Mark Visser is the winner of the Big Wave Paddle-in Awards and a globally recognised big wave surfer. For over 15 years, he has coached some of the world’s most successful individuals and teams in mindset and emotional intelligence.
His clients include 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, Steph Gilmore, members of the Australian SAS, US Navy SEALs, Olympic athletes, AFL premiership teams, elite coaches, and leading companies across a range of business sectors.
Mark made history by surfing the notorious 40–50ft waves at Jaws (Pe‘ahi), Maui—in complete darkness.
This world-first achievement, known globally as Night Rider, cemented his reputation for pushing physical, mental, and emotional boundaries.
As a speaker, Mark is known for his humility, infectious energy, and authentic storytelling. He shares the behind-the-scenes journey of achieving what many believed was impossible—offering powerful insights into human potential, strategy, and the role of belief in performance.
His keynote presentations feature stunning visual content and are tailored to each audience to ensure the right message is delivered for every event. Mark helps people connect with their ultimate self, empowering them to innovate, perform, and become the best version of themselves.
Talking Points
Keynote Presentations
With passion and humility, Mark uses his own experiences and challenges alongside breathtaking imagery to showcase how he and his team accomplished an inconceivable goal and proved that the ‘impossible IS possible’. Mark inspires his audiences to understand that any task can be achieved with the right strategy.Keynote Presentations
Presentation Overview.
- A brief history & Mark's vision
- How he got there- self-belief
- The dream - redirecting goals to align with strengths and passion
- Mapping out the path, identifying obstacles and establishing a clear plan
- Eliminating limiting beliefs
- The team - how everyone's role is crucial to success - united culture
-Training and technology - preparing for the worst and planning for the best to ensure confidence and focus
- Group interaction - Mark takes the audience into his world by letting them feel what it's like to prepare for 'big wave Surfing'. This is a fun 20-second activity that is done at their table.
- Do the work - nothing is gifted or guaranteed. You need to put in the effort
-Teamwork - the importance of members staying true to their role, if things go wrong and how to follow through
- The success - achieving a world-first and realising that 'impossible' goals are possible
- The next big thing, redirecting your focus to go again.
Masterclass: The Backpack Procedure
This session helps identify and release emotional baggage that no longer serves us. Attendees learn techniques to create mental space and boost efficiency across both professional and personal life. Specific breathwork patterns are introduced to enhance focus, drop brainwave activity, and lower heart rate. The session supports a shift from a ‘winning at all costs’ mindset to one focused on balance and sustainable success.
Masterclass: The Backpack Procedure
Masterclass: The Mind Body Process
Through a guided in-class simulation, we explore the power of the mind and how quickly it can lead us to conclusions driven by overthinking or ego. Attendees learn how to ‘feel’ and reconnect with their true self, rather than being influenced by the noise of the overactive mind. We explore how the physiology of the body reveals the internal programs we’re operating from, and how adjusting our physical state can directly shift the way we think. The session also covers effective self-talk strategies and how to communicate clearly when others are under pressure or managing multiple demands.
Masterclass: The Mind Body Process
Masterclass: Who’s Holding the Mic?
This workshop explores the internal drivers behind our daily actions and decision-making. Attendees learn to build emotional stability and reconnect with deeper inner confidence and self-worth. Instead of ignoring roadblocks or self-limiting beliefs that may have developed in earlier stages of life, we focus on supporting the internal process to establish inner strength and move in the direction we’ve always desired.
Masterclass: Who’s Holding the Mic?
Masterclass: Map it Out & Tap it Out
By confronting fear and uncertainty, attendees map out a pathway forward and take ownership of their outcomes. The process helps unravel the full picture, revealing what needs to be acknowledged in order to gain the clearest possible focus in pursuit of their goals. Participants also engage in an advanced neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) tapping technique designed to embed their desired outcomes at a deeper cognitive and physiological level—creating stronger alignment between their goals, state of being, and embodied awareness.
Masterclass: Map it Out & Tap it Out
Masterclass: Clearing The Slate
In this session, participants will identify and release emotional and mental patterns that may hinder productivity and safety. Through targeted techniques, employees will learn how to create mental clarity, increasing efficiency across both professional and personal spheres.Masterclass: Clearing The Slate
Participants will be guided in specific breathing patterns designed to sharpen focus, improve cognitive access, and regulate heart rate, enabling safer, more mindful decision-making on the job. By decreasing unnecessary brain wave activity, individuals can maintain a calm, responsive state essential for high-stakes environments.
This session also promotes a balanced approach to work-life integration, encouraging emotional intelligence that supports a “Winning on all levels" mindset rather than a “win-at-all-costs” attitude. Practical exercises will include group interactions and team-building tasks to reinforce a shared commitment to safety and excellence.
Realigning To Your Ultimate Self
In this session, we will take a critical look at the mental frameworks that shape our daily operations and drive our performance in high-stakes environments. Participants will learn techniques to cultivate inner support systems, reinforcing new mental patterns aligned with their professional goals and commitment to tasks.Realigning To Your Ultimate Self
Attendees will gain insight into their internal responses, building skills for maintaining emotional stability, self-worth, and confidence as they face daily challenges. Rather than ignoring potential issues or self-limiting thoughts, this approach teaches participants to address internal processes head-on, preventing minor obstacles from escalating into larger safety concerns. This proactive focus on mental resilience fosters a stable, confident mindset that enhances personal well-being and strengthens the ideal culture on-site.
Half Day Workshop
The ½ day event includes all four workshops with additional breath and relaxation techniques applied.
Half Day Workshop
Full Day Workshop
This day course includes all of the masterclasses and workshop sessions with additional water-based and/or land-based activities using core mental skills. This process breaks down the science of what we are capable of when we exit the overthinking mind. Training is adjusted and suitable for all skill levels.Full Day Workshop
THE ULTIMATE YOU.
Keynote.
This session starts off with a 45min keynote presentation and 15min Q&A.
Stage 1. A basic understanding of what the human body is capable of and ensuring we are all working well within our limits.
Stage 2. We learn key components required for each task's mental and physiological approach. We also go deep into specific heart rate and brain wave management techniques.
Stage 3. Water submersion section. We document each attendee’s technique in various areas to gauge each person's ability. We use the water as a practical way to disengage from the overthinking mind.
Stage 4. As we build a foundation of skills, we also break down the barriers of fear, the science of how the mind-body connection affects our performance and how to respond to situations vs reacting to them.
Stage 5. We reassess and document each attendee’s progress with a new understanding of being confident and calm in stressful situations.
Stage 6. Using specific techniques, applying the right mindset and correct physiology, you will learn to master these skills in all areas of your life.
Stage 7. Getting clear, we take an in-depth look at the process to achieving a ‘winning on all levels’ approach. Regardless of our environment we acknowledge that we have the ability to take control in any situation.
Video
Mark Visser | Saxton Speakers
With passion and humility, Mark speaks from the heart about breathtaking events and realizing his dreams. Mark is a down to earth, natural speaker who is infectiously energetic and engaging.Mark Visser | Dominating Biggest Waves Ever Seen, Near-Death Surfs + More! | @TheHowieGames Podcast
He has surfed the biggest waves in the world. He has even conquered one of the most dangerous waves in the world, AT NIGHT. It's an open chat on fear, breathing and being ready for the worst possible scenario. Beyond his incredible surfing achievements, Visser is dedicated to mental and physical peak performance, resilience, and overcoming fear, which he shares through his motivational talks and coaching - check him out. He also runs the Ocean Warrior course, helping people master breath control and mindset techniques to handle high-pressure situations.Mark Visser's Operation Deep Blue Teaser
Mark and his team have discovered new big wave locations around the world. The only problem is a lot of them are out in the middle of open ocean. By the time the swell forcasts are confirmed it's too late to get there by boat. The only way to get to these locations in time to surf them is by jumping out of a plane with jetski's and skydiving into the locations. Getting there is the easy part...The audience was spell-bound watching some of his video clips. Mark is a driven motivator and engages warmly with guests at all levels. We would highly recommend Mark to any event organiser ... keep reading Bank of Queensland
One of the best keynote speakers we have ever had! Mark captured the audience and delivered a powerful message that we can all relate to in the corporate world.
An unexpected speaker. Mark’s story linked so well to what we aspire to and gives a different perspective on the importance of team work, focus on the challenge, and being your best. We booked Mark for 4 consecutive events.
Thoroughly entertaining, everyone loved it, with plenty of chatter later around the bar and in the office today. Lots of take homes for all of us irrespective of our role in the business which was excellent as so many professional speakers only focus on the sales team, leaving the rest of us bored!
Mark had a wonderful session with the group and interacted with all of them at the level they needed. The presentation was bang on and it really connected for our kids on all levels. I had overheard so many different parents, athletes and coaches chatting about how great it was. An unbelievable opportunity for us all to listen and meet him.
Thanks so much for making our event such a success. The team all loved Mark’s story and the key messages were totally aligned to our overall theme for the day. We loved having Mark at dinner also, was really great of him to make the time.
It is not often that you have the opportunity to test your boundaries at a Conference breakfast. Mark had the ability to capture everyone's attention and keep us on the edge of our seats, the room was so quiet as everyone listened intently. The content was spot on and I have gone back to thinking about his message each day since.
He was a rockstar. So good, I would book him again in a heartbeat. Staff feedback has been off the charts epic.
We had the pleasure of having Mark present at our annual Lexus of Brisbane Group’s Managers’ conference where he delivered his Keynote and ‘Who’s holding the Mic’ workshop. I was amazed by just how much went on behind the scenes to achieve his success and how much of his preparation can be transferred into both our business and personal day to day lives. Not only did our management team benefit from Mark’s presentation, but our wives and partners who joined us also greatly valued the insight into Mark’s vision and knowledge.We now look forward to welcoming Mark back to present to the greater Lexus of Brisbane Group team.
Still buzzing from the leadership training day with Mark Visser. We followed up the keynote with the Ocean Warrior workshop but if all we did was the keynote, I figured we had received great value already for our team. I thought Mark’s keynote and workshop presentation was amazing, challenging and inspiring so not only served as a perfect fit to our team, but the lessons from the Ocean Warrior training dovetailed so well into our leadership development program. This experience and lessons will serve us well in our business. Could not be happier with the experience and the impact on the team. Truly world-class!
We had Mark speak yesterday at the CTO offsite and he was so lovely to deal with, nailed every part of the brief and was sensational – definitely a highlight of the day. Following Marks session was afternoon tea, and then a Leadership Team Panel where they were asked a series of rapid fire questions; one of the questions was ‘Which celebrity would you like to be your best friend? Three out of the eight members of the leadership team answered Mark Visser – so he must of resonated well with the leadership team. In the Westpac CTO's wrap up email which he sent to the entire transformation team he stated I don’t know about you, but Mark Visser blew me away with his keynote presentation. The sheer magnitude of what he’s done, and is still doing, on pushing himself beyond limits is awe-inspiring. His message of ‘having a mission, making a plan and having the right people around you to execute’ really struck a chord.
Mark was absolutely amazing, and his energy truly made the day, we've received so much positive feedback from our attendees. We would highly recommend him as a speaker for any event.
Mark was a hit with the team and his topic was spot on for the time and moment. The number of questions that came after the keynote reflects the level of engagement that Mark can muster through an inspiring story.
