“In the back of my head, I was, like, I’m too deep in this game,” Mr. Ruffo said in an interview at a Santa Cruz house where he regularly used drugs in the past and now helps other recovering addicts. “It’s hard to pull out once you get there.”

In 2005, Mr. Ruffo was convicted of possession of drugs for sale and sentenced to probation and a 12-step treatment program.

He said he stopped dealing after getting out of rehab but was unable to shake his addiction. In July 2010, the police raided his home and found an ounce of nearly pure meth with a street value of about $3,000. Mr. Ruffo said the drugs did not belong to him.

Mr. Ruffo still possesses the lithe, deeply tanned body of a professional surfer. His bright blue eyes flashed as he described his recovery, which is being chronicled in a documentary. Citing his sobriety of 11 months, and his work aiding other addicts, he is seeking a plea agreement that will keep him out of prison.

“Why put that in a cage?” Mr. Ruffo said. “If I come into court a changed man from when I got busted and I’m showing all these positive results, why wouldn’t you want to keep that person going in that direction?”