Ryan Wahl was raised in Prince Rupert and the nearby community of Dodge Cove, Digby Island. He is the great-grandson of Ed Wahl and spent his childhood building toy boats from scrap lumber piled by the bandsaw. In his late teens he helped in the construction of the last Wahl boat, Legacy; the end result inspired the book Legacy in Wood. He lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia, with his wife, Lori.