Summertime Surf Team

Shaun was born and raised in Monmouth County NJ, to parents who instilled a love of travel and adventure in him from a young age. “My dad is an east coast surfer and my mom’s a west coast surfer, and they met while living in Hawaii. So I guess I have a little bit of everything when it comes to American surf roots.” With yearly visits to his uncles on Oahu’s North Shore, a college degree from Gold Coast Australia’s Bond University, and a passport that has been stamped in surfing destinations far and wide, Shaun’s worldly perspective keeps Summertime well-rounded, to say the least. “I hope that in some way, my approach to the surf lifestyle will inspire others to think outside the box and create their own reality. Dream it big and do it bigger!”

Shaun never really “fit the mold” growing up in Monmouth County.  He has always been a highly-creative person who lives with what seems like impossibly big dreams for himself.  Shaun has refused to let naysayers stop him from chasing his dreams all over the globe. Luckily for us, his passion for teaching brings him back to New Jersey to continue sharing his experiences with others each summer.  No matter where he is, whether it is (even the possibility) of an approaching swell, a live music event, or even just a summer BBQ, Shaun is usually at the center of trying to rally the troops to enjoy life to the fullest when it counts most- right now.  He created Summertime Surf in 2006, and he continues to work applying his creativity and passion to improve the opportunity for our team and participants.

 CPR, WPA, High Surf Thrill Craft Operator and First Aid

Gil was born and raised in Point Pleasant, NJ and has always been drawn to the water. As a young kid, Gil was drawn to surfing and diving, inspired by an early fascination with sharks. His love of the ocean started his career track as an ocean lifeguard up and down the barrier island. His ocean safety background lead him to early employment at the renowned BSA Sea Base in the Florida Keys. Gil met Shaun in 2005 while studying abroad on Australia’s Gold Coast, before he graduated from Rutgers University. After a few years managing the waterfront and groups services programming at YMCA CAMP SURF in San Diego, Gil returned home to New Jersey to expand the scope of Summertime Surf School. After teaching science for 3 years in a “traditional” school in Elizabeth, he decided to return to working full time on programs in the world’s best classroom…The Ocean.

Not everyone understands exactly what Gil does all the time, but they do know that he is a huge part of what makes the ship sail. Gil expanded the Summertime mission to include a character-development focus that can be seen in the kid’s surf camps operation.  His background in aquatic safety and management experience enabled expansion to new towns.  His experience in education been a major factor in the development of The Summertime System, and he has created stable administrative and technical systems that enable Summertime Surf to operate smoothly at scale.

Gil expanded the Summertime mission to include a character development focus and enabled expansion to multiple locations. He designs, builds, and manages the systems that enable our mission to scale and operate smoothly, and keeps the team focussed on our long term goals.

SSI Open Water diver, NJ Teacher of Earth Science, former ARC Emergency Response, ARC Lifeguard Instructor, Praesidium Youth Protection, BSA Freediving Instructor, CPR, BWRAG

Mark is one of the most respected watermen to come out of the Jersey Shore; he leads the Summertime Staff through peak operational season on a day-to-day basis. Also, Mark makes sure we “Dot our i’s and cross our t’s” in the office throughout the rest of the year. 

Mark was born and raised in Belmar, NJ. He was a standout East Coast competitive surfer, and enjoyed team sports in high school. Mark studied international business at Hawaii Pacific University on Oahu, and studied abroad at Bond University in Australia. Charging hard in both big barrels and big business, Mark moved to San Diego after college to work in finance. He later found his true life calling back home while working at Summertime Surf Camp where “Gilly” was a favorite instructor and role model as boy’s grom team coach.

CPR, AED, BWRAG

Sam has always loved sports for as long as she can remember, both on the field and as a spectator. Her passion for sports led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina, graduating in 2020. What started as a seasonal summer job in college quickly evolved into a promising career path, where visions, values and roles all aligned.

Today, Sam is a vital member of the Summertime Surf team. Her dedication and organizational skills have propelled her to lead the administrative team and spearhead innovative sales initiatives. Her friendly and approachable nature is evident to anyone who calls the office, as her warm voice is often the first point of contact for many students. Outside of Summertime Surf, she can be found being loud on the sidelines of a volleyball court coaching 14 Girls through many of their first season of club volleyball.

Sam’s journey from a summer job to an integral company role is a testament to her hard work and passion for the industry. She continues to bring enthusiasm and leadership to Summertime Surf, and is excited for all to come.

• CPR
• SafeSport
• IMPACT

Morgan has been part of the organization for over a decade now. Morgan spent years living and working in Hawaii where he gained unmatched experience in big waves. He is now a full-time college professor during the school year and can then leverage those teaching skills with STS in the summer teaching students the surf and ocean lifestyle.

CPR/AED

Pete is the swiss army knife of the STS organization. With a teaching degree, and years of teaching experience he is amazing with kids and has a love and knowledge for the ocean that he is always happy to share with the next generation. Couple that with a handy man business that he runs and you have one of the most well rounded people you will meet. 

• CPR/AED
• Big Wave Risk Assessment Certification

9X Manasquan High School Surf Team State Championship Coach and teacher, JD is a fixture in the Jersey Shore surfing community. He is one of the most experienced Summertime staff members and has worked almost every role within the school.  In the water, JD is known for his focused approach and his unmatched frontside laybacks.  His style got him published in the NJ Surfing calendar, although his underground status at the time had him mistaken for a more well-celebrated local surfer.  Make no mistake though, JD is a legend in the local surf community, and his influence can be seen not only with his surf campers but also in his Manasquan Surf Team members who he coached to their first state championship in 2014, now going for their 10th title this year!

• Teacher of Students with Disabilities: K-12
• Teacher of Social Studies: 5-8
• CPR/First Aid/AED

Conor is one of the organization’s most experienced surf coaches. Having been with the organization for over a decade, and having spent a few years also coaching at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, it is safe to say Conor knows what he is talking about when it comes to teaching surfing. His positive and humorous personality makes him one of the best co-workers one could ask for as well.

• CPR/AED
• First Responder Certification
• Surf Coach

With a long standing family background of lifeguarding in Asbury Park, coupled with an obsession over surfing it is no surprise that Chris is one of the site managers in Asbury Park. Chris is a skilled and passionate surf who loves sharing his passion with his students.

• CPR/AED

Declan has quickly grown in the ranks here at Summertime. Proving in his early years to be abundantly reliable he has fast tracked to a site manage position. He is now more than half way through college, studying to be….you guessed it, a teacher. Another individual who is great with kids and who has a ton of ocean knowledge to share with his students. Declan also splits time working at Brave New World, giving him an unmatched level of knowledge about everything in the surfing industry.

• CPR
• Big Wave Risk Assessment Certification

Curran Fallon has been a steward of the Jersey Shore surf community since most other instructors were in diapers. Yet, more than anyone, Curran lets his “inner-grom” swim free.  Curran’s youthful sense of wonder and adventure is contagious and he is a true master of “getting on your level”, whether you are 5 or 50!  When you speak with Curran, it’s apparent that he is listening to where you are coming from and then skillfully instructing on what direction you want to be heading.  His knowledge of surfing and stand up paddle in the Jersey Shore area keeps him balanced in more ways than one.  A loving father to three young water-rats, Curran makes it obvious that while mastering the surf lifestyle can be challenging, raising three happy kids doesn’t have to be.

• Adult and Child CPR
• First Aid
• Life-Saving School Social Work Certificate
• Licensed Social Worker (L.S.W.)
• Disaster Relief Crisis Counselor

Donna is the much appreciated maternal figure in the Summertime Surf organization. With decades of experience running one of the most reputable pre-schools, its safe to say she has a ton of experience working with kids. Having learned to surf in the early 2000’s with Summertime Surf, she has since grown a healthy obsession for surfing, continuously improving her skills both locally and abroad as she is a well traveled surfer now too! Donna helped develop the Keiki Camp curriculum and is still leading those sessions regularly in Bradley Beach.

• CPR/AED
• First Aid
• Blood-borne Pathogen Training
• Teaching Certificate
• Directors/Supervisor Certificate