Surfing is a way of life. A life dominated by the waves and the tide with a cozy place to pause in between. The second chapter in the Surf Shacks series by Matt Titone illustrates how surfers live both on and offshore.

Many abodes can fall under the label of surf shack: city apartments, cabins nestled next to national parks, or tiny Hawaiian huts. Surfing communities are overflowing with creativity, innovation, and rich personas. Surf Shacks takes a deeper look at surfers’ homes and artistic habits. Glimpses of record collections, strolls through backyard gardens, or a peek into a painter’s studio provide insight into surfers’ lives.

From the remote Hawaiian treehouse and converted bus home of the Goodwin family to the Japanese mountain cabin that the founder of Gentemstick, Taro Tamai, calls home, every space has a unique tale. Jamie Smallwood, a sustainable architect, built an off the grid shipping container compound in Byron Bay as a new domicile. The moments that these vibrant personalities spend away from the swell and the froth are both captivating and nuanced.

Through anecdotes and photographs, illustrations and conversations, Surf Shacks reveals a more personal side to surfing and its eclectic cast of characters.

Matt Titone is a graphic designer from Delaware. Following a stint as a freelance designer and art director in New York City, he moved to Los Angeles in 2006 where he co-founded creative agency ITAL/C Studio and Indoek, an online platform rooted in surf culture and the creative community around it. Indoek’s first Surf Shacks book was published by gestalten in 2017.