third week of the month," but I think having consistency is important. When people know it’s every third Thursday, they can plan around it. Early on, during the second SIP & RIP, it was high tide, and the waves were barely shin-high. At that point, the meetup wasn’t as established as it is now, and only about three people went out to surf, while others just had their coffee. But the community has grown, and now, the mentality is, “We’re all getting out there, no matter what.” Even if the waves aren’t great, just starting the day in the water is refreshing. Sometimes the waves are good; most times they’re just okay. But the coffee is always 10 out of 10, and the community is amazing.
IV. Balancing Surfing, Work, and Early Mornings & The Birth of an Idea
Steve: I totally agree. I’ve noticed that on days when the waves aren’t great, people actually seem more excited. There’s something about the community getting together that makes it more fun. I can’t get my roommates or surf friends excited for a bad surf day, especially at 6:30 a.m. But you’ve managed to bring people together, give them a purpose, and create a vibe where it’s okay to be a little goofy when the surf isn’t good. Like the Halloween dress-up surf you did at Grandview—those kinds of things bring the community closer. If someone’s hearing about First Light Surf Club for the first time, they can expect that kind of fun and energy, no matter the conditions.
Let’s take a step back and talk about your beginnings in surfing. You’ve mentioned that you wished there was a brand for 9-to-5 workers. Can you share some of the struggles you faced early on, trying to get friends to join you for 6:30 a.m. surfs? There aren’t a lot of early risers out there.
John: My first job was in the surf industry, and I was there for five years. My schedule was flexible—if the waves were good, we could go surf. I’d surf during lunch or adjust my work hours around the surf. But during COVID, I got furloughed and ended up leaving the surf industry to join the family construction business, which had a completely different schedule. I was on the management side and worked a later shift. Most of the guys started at 5:30 a.m., but luckily, I didn’t have to be on site until 8 a.m. That gave me a tight window in the morning to surf, but I had to be out of the water by 7:10 or 7:15 to get to work on time.
At first, I had some friends who would surf with me in the mornings, but when I suggested meeting at 6 a.m., they were like, “Isn’t it still dark at 6 a.m.?” But that was the only time I could go, so I found a few friends who were down for it. We’d paddle out in the dark, and as the days got longer, we’d surf earlier and make the most of our time.
I wasn’t loving my work in construction, but I loved my mornings. I realized that starting my day in the water made me a happier, better version of myself at work. One day, I was getting out of the water, putting on my work clothes, and noticed a few other guys doing the same. I thought to myself, “There’s something about starting your day in the ocean that makes you better equipped to handle the rest of your day.” That’s when I started thinking about building a community around that idea. Later that day, I sketched the little coffee mug character that became the First Light Surf Club logo and sent it to my friends in the group chat.
It took about a year of thinking about it before I made any moves. I’ve always loved building brands—I had a small apparel brand in college that didn’t go anywhere, but I enjoyed the process. I mocked up some shirts and started having fun with the idea. But I’m a perfectionist, so I spent that year dialing in the concept. Eventually, my wife got tired of hearing me talk about it and told me to just start it already. That’s how First Light Surf Club began. I created the Instagram page, printed the first shirts, and here we are today.
V. SIP & RIP: The Evolution of the Brand & Community
Steve: What’s the timeline from when you started the first SIP & RIP meetup to where you are now?
John: I printed the first t-shirts and launched the website in the summer of 2022. I wasn’t sure about doing meetups at first because I didn’t want to upset the local surf crew by showing up with 20 or 40 people. But after enough people reached out on Instagram asking if we did meetups, I figured, “Okay, maybe I should do this.” I decided to start small—once a month, 12 times a year seemed low-risk. I picked Turnarounds as the location because it’s not too crowded, and we wouldn’t bother anyone. The first SIP & RIP was in January 2023, and we’ve been doing them monthly since then. We’ve also done a few special meetups, like the Halloween event and some evening sessions. It’s evolved as people bring ideas to me.
What’s been cool is that I spent all that time trying to perfect the idea, but once I actually started, things fell into place. The vision for the brand became clearer, and it’s grown a lot since then. The biggest lesson I learned is to just get started. You can’t plan everything perfectly—you need to see it in action before you can fully understand what it will become.
VI. Expanding the Vision: Blogs, Podcasts, and Collaborations
Steve: That’s so true. You can spend years planning the perfect approach, but things will change anyway. It sounds like your wife gave you great advice to just dive in.
You’ve talked about how the brand has evolved naturally, with events like tonight’s bonfire and other community activities. What were the catalysts for those additional elements?
John: The SIP & RIP meetups came about because people kept asking if we did meetups. Then, for the interviews I do—both the blog posts and the Spotlight Sessions podcast—the idea started one morning when I was surfing with a friend who’s a junior high teacher. I thought it would be cool for his students to know their teacher was out surfing before math class that day. I thought maybe I'd tell his story through a blog post. I interviewed him and asked why he surfs, what a morning surf does for his mood and well-being for the rest of the day, and some other questions that I thought were interesting. I posted that interview, and a lot of people resonated with it, so I started doing those monthly. I interviewed people who work full-time and explore why they surf, why they wake up early, and how a morning surf impacts them.
Then I had an opportunity to interview Jon Faure, founder of The Board Source. His story seemed like one I wanted to go more in-depth with, so I did my first podcast episode with him, and I really enjoyed that. I’ve done a few more of those since.
The brand collaborations we've done have all come from local businesses reaching out. We’ve partnered with a handful of coffee shops and beverage brands. We did an event with Best Pizza, and it’s been cool. For the bonfire tonight, we’ve got Nova Kombucha as a sponsor. It’s all happened organically, which I think is one of the coolest things. For the most part, it's not me bringing these ideas to the table and hoping they land. People are asking for it or coming to me with the ideas.
Steve: I was going to ask about sponsorships and partnerships, especially on the coffee side. Are you reaching out to these companies, or are they coming to you?
John: Seaborne Coffee from Oceanside was the first to reach out after about four SIP & RIPs, and their support has been crucial. We now have more sponsors like Necessity Coffee and Interim Coffee. It’s great seeing local businesses supporting each other and believing in the community we’ve built through First Light.
VII. Lessons Learned: The Journey of Building a Brand
Steve: Do you have a peak moment so far, whether from a guest on your podcast or an event sponsor?
John: I’m always impressed by the turnout for our board demos—sometimes 40 people show up. It’s amazing to see the community come together, even in less-than-ideal surf conditions. The coolest part is seeing connections made. We even had a couple start dating after meeting at a SIP & RIP! My goal is to encourage people to make connections beyond the meetups.
Steve: That’s awesome. Your events, like tonight’s bonfire, give people more time to connect. I actually met one of my best friends at a First Light meetup. Where do you see First Light going next?
John: I get that question a lot, but I don’t have a long-term goal. I’m just having fun with it. I have a full-time job, so First Light is a side passion. If it ever grows enough to sustain me, that’d be great, but for now, I’m happy with the growth and new partnerships.
Steve: It’s great to see how your mindset has evolved. You’re creating something that’s pure and not driven by profit—it’s about the community. That’s invaluable.
John: I appreciate that. It’s exciting to see the community grow. I wanted to touch on what you said earlier about how surfing in the morning can change your day. It makes me feel more alert and stoked. There’s scientific evidence about the benefits of morning sun, cold water, and salt air. It’s not just a feeling—these elements boost your mood and energy levels.
Steve: Yeah, I feel that too. A morning surf resets my day, even when the waves aren’t great. It’s like tapping into your inner child and reminding yourself that life can be fun.
John: Exactly. Being in nature, especially in the stillness of the morning, is meditative. Sunrises are special because fewer people see them. I wanted to share that experience with others through First Light and show that even people with rigid schedules can fit in a surf session before work. The stories we share in our spotlight articles highlight people from all industries making it work, and I hope others are inspired to do the same.
Steve: That’s powerful. So where can new fans learn more and get involved?
John: We post everything on Instagram, and our meetups happen every third Thursday in Carlsbad. You can also join our email list or check out our website, First Light Surf Club. We have a YouTube channel where we share podcast episodes and videos.
Steve: Thanks, John. I’m excited to see where First Light goes and happy to be part of the community.
John: Thanks for having me.
