Vance Carlin is a lifelong surfer, skateboarder, and ocean man who believes the water can heal when met with respect and intention.

In 2017, Vance lost his leg in a car accident in Puerto Rico. Everything changed, but his connection to the ocean stayed strong. What could have been the end became a turning point.

Before the accident, Vance lived fully immersed in surf and skate culture. After it, he learned how to adapt, rebuild, and keep moving forward one leg, one life, one day at a time. Sobriety, the ocean, yoga, and meditation became anchors that helped him stay grounded through recovery.

Today, Vance is an advocate for amputees and anyone facing life-changing challenges, without judgment—ever. Through adaptive surfing, body surfing, hand-boarding, water yoga, and time spent in the ocean, he helps others reconnect with confidence, strength, and purpose.

Vance leads through lived experience. He understands loss, frustration, and fear, but he also knows what is possible on the other side. His message is simple. You are not lost. You are adapting. And you do not have to do it alone.

This is the heart behind The One-Legged Movement. Staying sober. Staying stoked. Letting Mother Ocean guide the way.