First Light Surf Club is uniting early risers in North County who share a love of surfing, hoping to foster a healthier community.
“Starting the day in the ocean, surfing with friends, starts my day off on the right foot,” said John Hall, First Light’s founder. “I’m able to be a better employee and be in a better head space (when I begin) the day with intention, doing something I love.”
A Carlsbad-based “community, brand and lifestyle,” First Light Surf Club made a splash last year when Hall began noticing he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed catching some waves early in the morning before heading to work.
After years of working in the surf industry at companies like Reef, Hall’s career took a turn when he ed his family’s construction business in 2019, leaving little time for his favorite pastime of surfing.
Many early visits to the beach later, Hall realized there was a dedicated community of surfers like him who knew the benefits of starting the day in the water. Last summer, he began deg t-shirts, hoodies and other merchandise and launched his own brand and surf club to build up that community and “promote mental health and physical wellness through surfing.”
In January, Hall hosted his first “Sip and Rip” meetup, where surfers linked up to have coffee and surf before work. The events are free and take place on the third Thursday of each month.
First Light Surf Club also has a blog called The Water Cooler, where Hall shares news, events and spotlight interviews with surfers to spread mental health awareness and the benefits of surfing, sun exposure and being in the ocean.
The club also donates its proceeds to groups like Brown Girl Surf, an organization focused on amplifying the voices of surfers of color.
Learn more about First Light Surf Club at firstlightsurf.club and follow @firstlightsurfclub on Instagram.
Roxana Becerril is a freelance writer.
