Summertime Surf

What Summertime Surf does

Summertime Surf is a privately held surf school founded in 2006 by Shaun McGrath and headquartered in Belmar, New Jersey. The company operates five beach locations across Monmouth and Ocean County (Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Point Pleasant, and the Belmar flagship), delivering in-person surf instruction, summer camps, and advanced coaching primarily to New Jersey families and seasonal visitors. Its core products span Keiki Camps (ages 4-7, $495/week), Kids Surf & Ocean Skills Camps (ages 7-14, $495/week), Summertime Surf Class group sessions ($75+), Private Lessons ($125/session), the Kids Surf Club for Level 2+ intermediates ($35/session), and the multi-tier Grom Team advanced coaching program ($95-$975). Complementary revenue lines include Women's Surf Weekends, School Field Trips, branded merchandise/surfboards, and curated international surf travel to Barbados, Nicaragua, and Salina Cruz.

The business runs on a WordPress website with embedded FareHarbor booking and payments — no proprietary software platform or mobile app. Operations are highly seasonal (peak June-August, with year-round Grom Team programming extending into fall/winter/spring). Pricing is unit-based for camps, lessons, and clinics, with a small recurring component via annual Grom Team memberships. Distribution is direct-to-consumer only, with no third-party reseller or wholesale channel.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across age cohorts and skill tiers, with one-time fees dominating but a thin recurring tail through Grom Team memberships. The company is founder-owned with three principals (McGrath as Founder/Creative Director; Gil Olsen as Owner & Systems Development since 2009; Mark Gilmartin as Owner & Director of Operations since 2014), backed by a site-manager network and seasonal ocean staff. There is no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or external funding.

Name

Summertime Surf

Legal name

Summertime Surf

Website

https://summertimesurf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Summertime Surf is a private New Jersey surf school (founded 2006) operating five beach locations across Monmouth and Ocean County, offering youth camps, private lessons, group classes, and advanced Grom Team coaching to families and adult beginners, with ancillary surf travel and merchandise revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Surf school
• Surf lessons
• Surf camps
• Ocean safety training
• Surf coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Belmar

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Surf Lessons and Camps: One-time lesson fees and weekly camp registration fees for kids and adult programs including Keiki Camp, Kids Surf Camp, Kids Surf Club, Summertime Surf Class, Private Lessons, and Grom Team coaching programs.
2. Program Passes and Gift Cards: Prepaid program passes for specific experiences and customizable gift cards available through FareHarbor. Gift certificates expire October 1 of the year issued.
3. Grom Team Memberships: Annual and seasonal memberships for advanced youth surfers including summer season ($975), Fall-Winter-Spring membership ($95 with reduced practice rates), and intensive programs ($165-$360).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Summertime Surf is a New Jersey surf school (est. 2006) that delivers in-person surfing instruction through camps, group classes, private lessons, and advanced coaching (Grom Teams) at five beach locations in Monmouth and Ocean County, NJ. Programs are organized by age and skill level across a four-tier progression system and serve children, teens, and adults primarily during the summer season. The company also organizes international surf travel retreats and sells branded surfboards and merchandise.

Product overview

Summertime Surf is New Jersey's premier surf school (est. 2006) operating as a multi-program platform offering surf instruction across five Monmouth and Ocean County NJ locations (Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Point Pleasant). The core product portfolio centers on Kids Surf & Ocean Skills Camps (ages 7-14) and Keiki Surf Camps (ages 4-7) as the flagship youth programs, complemented by group Surf Classes (from $75), Private Lessons ($125), Kids Surf Club for intermediates ($35), and Advanced Surf Coaching via Grom Teams for serious young surfers (up to $975 for summer season). Additional offerings include Women's Surf Weekend, School Field Trips, and international surf travel programs to Barbados, Nicaragua, and Salina Cruz. All programs integrate with FareHarbor for booking and reservation management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kids Surf & Ocean Skills Camp Week-long summer camp program for ages 7-14 (Beginner+), offered Monday-Friday in AM (9am-12pm) or PM (1pm-4pm) sessions. Teaches surf skills, ocean safety skills, and life skills with a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio. Priced at $495 per week; located at Belmar and other NJ beach locations.
• Keiki Surf Camp Specialized surf camp for youngest surfers ages 4-7 (Pre-K to 1st Grade). Two-hour sessions offered as AM (9:30am-11:30am) or PM (1:30pm-3:30pm) programs at Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, and Point Pleasant. Features a 3:1 or better student-to-instructor ratio with curriculum designed by early childhood educators. Priced at $495 per week.
• Summertime Surf Class

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of summer days had clean, approachable learning conditions

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SEM GeekscoreTechnology or Integration · 13 March 2015Local web development firm partnered with Summertime Surf to redesign and rebuild the company website on WordPress. Partnership valued for local market knowledge and ongoing technology maintenance. SEM Geeks team includes Hans and James who have personal connections to the surf community, understanding the company's culture and mission. Project involved significant investment in custom features and ongoing technology updates.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Surf Diva: Carlsbad, California-based women's surf school offering lessons, camps, and surf retreats; one of the longest-running U.S. surf schools focused on women and girls and a direct functional peer in surf instruction and women's programming.
• Pacific Surf School: San Francisco Bay Area surf school offering group and private lessons for kids and adults, with multi-location beach operations; directly comparable in lesson-based, multi-tier surf instruction and similar student-to-instructor ratios.

Regional players

• Heritage Surf & Sport: New Jersey surf shop and surf school operator with locations in the Mid-Atlantic; comparable as a regional surf retailer and lesson provider competing in the same NJ/Mid-Atlantic customer base as Summertime Surf.

Broad incumbents

• Billabong: Global surf brand offering apparel, wetsuits, and surf lifestyle products; relevant as the dominant branded incumbent in the broader surf market, providing competitive context for retail and brand positioning.
• Quiksilver: Iconic global surf brand with apparel, equipment, and youth-focused marketing; an incumbent whose brand and youth-program activations compete for the same family-and-youth customer base that drives Summertime Surf's camp demand.
• Rip Curl: Global surf brand with a strong search-and-discovery product franchise and youth marketing programs; an incumbent that influences consumer expectations and competes indirectly for the same youth-surf customer wallet.
• O'Neill: Long-established U.S. surf and wetsuit brand with deep roots in surf school and youth-sponsorship programs; relevant as a broad incumbent whose brand, wetsuit/equipment, and youth-sponsorship activities compete for the same youth-surf market.

Others

• World Surf League (WSL): Governing body and professional tour for competitive surfing, including junior and qualification events that feed into collegiate surf pathways; relevant to Summertime Surf because the Grom Team explicitly positions graduates toward WSL/competitive pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/summertimesurf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH-axYUHbQ4N5cPlBV75fGQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Summertime-Surf-School/101502803289
• Instagraminstagram.com/summertimesurf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summertime Surf