Surf Camps are open to everyone and encouraged for the more keen individual or small groups. Instruction is geared primarily towards introductory-beginner through advanced-intermediate levels. Each student's skill and experience level will be catered to in terms of appropriate guidance and instruction. Goofy Foot Surf Camps are 100% supervised by one of our hand-picked and highly trained instructors both in and out of the water for the entire span of the surf camp session. Instructors are patient, mature and experienced professionals who love what they do. Surfboards, reef booties, and wet shirts are provided. Lunch is included for the full-day camp.

Jimmy takes a "Lovely Cruise" at the Lahaina Breakwall.

Maui Weekly: "What are your favorite things to do on Maui?"

Jimmy Buffett: "I go to surf and just kinda chill out. I had my kids there last year and they went to Goofy Foot Surf Camp, and that really got us going. It's kind of a family vacation spot for us."

Students learn to surf with a great degree of success which we attribute to the highly developed teaching techniques and surfing fundamentals we offer. We are also fortunate to offer a cool beach-front surf shop in Lahaina with easy access to one of the best beginner surfing breaks in the world. Our knowledge and experience of the ocean and teaching surfing is immense. Our methods of instruction are based on form, technique, foundation stances, and principal areas of focus including ocean awareness and safety. The fundamentals for learning to surf are taught at Goofy Foot much like they would be taught for learning to practice Yoga or a Martial Art. Our goal is to give students the best knowledge they need to approach learning to surf successfully and safely on their own. The sign of great instruction is manifest in the independent success and happiness of each student.

The great majority of the time, Goofy Foot instructors teach while riding a Softop Longboard. Since 1994 this has been a distinguishing feature of owner/founder Tim Sherer's style of teaching and still is ongoing today at Goofy Foot. When done skillfully, teaching from a board can facilitate a much more safe, comprehensive, and expansive learn-to-surf experience than a style of instruction where the instructor stands stationary and pushes students into waves. Some of the most important advantages of teaching from a board include; the potential to surf or paddle to a student as fast as is possible, the ability to perform demonstrations and to surf the same wave with a student to provide up close coaching, as well as enabling the instructor to paddle around the surf zone with the student to provide maximum potential guidance.

Depending on their level of experience, students will begin their day with an introduction or review of the fundamentals of surfing and ocean safety as well as some warm up stretching. Surf Camps are great in that they allow more time for students to receive in-depth instruction in the areas of ocean awareness, tides, swells, waves, currents and reefs.

Experience we have gained from teaching surfing for over nine years and 50,000 students has taught us that a great beach lesson translates into a great water lesson. The first half-hour of surf camp is spent on the sand and in the warm water of the reef-protected lagoon beachside of our shop in Lahaina. The surf break is a quick paddle from there.

On the beach, students learn and practice an easy approach that is based on four fundamental stances and three proven ways to stand up and stay up in white water and open-face waves. We will introduce easy methods for paddling, navigating the surf zone, timing and catching waves, control, regaining balance, maneuvers, emergency stopping, and even wiping out. Learning safety is paramount and our instructors instill in students the concepts of "360 degrees of awareness" and "constant readiness" . Both are vital to safe participation in surfing and always helpful for living life.

Beach time is important to give students and instructors a chance to warm up, develop rapport, and go over voice and hand signals together. Instructors will advise students of the day's prevailing conditions and go over rules-of-the-road and cautions related to our specific Hawaiian reef break before their surfing session. They will also address any questions or concerns of students.

Surfing, playing and learning in the same royal surfing grounds of the ancient Hawaiian Capital of Lahaina, where King Kamehameha III himself rode waves, is where students and instuctors spend most of their time. Each morning we set up a small red buoy-ball near to the surf break as a fixed, easy-to-see reference point for navigation. This buoy marks the areas of the surf zone where there is minimal wave action, where students are able to rest or just watch in general calmness with relaxed awareness. The instructor will paddle with students to the buoy and give directions on maintaining a position in a moving body of water and illustrate any prevailing currents. At that point, students work on a rotation from the buoy. One or two at a time will paddle with their instructor to the inner wave zone to prepare to catch their first rides. Students begin in small surf and progress according to their own abilities. After each ride they are instructed to paddle back to the buoy before heading back out to their instructor for more fun. Paddling and surfing in this manner helps to orientate students to any ocean currents and to navigating safely in and around the surf zone

Goofy Foot instructors are responsible for every aspect of maintaining this rotation with students until each student displays a sufficient grasp of the basics and displays a necessary level of comfort, understanding, and ability in the wave environment. At this point, with instructor approval, students are given more freedom to surf on their own as instructors continue to supervise and facilitate throughout the duration of surf camp. Instructors aim to divide time evenly among all students and to ensure that everyone stays safe, has fun, and exceeds their goals. The morning session generally last 3 hours or until students are ready to break for lunch.

For the full-day surf camp, the afternoon session will reinforce what students learned and practiced that morning. We will proceed to introduce intermediate or advanced skills and focus on taking students to the next level and to possibly bigger waves. We have over eighty surfboards to choose from and will match the right board to each student's ability and desire for style and optimal success.

Lunch time is for eating good, resting, relaxing and learning a bit about the 1000-year history and evolution of the art form/sport of surfing. Lunch is included for the full-day surf camps and is taken with their instructor at one of the great little restaurants at our beach shop location. There is a great sandwich shop or a choice of Italian, Asian, or American food restaurants. Facilities also include a freshwater shower, changing room, private bathrooms, safe storage for your gear, pro photography, and video viewing equipment.

Multiple day sessions are available, discounted and definitely recommended for your surfing!

WHAT: Half and Full-Day Beginner Camps.
WHEN: From 9 to Noon for Half day and from 9-3 Full day.

Group Rates are available for individuals when 2 or more students are booked in a full day camp or 3 hour class.

At Goofy Foot Surf School we feel it is a privilege to teach surfing. Our primary focus is on giving each student the best and safest surfing experience possible. It is our responsibility to professionally teach the skills of surfing and instill in students a healthy respect and awareness of the beauty and power of Mother Ocean.