DEAR SURFERS – WINTER 2026

After running the surf school for 20 years, I have learned a few things about parents’ reasons for exposing their loved ones to surfing.  Most want their children to learn to be safe in the ocean.  Many want to see their kids try something cool and unique.  Others want to give their kids the opportunity to start learning earlier than they did.  (and live vicariously through them 😉 Some recognize the value of connecting with nature through adventure sports.  All of those reasons resonate with me for my own children and their needs in this ever-changing world.

One thing most parents, and most people, do not fully understand is that surfing needs you too.  All people need community to prop ourselves up and do things that are greater than the sum of our individual efforts.  Our local surfing community offers support and encouragement, but joining it requires giving, because surfing needs more than casual participants—it needs dedicated stewards.  The surf community celebrates those who have sailed beyond the map to where paths are charted in passion, and recognizes that for some, the maps are still being plotted in crayon.

When I founded Summertime Surf, the school was small, and the local community was very accessible.  I got to know many of my students’ families, fostering meaningful relationships and building the seeds of community.  It was easy to keep the best and brightest students around all summer, and before I knew it, we had a very young, dedicated group, which became known as the “Grom Team.”  Before it became its own dedicated program, this organic group of novices practiced alongside beginners in the Kids Surf Camp for many weeks of the summer.  As the school has grown, programs have become more specialized, and we have built systems to identify and connect with the next generation of up-and-coming talent.  About 4 years ago, Summertime started formally assigning surfer levels from beginner (level 1) to performance surfers (level 4).  The biggest need we have seen in recent summers is to serve the level 2 surfers and give them more opportunities to practice and become truly independent in the water.

By looking at our school with a critical eye and identifying where we are falling short in our mission to provide the ultimate environment, we ensure we do not become complacent or satisfied.  Just as the ocean changes and evolves, the surf school must do the same, seeking out the next best chapters on this lifelong journey.

Recent feedback from parents indicates that, for most level 2 & 3 surfers, weekend sessions were not enough to keep them progressing all summer.  Most parents didn’t have the resources to get their kids to the beach for independent regular practice outside Summetime Surf.  So in 2026, we have expanded our Kids Surf Club (levels 2+) offerings to include Monday through Friday sessions from 9 am to 12:30 pm for the first half of the summer.  This offering becomes more affordable the more weeks a surfer participates, and is intended to mirror the spirit that kept the original families coming back and progressing their skills in the early years of the surf school.

I believe our Kids Surf Camp remains the best way to get a crash course in surf and ocean basics and give kids the fundamental tools they need to get started with the surf lifestyle.  I am excited for this upcoming year, knowing that those who have mastered the camp curriculum now have a consistent option to develop their independent surfing skills in the Kids Surf Club.  I envision a future in which the Kids Club reaches a level of popularity and reverence comparable to our Kids Camps and competitive Grom Teams, filling the gap between excited beginners and dedicated novices.

If there’s one thing surfers know, it’s that progression comes with passion.  To those reading who feel that spark inside them, please trust my words: a truly great community awaits your arrival just beyond the break.  See you out there!

Sincerely,

Shaun McGrath