How far does one have to travel to get the wave of a lifetime? Well, there is no set map or fixed distance, the answer is unique to each person’s path. For Miguel Blanco, a Portuguese pro surfer who has traveled and ridden giant waves everywhere from Nazaré to Jaws to Mavericks and beyond, the path has become about much more than just chasing the perfect wave.

In the first episode of his latest Swell Diaries series, Miguel’s narration gives unique insights into the life of a professional surfer who hasn’t lost sight of why he fell in love with surfing in the first place — the special waves, the magic days, and the people you meet along the way.

That’s not to say it’s all been smooth sailing. At the beginning of a boat trip through Indonesia, after scoring an epic left-hander with just one friend, he thought it was all lining up perfectly…

Not long after, things took a dramatic turn in the middle of the night when their boat’s engine failed during a storm while far out at sea.…