Tyler Trafas is the author of Tropical Depression and several short stories about life as a foreigner in Japan and Indonesia. He is a life long surfer and grew up in the waves near Los Angeles during the 80s and 90s. He graduated from Occidental college in 2004, where he studied East Asian Religions and Sociology.

Shortly after graduating, Tyler left Los Angeles to live in Japan. At first he worked as a private teacher and then later a professor of English at Meiji University. During this period he also found work in the entertainment districts of Osaka and Tokyo. After leaving Japan, Tyler spent the next few years traveling and chasing surf through Asia, primarily Indonesia, where he lived amongst surfers from a multitude of nationalities.

Tyler now lives with his dog River back in California, where he teaches a course on proper surf technique, surfer etiquette and the benefits of Yoga practice for new surfers. He also works on surfboards for fun, when he is not seeking that perfect wave.