Welcome back to the show—today’s episode is one for anyone who cares about the ocean, innovation, and the future of surf culture.
Your hosts, Henry Michel and Richard Rodriguez, sit down with Pato Guerrero—surfer, engineer, and co-founder of Swell Cycle, a company rethinking what a surfboard can be.
Pato’s journey started with a moment many surfers know all too well—watching a beloved board get destroyed. After his board was smashed against the rocks at Steamer Lane, what came next wasn’t just frustration—it was realization. While trying to repair it, Pato discovered something unsettling: traditional surfboards are toxic, and when they’re done, they don’t get recycled—they go straight to the dump.
That moment sparked a mission.
With a background in mechanical engineering from UC Irvine, Pato dove headfirst into solving a problem the surf industry had largely ignored. What followed were countless prototypes, long nights of research, and a relentless drive to build something better. The result? Swell Cycle—one of the first companies creating high-performance surfboards designed to be fully recyclable.
In this episode, we talk about the science behind the boards, the challenges of changing an entire industry, and what it really takes to turn an idea into something that could reshape the future of surfing.
So if you’ve ever wondered what’s next for surfboard design—or how innovation can protect the places we love—this conversation is for you.
And hey, after you listen, go check out Swell Cycle and demo one of their boards. We’re excited to see where this goes.
Let’s dive in.