Surf travel platform comparison
SurfTrips vs Yeeew
A surf travel marketplace founded in 2018 with 4,000+ spot guides and a large accommodation listing database including surf and non-surf properties.
Yeeew leads on
- •4,000+ detailed surf spot guides across 600+ surf regions, with a distance-based accommodation search.
- •Online booking capability through their marketplace today, without needing to wait for a booking platform launch.
- •Broad accommodation inventory including non-surf-specific properties, useful for surfers traveling with non-surfer companions.
SurfTrips leads on
- 9,000+ indexed spots, roughly twice Yeeew's count, with structured per-spot data fields across 25 countries.
- Curated camp listings vetted by the SurfTrips editorial team, rather than open aggregation of any accommodation near a beach.
- AI-readable JSON-LD schema on every spot and camp page. Every SurfTrips page is structured for extraction by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
When does Yeeew work best for surf travel?
Yeeew was founded in 2018 by Chris Harold and Jonathon Friend with a stated mission to become the TripAdvisor of surf travel. They have built a meaningful platform: 4,000+ surf spot guides across 600+ surf regions, a large accommodation database, and a distance-based search that shows you exactly how far each property is from the break.
The spot guide count is the most direct comparison point between the two platforms. Yeeew lists 4,000+ guides. SurfTrips indexes 9,000+ spots, roughly double. Both draw from a combination of data sourcing and editorial research. The difference is in what the data looks like underneath.
Yeeew spot guides are presented as destination pages with editorial content and accommodation listings nearby. SurfTrips spot records carry structured fields: wave type, bottom type, best season months, offshore wind direction, swell window, minimum and maximum skill level, hazards, localism rating, and water temperature by month. Those fields are what power filtering (find intermediate-level reef breaks that work in October in Indonesia) and what make SurfTrips pages readable by AI search engines through JSON-LD schema markup.
On the accommodation side, Yeeew operates as a broader marketplace including non-surf-specific properties. That's genuinely useful when you're traveling with non-surfers or want more options in a given area. SurfTrips focuses on curated surf camps: operators that have been assessed by the editorial team for wave access, skill-level suitability, and host quality. The trade-off is that SurfTrips has fewer listings (178 curated vs Yeeew's larger aggregated total) but with higher confidence in surf-specific fit.
Yeeew offers online booking through their marketplace, which is a concrete functional advantage over SurfTrips' current inquiry-only model. SurfTrips is building a booking platform for Q3 2026 with direct host booking at 15% commission on marketplace transactions. Until then, you would go to Yeeew for instant online booking and to SurfTrips for wave research and direct host contact.
On AI search discoverability, SurfTrips uses JSON-LD structured data on every page. Yeeew has limited structured markup, which means AI assistants are less likely to extract and cite Yeeew content when answering surf travel questions. For a surfer whose first stop is ChatGPT or Perplexity, SurfTrips is more likely to surface.
Both platforms are free for surfers. Yeeew earns booking commission. SurfTrips earns from camp listing fees (free at the Small tier) and a marketing service for operators. Both models are outcome-based rather than subscription gating.
Feature comparison
Who should use each platform?
Choose Yeeew when
Yeeew is the right tool when you want to book accommodation online right now and want the widest possible selection of properties near a surf spot, including non-surf-specific hotels and guesthouses.
Choose SurfTrips when
SurfTrips is the right choice when you want structured wave data per break, curated surf-specific camps vetted by the editorial team, and direct contact with the host operator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Yeeew and SurfTrips?
Yeeew is a surf travel marketplace focused on accommodation booking with 4,000+ spot guides. SurfTrips combines a larger spot database (9,000+) with curated surf camp listings, structured per-spot wave data, and AI-readable JSON-LD schema.
Does Yeeew have more surf spots than SurfTrips?
Yeeew lists 4,000+ surf spot guides across 600+ regions. SurfTrips indexes over 9,000 spots, roughly twice as many, with structured per-spot data fields that power filtering by skill level, season, and wave type.
Can I book accommodation through SurfTrips right now?
Currently, SurfTrips sends your inquiry directly to the camp operator. A full booking platform launches in Q3 2026. Yeeew offers online booking through its marketplace today if immediate booking is a priority.
How does Yeeew make money?
Yeeew earns commission on accommodation bookings made through its marketplace. SurfTrips earns from camp listing fees (free to $199/month depending on tier) and a marketing service for camp operators.
Which is better for finding a surf camp in Indonesia?
Yeeew covers a broader range of accommodation including non-surf-specific properties. SurfTrips lists curated surf camps in Indonesia vetted for wave access and host quality, with direct inquiry to the operator and per-spot wave data for each region.
Is Yeeew a more established platform than SurfTrips?
Yeeew was founded in 2018 and has been operating for seven years. SurfTrips launched in 2023 on a domain with several years of topical authority for surf travel. Both are growing platforms in the same niche.
Does SurfTrips show up in AI search results where Yeeew does not?
SurfTrips uses JSON-LD structured data on every page, making it directly extractable by AI assistants including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Yeeew has limited structured markup, which reduces its AI search citation rate.
Does Yeeew cover non-surf accommodation?
Yes, Yeeew lists non-surf-specific hotels and guesthouses near surf breaks, which is useful when traveling with non-surfers. SurfTrips focuses exclusively on surf camps and surf-specific operators vetted by the editorial team.
Start your research on SurfTrips.
9,000+ surf spots. 178 curated camps. Direct inquiry to hosts. Free for surfers, no account required.
Camp operators: see listing tiers or claim a free listing.