Getting to know you - Sam
I (Chez) thought it might be nice to share a bit more about ourselves so I've come up with a range of questions for Sam to answer. Sam is one half of the Single Fin Collective, he's the technical whizz and most prolific out of the two of us in terms of design work. All the colourful surf and wave illustrations are Sam's work, he's also an excellent photographer! Read on for more from Sam in his own words:
What’s your earliest memory of surfing?
Bodyboarding in stormy wind-chop in the South of France (med-side, not the Atlantic!). As for the first time I properly stood up on a wave, that was a glorious spring day at Bracklesham Bay.
What’s your idea of a perfect day off?
Staying asleep past 7am, then having a relaxed breakfast and coffee in bed. A surf somewhere, preferably in shoulder high, clean surf. Oh, and the sun is shining and it’s warm. Grab a coffee and a flapjack afterwards and take some photos!
And what if it’s flat?
As above for coffee and breakfast, but then maybe walking a bit of the South West Coast Path. A bonus would be if there is something interesting to photograph, maybe some wildlife! I spent a lot of time in early 2025 walking the coast path up near Mawgan Porth following the humpback whale which blessed us with its presence for a magical couple of weeks.
What’s your favourite movie and why?
The Great Escape or Point Break (the original). Watching them is like hanging out with an old friend. The Great Escape is one of the first films I remember watching as a kid (is that weird?), and it will forever make me feel at home and safe. I also remember the first time I saw Point Break, and it just immediately became a favourite. I can't really watch it with anyone else now because I end up reciting every line as I'm watching. I know I'm not the only one. Most quotable film ever?
If you could only surf one spot for the rest of your life, where would it be?
Empty J-Bay with no sharks. I’ve never surfed there, but it’s a right-hand point break, so that’s my perfect wave.
Which song do you know every lyric to?
The Eagles - Hotel California. I spent a lot of time in France as a kid, where we didn't have a TV (and of course no internet). Dad had a mix-tape he'd made called 'The Kurt Highwayman tape', and this was the first song...it got a lot of listens!
What do you enjoy most about running the business?
Knowing that people all over the world have chosen something I created to hang on their walls and look at every day! And talking to people when we do markets – it's nice to talk to real people when most of our business-related interactions are through email or Instagram. It’s especially nice when you meet someone in person who you’ve interacted with for years on Instagram!
What do you find most challenging?
Anything related to commission or collab work, especially the financial side of it. Also, it’s hard when I’m really happy with a piece of work and then find it doesn’t really get any traction, whilst other pieces which I’m less fond of seem to do very well.
How do you create your designs?
Most of my work is created in Adobe Illustrator, though I’ve also used ProCreate a couple of times.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d known when you started 8 years ago?
Don’t take it personally, not everyone will love what you do, but a lot of people will.
What does a typical day look like running the business?
It depends on the day – sometimes it might be a trip to the Royal Mail depot before the day job (that’s usually Chez though) and packing orders after the day job. Other days it might be some new design work, creating new product images and updating the website. Of course, I also count surfing as part of the business (‘creative research’), does that count?
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Being able to breathe underwater. Or maybe being able to fly. Maybe combined as flying-fish-man? But breathing underwater for sure - I already feel like I'm part-fish when I bodysurf, so it feels like a natural evolution...
Photo courtesy of @wholegrainframes
What’s a dream destination on your travel bucket list?
Iceland. It looks like a gorgeous country and must be amazing for photography, even though I'm a terrible landscape photographer!
What’s your favourite book?
Walking on Water by Andy Martin. It is one of the first books about surfing I ever read, so it’s a real comfort-read.
I hope you enjoyed reading Sam's answers, if you want to find out a bit more about us and how we got started, see our About Us page. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below!
