19 years of surf camp experience! 2005-2024. We are one of the longest running and most established surf camps in NJ. Summa Love Surf Camp follows the guidelines of the National Surf Schools and Instructors Association along with being accredited through the NSSIA. Surf camp starts in June and finishes in September, ages 7 – 17. All students must know how to swim in order to enroll in surf camp. Our camps are geared to all levels, with small groups per instructor based on age, ability and experience. The campers who are nervous about surfing and also younger campers ages 7-9, we keep them in water no deeper than knee deep catching the waves after they break closer to the beach working on their pop up and stance to build their confidence until they are ready to go out further on their own terms if conditions allow for it with a Summa Love instructor at all times. Our ratios are 2-4 students per instructor with about 2.5 hours of actual surfing time each day (majority of the summer).
- 4 older students who want to be with friends per instructor who have surfing experience.
- 2-3 younger students per instructor with less surfing experience.
- 1 on 1 student to instructor for young students who want to alternate catching waves close to beach with 1-2 other students.
Surf Camp days are for 3.5 hours during the lower tides for the best surfing conditions. Students signed up for the week must consecutively come to camp Monday – Friday. All camp days and makeups must be scheduled in advance with at least 24 hours notice. We ask for reserving camp dates in advance with no guarantee for inclusion with walk ons. Makeups can be used on designated weekends or up until the end of the season if space is available. We do not issue make ups or refunds for students who do not show up to camp without our notice guidelines due to scheduling staff specifically for each day of surf camp with following strict ratios. Every Spring and Fall, Summa Love has an after school program. We also offer private surf lessons in the spring and fall. Please check out our rates/packages page for pricing details. We pride ourselves on being the longest running, safest and most established surf camps in our area with a proven track record for excellent service and a passion for teaching what we love. PEACE, LOVE & SHRED since 2005.
Typical Day:
- Check in at drop off zone, walk to beach station and apply sunscreen.
- Form circle for yoga/stretch, rash guards are handed out and beach talk with campers.
- Form groups of 2-4 students with instructor.
- Surf for 60-75 min. Total time will be 1 1/2 hours with yoga/stretch and set up.
- Take 1st break. Campers and instructors eat, hydrate, reapply sunblock and relax under tents for 20 min. Beach game after for 20 min.
- Surf for another 60-75 minutes
- Return rash guards, check out and stay with instructors until pick up.
Long Branch Location Details: 1 South Bath Ave, Long Branch, NJ 07740
- Students can bring lunch money to go to snack bar with parent or parent’s permission during lunch break (M-Th) or bring bagged lunch.
- Pizza included every Friday. Yoga included once per week (summer 2024 yoga may or may not be included).
- Showers and bathrooms are conveniently located near beach entrance.
- Art class on the beach is included with camp if surfing is either delayed due to rough conditions or we have 1 to 1 student to instructor ratios with rough conditions for surfing. Art class is optional with beach games or rotating with surfing if waves/rip tides are too strong to surf all at once.
- Body surfing with hand planters (included) is allowed at our camp beach in front of lifeguard stand with instructors in the water and on beach watching for safety.
- Long Branch town lifeguards are stationed at our camp beach as well as Summa Love qualified instructors in the water with campers for extra safety reinforcements.
- All surfing equipment is included but we ask campers to bring water and sun block. We have extra in case students forget to bring.
- Gift bags are included for all weekly sign ups.
- Parking at South Bath Ave and surrounding streets. Paid parking on ocean front. Easy drop off and pick ups are located directly by beach access.
Students will gain:
Confidence, Self Esteem, New Friends/Connections, Environmental Knowledge, Surf Culture Experience, Physical Fitness, Yoga Experience, Development of Personal Identity, Sense of Competence, Stand Up Paddle board Experience, Self Exploration, Lifeguard Training Experience, Open Ocean Safety Experience, Moral and Social Abilities, Teamwork, Dedication, Compassion and Integrity.
Camp Refunds – If you need to cancel prior to 4 weeks of your week beginning, we can issue a full refund with no cancellation fees. Within 4 weeks of your week beginning and at least 3 days notice, we can put you on the waitlist for future camp dates, if space becomes available for your makeup. Please note that camp does sometimes sell out for certain weeks, so makeup dates are not always available and can be limited. We post on our website as soon as weeks sell out and will add you to a list of dates for makeups that become available. Within 4 weeks notice for cancellation if you are not available for a make up, we can issue a refund with a $100 cancellation fee. If you cancel with at least 2 weeks notice, we can issue a 50% refund. Cancellations 3 days before your week begins, we do not issue refunds or make ups. We post on our website as soon as weeks sell out and will add you to a list of dates for makeups that become available. We do not issue refunds for days missed that were reserved prior to camp starting. No make up camp days can be carried over into the new year.
Scheduling – Students who sign up for a week come to camp consecutively for the week, M-F. Due to limited availability and operating only during the summer season, we do not issue make ups or refunds if students can not make a specific day of their designated M-F camp week. If we cancel a specific camp date, our designated make ups will be the first Sunday morning after the cancellation. *If you can not make the designated make up date, you will lose the day completely. No make ups will be permitted outside of the designated make up camp date.
Substitutions – We do allow substitutions prior to your student starting their week of camp and we do ask for at least 24 hours notice for any substitution with new name and email. Any payment arrangements must be handled outside of Summa Love processing, we will only substitute the student and do not issue a refund. Once the student starts camp for the week, we do not allow substitutions. We also do not allow substitutions for multi week sign ups or sibling substitutions once the student starts their surf camp.
Communication- When signing your student up, please make sure your email is included and accurate. We send out a weekly email with important information 48 hours before the week of camp begins. We also use email to alert for weather events, time changes, and additional important information. Please check your email regularly and always before heading to camp.
Poor Weather – We will make the final call the morning of camp. If we cancel or delay camp, we will email everyone reserved and also post on the website on the bottom left of summalove.com with at least 2 hours notice. If we cancel camp, we issue a designated make up camp on the Sunday directly after the surf camp week. *If you can not make the designated make up date, you will lose the day completely. No make ups will be permitted outside of the designated make up camp date. If thunderstorms hit 1/2 way through the surf camp, we evacuate the beach immediately and wait until the storm passes to resume surfing or we cancel completely and extend camp the next day for additional surfing time. Make ups will not be issued for thunderstorms/ weather related issues outside of our offered makeup or extended camp.
NOTE – WE OPERATE RAIN OR SHINE! Some of the best surfing conditions happen when it is raining. If rain is in the area with scattered showers and overcast skies, we will most likely be surfing with surf camp OPEN. We have plenty of wetsuits to keep the kids warm. If rain is heavy/drenching, it’s cold out and very windy with rough seas and the forecast calls for the whole day to be like that, we most likely will cancel. Year to year we only cancel surf camp due to poor weather 0-2 times the whole season! Just because rain is in the forecast does not mean we will cancel surf camp. If your student misses camp due to the weather and camp is ON, your student will not be given a makeup. Please send Summa Love a quick email with any absences.
Rip Tides – The ocean may also be too rough to run a surf camp with strong rip tides. We will email and post updates on the website if we need to cancel due to strong rip tides. Majority of the time if the surf is rough, we will not cancel and take the kids out 1 at a time with rotation closer to the beach for safety with other ocean and beach activities for the students to participate in. We do not issue any make ups or refunds for rough conditions if we do not cancel camp. Camp counselors will make a collective decision about canceling camp if the surf is too rough.
