The Green Room is a series of interviews that I conduct with fellow saltwater fanatics, including up-and-coming brands, surf world personalities and surf industry leaders. This particular interview is with Dani and Eduardo. They’re the clever founders of the incredibly cool Truck Surf Hotel. I’ve worked with them on a few projects already and they’re absolute legends. So, I thought it would be good if other people got to know them as I do. Enjoy!
Hey, guys! Long time no talk. How are you and Eduardo going? Where are you right now?
Hi Lac, nice to hear from you! We’re doing great, thank you! At the moment we’re in our hometown (Porto, Portugal) preparing our Truck Surf Hotel to hit the road towards Morocco. Exciting moments as our winter surf trips will start in one week!
Nice. And what about the newest Truck Surf Hotel member? Can you tell us who Jack is and how he joined?
Yes, that’s true! Our family grew this year.
Jack was a street dog and he found us in July. We woke up and he was sleeping under the Truck, looking scared and skinny. We immediately fell in love with him and decided to keep him. Now he is super happy, he loves travelling in the truck and getting all the attention that our guests give him. He even rides on Eduardo’s motorbike and started surfing.
So cool. Lucky Jack. As for the season, how has it been so far? It seems that you’re always busy!
You’re right. We’ve been on the road non-stop. This summer season was the best ever!
You already know this, but 2019 was our second year since we started the Truck Surf Hotel journey, and it was a great year. Then covid came in 2020, which made us slow down a lot. But this year exceeded our expectations! It was incredible to meet so many people from all over the world in a full season of 13 surf trips!
Which countries do most of the people who book with you come from?
Most of the people come mainly from Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and the USA.
Has this changed since the pandemic?
Definitely! Last year we started noticing an increase in the number of people joining us, but this year there were way more than what we initially expected.
Awesome to hear. And one of the most important questions – where have you found the best surf this year?
This year we’ve been travelling from the south to the north of Portugal. We were in the south between the Algarve and the Alentejo from April until June and in northern Portugal between Aveiro and Vila Praia de Âncora from July until October. The best waves so far were definitely in Sines (Alentejo), Aveiro and Viana do Castelo (northern Portugal).
What about you guys personally? Any plans to take a little holiday soon?
Hmm… we took a few “little” holidays in between trips this year. I’ve been to the Azores and I loved it! Later in Morocco, we’ll stop for 2 or 3 weeks this winter season and do a road surf trip on our motorbike together with Jack. Heading south until Dakhla is the plan!
Sounds like an epic adventure. Speaking of trips, where would be your dream place to visit if you could get away for 3 months and why?
Both my and Eduardo’s dream is to go to Australia! We actually were planning to work and travel there before starting with the Truck Surf Hotel idea, so definitely Australia because of the amazing surf and stunning nature!
I can give you some great tips if you do go! But before that day comes, I want to know if you have a favourite surfboard you use while cruising up and down the coastline?
Oofff… we have more than 20 surfboards and we love them all!
It really depends on the waves and the surf conditions, as we choose the one that we know we will have more fun with. In saying that, I often prefer my mini-longboard single fin 8’0!
As for the truck, have you upgraded it or added any new features lately?
We’re doing that all the time!
Eduardo is constantly improving the Truck and making it even better. This year we upgraded our solar panel system to be 100% self-sufficient. And we finally bought a dishwasher (my dream for a long time) and installed an outdoor hot water shower.
Well done. Can you ever see this concept working in another country?
Yes, without a doubt!
We can do so many things with the Truck and adjust it to other concepts and environments. We have people interested in using it in different countries of Europe, the USA and even in Africa for safaris. And I definitely see the potential of using it in Australia.
Finally, what are your goals for the Truck Surf Hotel going into 2023?
Next year our goal is to have more trips in Portugal and Morocco (surf trips and other thematic trips) and also participate in events and rallies in Europe and Africa.
Nice, guys. I can’t wait to see what you have in store. Thanks for your time!
Thank you for this lovely conversation. See you soon, mate!
You can learn more about the Truck Surf Hotel here or follow their journey on Instagram here.