GENERAL QUESTIONS
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Registration for ALL Summertime Surf programs opens on February 1st.
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CANCELLATION AND RESCHEDULING POLICIES
🌊 At Summertime Surf, we are understanding of life’s uncertainties and are stoked to extend a friendly cancellation and rescheduling policy to our students.
🌤️Please understand that credit paid towards programs are not interchangeable, i.e. camp credits cannot be used for a private lesson.
*Note that if a student is more than 30 minutes late for any scheduled program, no refund will be granted.*
Kids Camp Cancellations & Rescheduling:
Notify Summertime Surf at least two weeks ahead of time to reschedule with no administrative fee or to obtain a full refund*
*All rescheduling is pending availability*
There is no rescheduling or cancellations within two weeks before your scheduled week.
There are no refunds or makeups for missed camp days. Please contact our office as soon as possible regarding emergency situations.
*In the event Summertime cancels for any reason less than halfway through a session (e.g. unsafe weather), participants are eligible for a makeup session at a later date at no charge, pending availability.*
Each student is permitted to participate in two weeks of surf camp with Summertime Surf. If STS notices a child is enrolled for MORE THAN two weeks of camp, we reserve the right to cancel every week after the first two weeks in which you are enrolled in.
*Next step programming is NOW available: STS is happy to offer a Surf Club membership for those students who are ready to commit to advancing their skills with like-minded people. If your child has participated in multiple weeks of camp with STS, they may be ready for this next step program!*
Women’s Surf Weekend Cancellations & Rescheduling
Notify Summertime Surf at least two weeks ahead of time to reschedule with no administrative fee or to obtain a full refund*
*All rescheduling is pending availability*
There is no rescheduling or cancellations within two weeks before your scheduled weekend
There are no refunds or makeups for missed days. Please contact our office as soon as possible regarding emergency situations.
*In the event Summertime cancels for any reason less than halfway through a session (e.g. unsafe weather), participants are eligible for a makeup session at a later date at no charge, pending availability.*
Private Lessons, Classes & Clubs Cancellation & Rescheduling:
Notify Summertime Surf at least 72 hours ahead of time to reschedule with no administrative fee or to obtain a full refund*
*All rescheduling is pending availability*
There is no rescheduling or cancellations 72 hours before your scheduled surf session.
“No shows” are not eligible for a refund.
*In the event Summertime cancels for any reason (e.g. unsafe weather), participants are eligible for a makeup session at a later date at no charge, pending availability.*
Packages and Gift Certificates Expiration and Refunds:
- Gift Certificates and Lesson packages expire on October 1 of the year they are issued.
- No refunds will be given for unused lessons.
- Camp Certificates and Lesson Certificates are not interchangeable.
Please Note:
🌤️ WEATHER AND OCEAN CONSIDERATIONS:
*All programs operate rain or shine; some of the best surf conditions are during rain showers.*
🌊 Summertime Surf has a wealth of experience operating in the ever-changing beach and ocean environments, and reserves the right to make the call on what we deem acceptable conditions for surfing. Your program manager will work with you to make sure that you are getting value in the time spent together.
⛈️ Thunderstorms are the most common reason for program cancellation (about 3 days per season). On days that have a thunderstorm threat, please check the website for weather updates at 6:30AM for 7:30 AM programming, 7:30AM for all morning programming, and 11:30AM for all afternoon programming.
🚸 For kids camps, at the first reports of lightning campers are evacuated from the beach and parents are contacted to pick campers up.
❌ Camp days canceled due to unsafe conditions may be made up during a weekend session (pending availability). If a camper cannot make it to a weekend session, they are eligible instead for a prorated additional week at camp for the current season.
Miscellaneous Considerations:
At Summertime Surf, we try to provide the best possible experience for each individual student and participant. Safety is our number one priority, and our instructors have been trained to be patient and encouraging with students of all skill levels. With over fifteen years of experience, we have been able to transform many apprehensive students into watermen and women. That being said, in the extreme circumstance that a student is completely uncooperative, disruptive to other student’s experience, or unwilling to listen to instructors directions, and as a result of such, poses a possible safety issue for themselves or the other campers, we reserve the right to refuse their entry to camp for the remainder of the session, week, and/or future bookings, with no refund available. It takes a group effort to make camp as memorable as it can be, so we look forward to you and your camper’s positive energy.
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Outlined below by location are the expected offerings at each location. External factors outside of Summertime Surf’s control could alter program offerings.
Updated for the 2025 Season:
Asbury Park
Kids Surf Camp
Keiki Surf Camp
Kids Surf Club
Private Surf Lessons
Summertime Surf Class
Grom Team
Bradley Beach
Kids Surf Camp
Keiki Surf Camp
3-Day Mini Camp
Private Surf Lessons
Summertime Surf Class
Women’s Surf Weekend
Grom Team
Belmar
Kids Surf Camp
Keiki Surf Camp
Kids Surf Club
Private Surf Lessons
Summertime Surf Class
Point Pleasant
Kids Surf Camp
Keiki Surf Camp
Kids Surf Club
Private Surf Lessons
Summertime Surf Class
Grom Team
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Program Pass vs Gift Card
Program Pass –
- Purchase a pass for a specific program experience.
- Non-transferable between programs.
Gift Card –
- Purchase a customizable dollar amount to be applied towards any Summertime Surf program.
- Excluded from all sales
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Yes!
Program Passes are available for purchase for all Summertime Surf programs:
Packages are available for purchase for select programs:
Kids Surf Club
Beginners Surf Class
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Click here for September Intensive Grom Team information
Summertime Surf’s Grom Team programs are NJ’s premier home for advanced surf coaching. Summer teams practice weekday mornings, while Fall-Winter Spring practices are scheduled after school & on weekends.
2025 Summer Grom Team tryouts are every Tuesday during the Grom Team June Intensive. Everyone must tryout, even if you are a returning surfer.
- Tuesday, May 27th
- Tuesday, June 3rd
- Tuesday, June 10th
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During your skills progression, you will advance through 4 stages of development. The amount of time that it takes to move through the stages depends on the student, and everyone progresses at their own pace.
Level 1 – Beginner
“The best place to get started with the surf lifestyle.”
Beginner programs are for true beginners with minimal experience and understanding of how to read the ocean.
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- Stoked adults can move past the beginner stage as quickly as four classes, but most will succeed in around a dozen classes. Physical fitness is a huge component of progression, and advancing surf-specific fitness levels is the fastest way to reach the next level.
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- Stoked kids ages (7-14) can graduate from the beginner stage by working hard during their week(s) of camp. We recommend a 2-week camp commitment for stoked young surfers, preferably for consecutive weeks. As they grow and their strength develops, many kids who attend camp recurring summers gain the confidence and skills to be ready for next-step programs within 3 summers. Of course, some kids have the talent to progress faster than others, and for some, one week is all they need to gain an understanding of the fundamentals and be ready for next-step programming.
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- Keikis “little ones” ages 4-6 are usually not physically developed enough to move from the beginner stage. That being said, there are some very special exceptions to that and we are very proud to work with them.
Level 1 Programs:
- Kids Surf Camp
- Keiki Surf Camp
- Beginner Surf Class
- Private Surf Lessons
- Women’s Surf Weekend
- Wahine Surf Weekend
Level 2 – Intermediate
“It wasn’t until I learned so much, that I realized how much I had to learn”
Level 2 is an area that students can expect to spend a lot of time in. This is where surfers become independent, and start to develop consistency in their successes.
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- Level 2 surfers:
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- Have grasped the fundamentals and possess a basic understanding of reading the ocean
- Can perform the “four P’s”, from positioning to pop up
- May not be consistently catching their own waves yet, but have attempted to, and with an instructor’s help can consistently get to their feet and ride the wave.
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- Level 2 Surfers are consistently finding success:
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- Safely entering and exiting the water independently
- Paddling past the breaking waves to the lineup independently
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- Level 2 Surfers are starting to find success :
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- Catching their own waves and making the drop in clean conditions with waves as big as stomach high
- Repositioning themselves in the lineup to catch waves even with a light to moderate current
- Showing control of their surfboard while riding straight in the whitewater
- Cutting down the line (to the right or left) on the open face of the wave
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Level 2 programs:
Level 3 – Advanced
“The better you surf, the more fun you can have.”
Level 3 surfers have made the most difficult step and have become fully independent surfers. They have progressed from riding straight towards the beach to comfortably surfing down the line in either direction. Some surfers will remain at this level for their entire lives and enjoy surfing intermediate-advanced breaks around the world.
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- Level 3 surfers:
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- Have their own equipment that suits their ability level
- Surf independently outside of coaching sessions and is comfortable in waves up to chest/shoulder high in most conditions
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- Level 3 Surfers are consistently finding success:
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- Keeping full control of their surfboard and can stay in position against a strong current
- Reading the lineup and positioning themselves in critical areas to catch waves. They can also get themselves out of a hazardous situation independently
- Demonstrating competent wave selection
- Attempting some advanced maneuvers such as the bottom turn, speed trimming, and cutbacks
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- Level 3 Surfers are starting to find success:
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- Working toward confidence and consistency in your execution of the bottom turn, trimming, and cutback
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Level 3 programs:
Level 4 – Performance
“The Best wave of your life is still out there.”
Level 4 surfers are pushing themselves to find their limits.
Level 4 Surfers:
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- Are comfortable in waves up to head high in all conditions and have the skills to push their surfing in bigger conditions under the guidance of coaches
- Can read the ocean well and demonstrate good positioning and wave selection the majority of the time
- Have a basic understanding of the body mechanics associated with different maneuvers and can make adjustments based on feedback from coaches
- Have surfed on a variety of different equipment, and can demonstrate above-average board control in almost any conditions
Programs offered for performance surfers:
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After many years of experience trying different methods of renting equipment, the owners of Summertime Surf and Paddle School have concluded that renting equipment is not aligned with our core values. Our mission is to provide experiences that are safe and fun not only for our participants but also for the general public. We have a responsibility to our communities to keep the shared resources of our ocean and bays safe.
There is no license for surfing or stand-up paddleboarding, and there is no fair way to decide who can rent and who can’t. We do not want to be involved in giving access to equipment that can be harmful or fatal in the wrong hands.
If you are genuinely interested in surfing or stand-up paddling, we are happy to provide equipment along with proper instruction on the etiquette of keeping yourself and your fellow surfers and paddlers safe in the lifelong journey in the water.
CAMP QUESTIONS
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When there is a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast or if a hurricane swell is expected check Summertime Surf’s website for an update call if programming is running that day. There will be a green or red banner on top of the home screen announcing the call.
Two calls will be made each day. One for morning programming at 7:30 AM and an update at 11:30 AM for afternoon programming.
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While we recognize (and embrace) the fact that campers are on summer vacation from school, we have found the most success when the campers and counselors are working together to achieve goals throughout the structure of the day. In short, these practices allow for more waves ridden, little distraction, and harmony among campers. Summertime Kid’s Camps achieve a balance where kids can learn through the freedom in their experience under our expert eye.
A BALANCE BETWEEN FREEDOM & STRUCTURE
- Familiar practices like roll call, the buddy system, water breaks, and skills stations are used throughout the day.
- The day’s schedule is outlined at the beginning of camp, so campers know what is coming next.
- Campers are split up into small groups based on their ages/abilities.
- Campers who want to be in the same groups together are encouraged to do so before groups are finalized.
- Within the camp stations, there is plenty of freedom to socialize and learn at their own pace.
- We emphasize peer encouragement at all times.
- We do not post official “rules.” Rather, camp counselors lead by example and live by the code: “RESPECT ourselves, each other, and the ocean.”
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Through the years, Summertime Surf Schools have strived to provide the best environment for teaching and learning, especially at our Kids’ Surf Camps. With experience and perspective on how kids learn best, our core surfers have created an original curriculum that keeps the surf camp experience positive and effective for campers of all ages and abilities.
THE SUMMERTIME SURF CAMP WEEK-LONG CURRICULUM:
- Builds surfing and ocean safety skills purposefully and effectively
- Teaches a well-rounded understanding of surfing and ocean safety
- Uses cumulative skill-building – starting on Monday and concluding on Friday
- Each day of camp has a new surf theme and goals for campers to reach.
- The most important day is Monday – this is where surfing basics and important Safety Systems are explained at length.
- Fridays are a special day where we tie all the lessons together in review and show how the lessons all work together to make well-rounded, safe surfers.
- Also, the Friday award ceremony recognizes campers for individual achievements.
Our dedication to the next generation of surfers can be seen in the way we have improved our curriculum every year. Summertime Surf Camp is designed to teach the fundamentals in one week. While one week might not be enough for every surf camper to surf completely on their own, it’s the best way to start. Highly focused students learn enough in one week to effectively and safely practice their new skills on their own for the rest of the season (with lifeguard supervision).
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Campers and parents are always asking us “what do they need to bring?”… Less is more!
Ty — a camper from Point Pleasant, shows how it’s done — a bathing suit, a smile, and maybe some water. The most important piece of the equation? The good attitude.
If you bring that, it doesn’t really matter where you’re going, because you’re going to end up having a good time when you get there regardless.
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Summertime Surf School is constantly adjusting and refining its programs each year. In 2022, we are growing our programs offerings based on your feedback with new early-morning options for adult beginner and intermediate surfers. With these new early-morning programs, our hard-working instructors will now have a shared team lunch break to recharge for the afternoon. Therefore, we will no longer be offering Kid’s Surf Camp supervision between 12 noon and 1 pm, the time usually reserved for lunch and enrichment. If you would like to enroll for the full day, you can sign up for the AM session and the PM session of camp, but must be there to pick up your child for lunch, or alternatively, provide a permission slip to for campers to sign themselves out and back in for the lunch break. Permission slips must be filled out and signed on Monday mornings.
- We love our students and we love our instructors, and we are stoked to continue providing programs that meet our high standards unforgettable experiences, all season long.