Portraits by: https://www.instagram.com/andygiraudphoto/
Hi. I'm Manny Vargas. Born and bred San Diegan. What can I say? I love my job. I absolutely love showing my fellow ocean and water lovers all the amazing things that mother nature has to offer. Along with my over 35 years of ocean experience, I've put in the time and effort to become certified in the things that you'd expect from your surf tour guide and professional surf photographer:
- Merchant Mariner Credential through the U.S. Coast Guard
- CPR Certified
- First Aid Certified
- Former California State Lifeguard
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certified (Drone)
Mission Statement
Organizing the opportunities to create lifelong friendships by offering the ultimate travel experiences for wave riders and ocean lovers new and old. With worry-free wave riding adventures and photo/video sessions, you'll recharge, respect and experience something epic and walk away feeling refreshed and excited to learn and experience more from life and from the ocean.
I'm just like you... I love to travel and see the beauty of the world's amazing surf destinations. Over 30 years of traveling have given me the knowledge and street smarts to be able to do what I do. My ultimate goal with Epic Surf Tours is to ensure my guests are safe and have an amazing surf travel experience. Plain and simple. Safety and attention to detail are at the top of the list when organizing your next surf adventure. I thank each and every one of you for supporting me over the years and for continuing to let me show you the surfing world through my eyes.
I am a professional bodyboarder by trade. Through the 1990's, being a professional bodyboarder gave me the ticket to ride the best waves in the world. From Pipeline to Chopes to Cave Rock (South Africa) to even more exotic locations, I was pretty damn blessed. I still love to get pitted on the bodyboard, but I also have a quiver of all types of wave riding vehicles for all types of waves.
As a former California State Lifeguard, I know that preventative measures are key when it comes to safety. With my lifeguarding background, I love to take the extra time to teach you about the ocean, tell you about the unwritten rules of surf etiquette, and show you how to order a beer and fish tacos in Spanish.
My passion for surf photography works in your favor. While on a surf tour with me, each one of your surf sessions will be documented with high-resolution photos, high-definition video, and when possible... incredible drone footage! Essentially, you're on a professional photoshoot... just like what I did throughout the 90's! Time permitting, we'll go through your video clips and talk about how you can improve your surfing technique, so you're ready to charge your next session. This ultimately cuts down your learning curve ten-fold. Plus, when you return home, you'll always be able to relive those amazing days by downloading your high-resolution action photos and HD videos from your own private gallery at NO EXTRA COST TO YOU.
Riding waves, taking photos, and showing people a great time is what I love to do. When I see the stoke on people's faces when they watch their videos and photos at the end of the trip, I realize this is exactly what I was meant to do... SHARE THE STOKE and #DoEpicShit.
Epic Surf Tours is registered with the State of California Seller of Travel with registration #2142350-40 under MV Epic Surf Tour, LLC
Cool interview on SDVoyager: http://sdvoyager.com/interview/meet-manny-vargas-baja-weekender-imperial-beach/
Please contact me for any reason and I'll hit you back as soon as possible: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.