About World Surfaris

We have

HISTORY

World Surfaris was established in 1997, representing just 1 boat in The Maldives. The agency steadily grew from its humble beginnings to have multiple offices in Australia, Maldives, Bali, California, Europe and South Africa and to represent boats and resorts throughout the world. 

We have survived crises and calamities that have claimed many others. None more recent or more perniciously lethal than covid. And in doing so, we have remained true to our core values.

World Surfaris leads the surf travel industry with an enviable reputation for innovation, reliability, integrity and outstanding service.  To this day, we still hand-pick our surf adventures and are only prepared to represent operators and destinations that offer the qualities that we require for our clients. Now more than ever, our diverse range of surf adventures caters to all standards of surfers and their budgets – wherever they may dream of surfing.

For wherever you dream of surfing

Why choose

WORLD SURFARIS

Life's complicated

The logistics in arranging every aspect of overseas surf travel can be quite complex.  We hear many horror stories of DIY Surf Travellers.  Our expert Surf Travel Consultants handle all the complexities of your booking with care, so you can relax. Without an experienced Travel Agent, you're on your own. 

Time poor? Increase your wave count

The majority of surfers over 18 years are time poor and often suffering from local surf anxiety. Your time is precious and DIY Surf Trips often result in lost surf time and rip offs. You can trust your World Surfaris expert travel consultant to organise a trip in which your experienced hosts do the hard yards and you enjoy the rewards.

You're not alone

Part of the excitement of overseas travel is the sense of great possibilities and that almost anything could happen. Which is truly wonderful when the happenings are all good. Unfortunately, sometimes they aren't. Using a reliable, reputable surf travel agent means you are not alone. You are effectively travelling with an experienced friend you can call upon at any time and who will help.

Your money is safe

World Surfaris operate a dedicated client TRUST ACCOUNT.  If you book and pay for a trip directly with a foreign overseas operator, you are risking your money reaching its destination.  Is that risk worth it?

Pioneering & Innovating

Our spirit of pioneering and innovation provides significant motivation and underpins our hand-picked surf adventures.  We strive to support sustainable surf tourism and equitable outcomes for the local communities, the families and the expats who have earnt their place as the natural custodians of these very special places.  

Quality Control: our hand-picked range

We believe in quality over quantity and our surf adventure range is hand-picked.  At World Surfaris, we only represent Surf Resort or Surf Charter operators who have proven to be experts with vast experience and a good track record. World Surfaris staff regularly visit the destinations we offer in order to ensure our high standards are being met by tour operators.  So you get the best trip possible for the best possible price.  We stand by the surf adventures we represent and can assure you that the surf trip you choose represents the best quality for your money.

Trusted Aussie Brand

World Surfaris has been a trusted Australian Brand and a licensed Travel Agency since 1997. Despite compulsory licensing being discontinued by the Australian Government in 2014, World Surfaris continues to operate along the best practice business and accounting guidelines established under Government licensing requirements. In addition, World Surfaris has adopted the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) voluntary code of conduct and is an ATAS accredited agent - # A11488.

We are a global team

Drawn from all walks of life and riding a variety of surf craft, we are a great team of travel experts.

Surf travel specialists

Melissa's picture
Melissa Mitchell
Surf Travel Consultant

Melissa (Mel) loves to be in, on, under or simply near the ocean. She will even take being surrounded by pictures of it if the real thing is temporarily unavailable. She has either travelled or worked in travel, all her adult life. Apart from growing up in South Australia, Mel has surfed in Mexico, Costa Rica, Maldives, Indonesia (Java, Sumbawa, Rote, Nusa Lembongan), Thailand, Samoa, Christmas Island and Cocos Island. She says she wishes she was braver in the water, so she could tackle some of the larger, harder waves available. But we reckon anyone who has surfed the wilds of South Australia and lived to tell the tale, is brave enough for us!
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Sean Walker
Surf Travel Consultant

You won’t be surprised to find out that when we don’t receive an immediate response from our USA consultant Sean Walker, we usually conclude that he has snuck out to his closest beach to sample a few. Sean does have a competitive surfing background, which included the National Championships in College, while getting bachelor & masters degrees at UC Santa Barbara in Business Economics. While Sean has the full support of a significant team, his knowledge of flights to & from the most out-of-the-way places all over the world is probably second to none. And being a lover of travel himself, his passion to set up the same great experiences that he has enjoyed for his clients shows in the details.
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Michael Hill
Indo Surf Specialist

Michael Hill has been in Indonesia for the past 20 years and has more years than that in surf tourism.  Married to the boss, Michael has learnt from the best with guidance back in the early days from Dick Hoole and Steven Cooney. Originally from Cronulla, Michael knows everything about surfing Indonesia and travelling throughout this great country.  Speaking fluent Balinese and also Indonesian, Michael is helping clients enjoy the same experience that he did 20 years ago.   Amazing waves, smiles from the locals and most importantly, the real cultural experience that allows clients to step away from their normal lives and soak up their surf holiday experience. Michael says you can contact him 24 hours a day (and then laughs and says so long as it is between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday).
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Rochelle Fletcher's picture
Rochelle Fletcher
Surf Travel Consultant

Rochelle loves a good surf session on her Mal and hanging out with people who share her same passion for surfing, and loves to catch a wave with her 2 beautiful kids. The beach is her happy place, and she is certain there's nothing better than a sunrise surf to start the day. Rochelle is looking forward to further surf travel having ticked the Maldives charter off the bucket list at the beginning of 2022. She enjoys any water activities such as wakeboarding and water skiing, as well as snowboarding, yoga, hiking and camping, and loves attending the odd music festival or 2!

 
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Richard Kotch
Surf Travel Consultant

Richard has been travelling and surfing since 1989 after watching Tom Curren surfing a French beach-break and getting the surf bug in 1986. Lakey Peak and Nias in 1990, Morocco in 91 and Jbay in 92, are some early memories...since then he has spent many seasons in Indo, along with long stints in the Maldives and the Pacific Islands (Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti and Micronesia) and a couple years living in a van in Europe, followed by six months on the point at La Libertad in El Salvadore.Rich was camping in the Mentawais in the early 2000's and was running luxury surf resorts in the Maldives a few years later. He has guided at resorts and on boats and worked as a professional surf photog. His life has revolved around surf travel for over three decades. He brings a wealth of surf travel knowledge to the World Surfaris team, though he says that his best attribute is simply his instinctive ability to match clients to a great destination.
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Blake Campbell's picture
Blake Campbell
Surf Travel Consultant

Blake Campbell has come to World Surfaris with over 12 years’ experience in travel sales and distribution. Growing up surfing the points at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, surf travel was always in his destiny. His adventures have taken him around the Pacific, Indo, Central America, and Morocco, but most recently aboard our flagship charter the Maavahi and to Lohis Left in the Maldives. After an extended break traveling, he has come back home, based in our global headquarters in Mooloolaba, with even more enthusiasm to get his clients to his favourite spots around the world.
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Antony “Yep" Colas
Surf Travel Consultant

Ever heard of World Stormrider Surf Guides?
Frenchman Antony “Yep” Colas has been authoring those bestselling, ultimate surf atlas books for the last 20 years. The research involved to be able to write such detailed and informative surf guides has taken Antony on about 200 surf trips to more than 50 countries & territories. Throughout his extensive career as a surf pioneer, Yep has been mostly focused on the 4 “Ms” - Mediterranean Sea (think such places as Libya and Cyprus), Mascaret (tidal bore waves in rivers like Bono in Sumatra – check out the several episodes of “Seven Ghosts” on Youtube), Maldives (his second home) and Maluku (Pacific Indonesia). Based in Anglet (near Biarritz) in France, Yep surfs all kinds of boards in all types of conditions that gives him the sort of experience that is simply irreplaceable. We are delighted that we have finally found a truly worthy representative for our European presence. Thank you for “discovering” World Surfaris, Antony.
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Aaron's picture
Aaron Blakemore
Surf Travel Consultant

Aaron grew up in the 80’s not too far from Raglan, NZ and began his surfing journey at 16 when a mates Dad lent him his kneeboard -  and has been riding them 30+ years now! He moved to the Gold Coast after finishing high school to surf warm water, get some sun and a job. Did a few years as a signwriter which financed regular Bali strike missions in the early 90’s before deciding to become a travel consultant with the aim of travelling and surfing more. But then, got married and had kids which put a slow down on that! After years in the retail sector Aaron finally got his surf travel break with World Surfaris in 2014 and been selling surfers perfect waves ever since! Aaron has adventured to various famous surf destinations including New Zealand (North Island), Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Mentawai’s, Tahiti, P-Pass, Maldives (Male Atolls, Central Atolls).
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Kendra Baity
Surf Travel Consultant

A born and bred New Yorker, Kendra ventured off to Australia back in 2019 for what was meant to be a 6 month trip! 4 years later, she has found herself work at the World Surfaris Headquarters in Mooloolaba QLD, living and surfing the coastal lifestyle. Growing up as a competitive swimmer and collegiate water polo player, she only discovered her love for surfing as an adult.  She has extensive personal travel experience under her belt, and truly understands how both the little and big moments can make or break a trip. If Kendra isn't planning your next surf adventure (or hers!), she spends her weekends on road-tripping in search of quiet beaches and decent Mexican food.
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Operations

Brooke Phillips's picture
Brooke Phillips
Administration/Documentation

After working at World Surfaris for 10 years and counting, Brooke has acquired extensive knowledge of all our surf adventure packages and the details on how to get you there. She will ensure that you are sorted with all of your vital information and travel documentation to make your trip as smooth as possible!
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sophia's picture
Sophia Gerhardt
Administration/Surf Travel Specialist

After graduating her business traineeship back in 2020, Sophia has embarked on a business savvy path that we believe will take her to great heights. After 4 years at World Surfaris, she has been mentored by the most experienced team members, and has extensive knowledge of our best selling surf destinations and how to get you there. She loves the ocean, a few waves on her Mal, and is a festival fiend! Sophia has already travelled to a couple of overseas surf destinations in her 21 years including the Maldives, Indonesia, and Tonga and is looking forward to more in the future!
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Marketing

Tamryn Simms's picture
Tamryn Sims
Marketing Manager

Originally from Durban, South Africa, Tamryn moved to the Gold Coast to complete a Bachelor of Business Marketing + Management at Bond University. Tamryn comes from a surf background with her father Craig spending 4 years on the world tour during the 80's. Understandably, Craig's passion for surfing over several decades was bound to rub off on his eldest daughter.

Tamryn has a passion for social media, print marketing and content creation and plays a pivotal role in World Surfaris efforts to keep people inspired, educated and always dreaming of their next surf adventure. 

 
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Finance and Management

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Steve Adam
CEO
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Jean-Pierre Storm
Chief Finance Officer

 An accountant by training, JP counts the money, checks the money, double-checks the money, accounts for the money & then pays out the money.  JP provides major support to our Surf Travel Consultants to make sure they have maximum time available to talk to you about your surf adventure.  JP had big shoes to fill when he started and he has thrived on the challenge ever since. A keen surfer & diver, JP can occasionally be cajoled into taking some of us in his boat to Old Woman Island – but only if the left is working.
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John Finlay
Chairman

Having undertaken a significant number of surf trips with several agencies and operators over the years, John liked the World Surfaris product so much that he bought half of the company in early 2014.  A few years later, he moved to 100% ownership. Clearly the “elder statesman” of the team (as any World Surfaris group photo will show), John may occasionally appear to experience mild bouts of dementia in his office life, but still froths like a grommet on surf trips when he gets to revel in uncrowded waves.  Arguably one of the weirdest-looking kids in the surf with his tuxedo rashie and ever-present helmet (regardless of conditions), John has been around so long he actually knows things without googling them.
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We give back

CHARITY PARTNERSHIPS

World Surfaris accepts a number of responsibilities associated with being the premier surf adventure travel company in Australia.

SAPNG

Surfing Association of PNG (SAPNG) President & PNG Legend Andy Abel is leading the charge to ensure local communities benefit from surf tourism initiatives. World Surfaris is the leading surf tourism agency for PNG, with World Surfaris co-founder Shaun Levings having spent considerable time in the country discovering and pioneering. Read more about the long-forged World Surfaris / SAPNG relationship here.

The Board Meeting

Each year World Surfaris provides assistance and sponsorship to Sunshine Coast charity The Board Meeting.  This charity group is run entirely by volunteers who are also local surfers with its sole focus on raising money to support kids with disabilities and their families. As well as financial support, World Surfaris Director John Finlay is a member of the all-voluntary Committee that runs The Board Meeting. 
To find out about events held throughout the year read here. 

Movember

Each year, the boyz at World Surfaris put away their razors for Movember to grow a variety of hairy caterpillars across their top lips in support of the very worthy cause changing the face of men’s health.  To date, The Movember Foundation has grown 4 million moustaches, raised $580 million in donations and funded over 800 programs in 21 countries. 
Find out more about the personal story behind World Surfaris' participation in the annual moustache-a-thon here. 

MS Queensland

World Surfaris is a proud supporter of MS Queensland - a non-profit organisation that is the first choice for MS (Multiple Sclerosis) information, education, treatment, care and support across Queensland. 
MS Queensland honoured World Surfaris by naming the organisation management the MS Heroes “Employer of the Year” in 2014. For more information, click HERE

Surf for Life

World Surfaris is a proud supporter of the Surf for Life charity organisation, which enables underprivileged kids from all around Australia to experience the joy of surfing for the very first time. In partnership with Surfing Australia, World Surfaris set a generous target each year to donate to this terrific cause. It is also a great way to give back to a community of kids who don't have the same opportunities that many of us have had and that we give to our children. For more information on the Surf for Life charity, click HERE

For wherever you dream of surfing

Work for us?

Dreaming of an Inspiring Career?

World Surfaris is the leading Surf Travel agency in the world. With offices in Bali, USA, South Africa and Japan.

Starting off as a garage travel agency with a simple mission “Get surfers to the waves that they've always dreamt of.”

20 something years later, it’s really no different. The landscape has changed, computers are faster, coffee is better and there are a lot more people floating around the office, but really we just get surfers to the waves of their dreams without any hassles.

If you’re into broadening your horizons, love travel, love surfing and are happy to convey that passion on a daily basis - you're bound to fit right in.

Tell us a bit about yourself - Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch.

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