SWELLYO
Where the swell began.
Swellyo began with a simple realization: the best parts of a surf trip are often the hardest to find.
After traveling to the Maldives, our co-founder Eyal Gross experienced firsthand how fragmented surf travel had become. Planning the trip took countless hours, authentic local knowledge was difficult to access, and recommendations were often driven by whoever had the biggest online presence, not necessarily the people creating the greatest local impact.
One moment changed everything
After hiring an expensive photographer through traditional travel channels, Eyal met a talented local photographer on the beach. He had world-class equipment, incredible knowledge of the waves, and charged half the price, but he was virtually invisible online. No marketing budget. No large Instagram following. No way to compete with international businesses that dominated search results and social media.
One simple question
How many incredible local people and businesses are being overlooked simply because travelers have no way to discover them?
That question became the foundation of Swellyo
Soon after this experience Eyal found himself in San Diego to continue pursuing the vision and begin raising investment. It was there that he met Jake Glaser. Although they came from different backgrounds, they quickly realized they were building toward the same future.
Jake brought decades of experience in community building, brand development, philanthropy, and social impact. Together, they expanded the vision beyond surf trip planning. Swellyo would become a platform that encourages people to travel with greater intention, strengthening community, supporting local economies, and helping protect the places that make surf travel so special.
Long before the two founders met, Eyal had discovered the research of Dr. Jess Ponting, whose work challenged conventional tourism and explored how travel could create meaningful value for local communities. In an unexpected twist, Jess turned out to be a professor at San Diego State University, less than six miles from Jake's front door.
What began as an email became a conversation, then an advisory relationship, and eventually one of Swellyo's earliest strategic partnerships through STOKE Certified. That partnership helped reinforce an idea that had been there from the beginning: travel should create value for the destinations we love, not simply extract it.
Today, Swellyo continues to grow through collaboration. We're building alongside the adventure travel industry, researchers, local communities, surfers, operators, conservation organizations, sustainability leaders, and partners who believe travel can be a force for good.
Our growing network includes organizations such as STOKE Certified, the San Diego State University Center for Surf Research, Conservation International, and a community of local experts and travelers who are helping shape what Swellyo becomes.
Our first product is only the beginning.
We're building more than an app. We're building the home for intentional surf travel a place where planning is easier, local knowledge is valued, authentic connections happen naturally, and every trip has the opportunity to leave a positive impact on the people and places that make it unforgettable.
