Surfing
The Invisible
Wave
There is a current beneath your life that is either carrying you forward, letting you drift, or pulling you under. This is your invitation to see it, catch it, and ride it, at any age, in any season.
Surfing The Invisible Wave
Surfing The Invisible Wave is a transformative guide wrapped in the story of one man's motorcycle journey up the California coast, a journey that became something far more profound than he ever expected.
Part parable, part personal development roadmap, this book follows a man known only as Seeker as he stumbles into the orbit of a remarkable mentor named Sage. What begins as a quest to learn big-wave surfing becomes a deep exploration of the principles, frameworks, and inner work required to craft a life of meaning, passion, and purpose.
Author David Phillips draws on more than a decade of coaching, a rich library of influences, and his own experience navigating seasons of numbness, stagnation, and breakthrough, to give readers a story they can see themselves in, and a roadmap they can actually use.
Inside the pages of Surfing The Invisible Wave, you'll explore:
- The Invisible Wave, the current of growth that's carrying you forward or letting you drift, whether you see it or not
- The Swell, a powerful framework that maps every growth cycle you'll ever experience
- The Freaking Basics, the non-negotiable foundation of physical and mental wellbeing
- Beliefs, values, and vision, and why getting these in the right order changes everything
- The inner work of identity: who you are, who you're becoming, and what's standing in the way
- Goals that don't just stretch you, but transform you
- The power of community, mentorship, and being truly known
This book addresses one of the greatest challenges facing people today: how to cultivate meaning in our lives so that our experience is infused with passion and purpose. At once a grand adventure and a tactical field manual, Surfing the Invisible Wave helps illuminate what matters most as you sort through the emotional equations of your own life. Take it from someone who caught their first literal wave in their fifties, it is never too late to learn to surf.
This book very much resonates with me as a 50 something year old male, divorced, navigating life in this unique space. I absolutely highly recommend this book. Wish it was available to read and reflect before I reached this age/place in life.
What an amazingly well thought out concept. Wish I would have had this book sooner when I was going through a divorce in my early 30s. Thank you for writing this.
I'm only halfway through this book, and it has already had a profound impact on me. I have never connected with a book so deeply or felt such a noticeable shift in myself while reading. After more than 30 years of trying to heal, understand myself and grow, something about the way this book explains things has finally made so much click into place.
Geared toward those navigating mid-life, but I was surprised to find it really speaks to relationships at any point in our lives. Well-written, enjoyable to read, great insights woven throughout the story.
Excellent book that I truly recommend. I wasn't very far into the book when I felt a tug of emotion as I recognized many things similar between the main character, Seeker, and myself. This book is a gentle not so gentle reminder we are the main character in our own personal story.
I listened to the audio book! This book covers so much personal growth, coaching practices, inner healing and identity work that I have participated in over years in various conferences and workshops. Last month I found myself asking if I had the courage to begin again. Thanks for the awakening and rising to my next adventure.
Extremely helpful if you feel like you're in a reinvention season. Great story too.
Meet the wave where you are.
Wherever you are on the journey, there's a next step. Start with the book, go deeper with the course, or go all in with one-on-one coaching.
The Book
The story that started it all. A parable and a roadmap in one, ready to read at your own pace, on your own terms.
- The full Surfing The Invisible Wave journey
- Every core framework in narrative form
- Free companion resources to work alongside it
The Deep Dive Course
The companion course that turns the book into practice, guiding you through every framework with video lessons and hands-on work.
- Guided video lessons across every module
- Workbooks and handouts to apply as you go
- Move at your own pace, with lifetime access
Coaching with Coach Dave
Work directly with David, one on one, to apply these principles to your own season of life with real accountability and guidance.
- Personalized one-on-one coaching
- A plan built around your priorities
- Accountability that keeps you moving
Start moving today.
A few free tools to help you put the ideas into motion before you finish the first chapter.
Chapter 1 Audiobook
The Opening Wave, chapter one of the book, narrated by David himself. Press play and start the journey right now.
Listen NowThe Midlife Reset Bracket
Clarify your priorities and harness accountability as you chart a course for the next year of your life.
Get the BracketThe Freaking Basics
The non-negotiable physical and mental foundation, distilled into a simple checklist you can work every day.
Get the ChecklistThe Study Guide
Read with intention. A reflection and discussion guide to go deeper into every chapter, solo or with a group.
Get the Study GuideDavid Phillips
Writer • Speaker • Coach
David Phillips didn't set out to write a self-help book. He set out to tell a story about a man who was drowning, quietly, invisibly, in the middle of what looked like a perfectly normal life. He knew that man well. Because in many ways, he was that man.
Over the course of more than a decade as a writer, speaker, and coach, David has worked alongside ordinary people navigating extraordinary seasons of life, helping them find their footing, clarify their direction, and build lives that actually reflect who they are and what they care about. His background spans project management, architecture, vocational ministry, hospitality, and homeschooling, a diverse trail that has sharpened his eye for what works and what doesn't when it comes to the human experience of growth and change.
The principles and frameworks woven through Surfing The Invisible Wave aren't borrowed from a textbook. They've been tested in real conversations, in real seasons of struggle and breakthrough, David's own, and those of the people he's had the privilege of walking alongside.
David is a voracious reader, an enthusiastic cyclist, and a devoted father to his son, Julian. He lives in Gilbert, Arizona, and can be found online at mycoachdave.net.
You found your way to this page because some part of you is ready.
Trust that part. Pick your next step.