Above all Sean wants his students to have a great experience in the ocean while learning to surf. From start to finish he is there to encourage and help you every step of the way. Not every instructor will do this and I have seen instructors leave students to take a quick wave cause it was just too nice to let pass. This will not happen with Sean and he is dialed in to his students and there to support you and your goals. He is very good about paying attention to the ocean conditions, listening to the student, and tailoring the lesson to your individual goals and skill level. He allows the student to control the pace of the lesson. You need a rest? No problem, when you are ready he will be. Want to push your limits? He is up for that too. Here again, not every instructor will do this. I have seen instructors that prefer to charge hard and expect you do the same. This is not to say that he does not rely on his understanding of the water conditions and the students skill. If based on his judgement the conditions are not right then he would rather cancel the lesson than for a student to have a bad experience. His focus on creating a positive and safe experience for the student. Lessons are broken down in to easy to follow steps. Each step builds on the previous one and allows you to progress in the surf. He compliments this by offering well thought out and encouraging feedback throughout the course of the lesson. If you are in Wrightsville Beach and looking for some surf instruction then I would definitely recommend scheduling a lesson with Sean. read more

Amazing way to break the isolation boredom. Felt really safe getting a private lesson out in the water away from crowds. Could not have been a better experience! Instructors GREAT! Conditions at Wrightsville are GREAT for learning! And both my kids had a GREAT time! We got this as a gift for my daughter's 14th birthday and my 18 year old son went along with her. Hour and a half private lesson and they were both surfing by the end of the lesson. That instructor swam out there for the entire lesson helping them and setting them up for success. We arrived at the beach and they didn't waste a second getting right to the fun. In my head I picture it would be an instructor on the beach calling instructions to them from shore or out there surfing around them. The most impressive thing was that the instructor stayed out there swimming in the surf and just steadily taught them how to spot the waves, when to start paddling, and how to improve every try. Best birthday gift a teenager could ask for. Other instructors from Sean's had youngsters out there tearing it up and some older adult students as well. I am thoroughly impressed by the way they did business. They met the three most important objectives for professional instruction right off the bat: ready to go before we arrived, at the right location, and incredibly courteous. Solid work Sean's surfing, we'll be back as soon as we can. My kids can't wait to come back. read more

My son 3.5 yrs old and I both took surf lessons with Sheldon this weekend while vacationing on Wrightsville Beach. Sheldon was absolutely amazing. He did such a great job with my son's lesson. I wasn't sure my son was old enough or if he'd have the attention span for an hour lesson but he had a blast! He was even getting up on his own by the end of the second lesson. If I'd known it would work out so well I would have booked lessons all week for both of us! My lessons were equally amazing. Sheldon is a great instructor and I was also getting up on the board by the end of my first lesson! It was so much fun! I highly recommend this surf school and specifically Sheldon especially if you're getting lessons for your kids. 3 is the perfect age to start! Sean's private surf lessons are professional easy to book and accommodating. Our whole experience was great. read more

We had two great cold weather surf lessons with Sean and his crew at the end of March. The wetsuits and boots kept us plenty warm in the 58 degree water and we learned allot and all of us stood up on our boards and surfed multiple times thanks to the great work from Sean and his instructors. There were 4 of us: an 8-year old girl and 11 and 12 year-old boys plus myself (the dad). We had a relatively calm wave day the first day, which was a great way to get started the first day for the kids. Our second day the waves and ocean were allot bigger, but Sean and his instructors kept us safe and got us surfing on the bigger waves as well. A great group of people to learn and enjoy surfing with. We had lessons with several different instructors (Chris, Nicole, Braden, Matt and Sean) and they were all great, so you can't go wrong. read more

Was instructed by Sam in Wrightsville Beach for my first ever surfing lesson a couple weeks ago (June 2018). SO MUCH good and important info before getting in the water. Sam was amazing in his knowledge of waves, weather, rip currents, safety and of course surfing. Personable...encouraging....I felt completely confident (and I went in slightly concerned about rip currents and sharks). I felt so at ease and it was a blast. I went in hoping I'd be able to stand up at least once. I ended up riding 4-5 small waves all the way to shore. Sam seemed just as excited for me as I was. I'm sure this company is great for all levels, but I know I'd recommend to any beginner. Also....I fell a lot too, but Sam taught me the safe way to fall. One of the best memories of my vacation. read more

Feeling the ocean swells and tasting the salt off Wrightsville Beach is best attitude adjuster around. Even with an air temp of 42oF and water temp of 54oF, you are not going to be cold in wetsuit. Sean is a highly-effective instructor, adapts to your speed and needs. No pressure, no hype, interesting conversation ... though I'm 49 and not in the shape I was just ten years ago, I caught a number of waves and am learning my way forward with each one. Though getting up on my feet was not my goal, and did just about do it (for a couple seconds!) once, I road in all but one of the others in on my knees on the first lesson. I'm already trying to figure out how I can make this a 3-7 day/week activity. Call Sean, the 1:1 instruction in the pre-season is worth it. read more

Amazing! Awesome! Those are the words I use to describe my surf lesson today with Sean! I have no experience with surfing and have always wanted to try but was always intimidated. You will feel completely comfortable with him and he makes it less intimidating. I was a bit nervous at first but realized I was with a great, laid back, positive instructor and that made it way better. He explains EVERYTHING in an easy to understand manner. My only complaint is with myself-I took the lesson today and I fly out tomorrow and was hoping to squeeze another one in the morning but I am a little too sore. it's a great workout! So, if u are visiting WB, plan your lessons early on in your trip so that you have more days for lessons. I promise you will want to take more! read more

Worth every cent! 9:45 session with Noah today. I have been trying to surf on and off for several years. Today, I finally got up and stayed up better than I ever have before. Noah's calm, constructive, supportive, and fun attitude really gave me the knowledge and confidence I've always needed to finally get up and surf. I also learned a lot of good etiquette to help me deal with the paranoia I've always had of hurting someone, disrespecting someone, or getting myself hurt. Noah answered ALOT of questions in our time together and really helped me solve alot of the problems I've had trying to learn on my own. Definitely recommend!! read more

Highly recommend! Sean and his instructors are the best! Our daughter has taken a bunch of private lessons and attended a week of Wahine camp this summer. She's had a blast and her surfing has improved so much. The camp is awesome! The kids get a lot of instruction and spend most of the time in the water, The girls have a great time being out in the water together, and the instructors found a lot of ways to keep things fun when the waves weren't cooperating. Sean and his crew keep things safe and upbeat, and really teach the kids A LOT about the sport and the ocean, but most importantly, they are out there having fun! read more

On a whim, 3 of my family members and I decided to do a surfing lesson. My uncle found Sean's Private Surf Instruction on Google and we booked a lesson for 4 of us. We were running a bit behind and didn't go to the correct spot, but our instructors called to check on us when we didn't get there in time and directed us to where we needed to be. Even though the water was relatively calm during our lesson time, each of us was able to get up on our board at least a few times. Our instructors were Luke and Tori. They were so positive and encouraging. It was so much fun! Would highly recommend and would rebook again! read more

If I could give them more than 5 stars, I would. I did the 5 lesson deal (which saves you 20%) and I had a great time at each lesson. The first day they had me catching waves almost immediately, so you don't have to do 5 lessons to have a good time. They were really easy to communicate with and flexible if surf conditions/weather wasn't ideal. As someone who has never surfed before I was really intimidated but Walt, Will and Chris were all super awesome and made me feel comfortable. I would definitely recommend them whether you're a local who wants to learn to surf or just visiting and want to have some fun! read more

Booking was easy. I received confirmation as well as an email reminder. I drove about 3 hours, received a personal phone call from the instructor prior to the lesson to inform me of the surfing conditions (safe, just not "ideal") and to give me the option of rescheduling. I chose to surf anyway, and he was totally up for it. Chris was very kind and chill with a great sense of humor (important when you inevitably nose dive a few times), was reading the waves and surrounding conditions the entire time, stayed close to the board, and just generally made it a super informative and fun time. I'll be back. read more

Phenomenal in every aspect! My 12yr old son who had never touched a surf board was up on the board and surfing his second day, I was blown away. His instructor John was amazing as well as a fantastic role model. I felt he was in very good hands and had no worries when I left him each day. My son would have me re-sign him up for the rest of summer if we could. There were some intitial scheduling issues prior to start but the owner reached out personally and was super accommodating. If you're searching multiple places, indecisive with what company to choose. Stop searching! This is the one! read more

My son Lane had never surfed before I arranged for Sean to give him lesson yesterday. After 15 t0 20 minutes discussing what to expect, a safety discussion and brief demonstration of what he would have him doing once they got in the surf, they went out. Lane was up a riding waves after 3 attempts and Sean making corrections to his form. Lane is now hooked on the sport of surfing and I owe this all to the AWESOME experience Sean provided to him. I would HIGHLY recommend Sean's Private Surf Instruction to anyone wanting to learn to surf!!! Thanks again Sean, Ron Manning read more

Amazing place to shop and get lessons! I took one 1.5 hour lesson and it was worth every penny! I loved the experience and the people and after my lesson was over I headed over to the shop to look around. Awesome place to look for swimsuits, rash guards, and of course surfboards! I went into my lesson knowing nothing about surfing and they showed me the ropes! It's was such a good experience and my instructor helped me get up on some waves for a good ride! Definitely would recommend to anyone wanting to learn how to surf and try it out! 10/10 would go for a lesson again! read more

This is our second year with Sean's camps. My kids always have a blast surfing and they learn a ton. Even on a day when conditions were bad, they still had fun playing games, relays and boogie boarding. The staff is outstanding with kids. They learn their names right away, cheer them on and make sure they are safe. My sister's children were visiting last year and had never surfed. I signed them up for private lessons with staff and they were surfing right away. Highly recommend for an outstanding and personalized experience. read more

Sean is a great instructor. I had an awesome first surf experience thanks to Sean and I can't wait to get back to the water soon to go again. He goes above and beyond to make sure that you enjoy your time on the water and encourages you along the way. He helps you get through the bigger waves on the way out and makes sure he sets you up on the right waves for you to succeed. I was able to get up on the board quickly and it was so much fun. I would encourage everyone to get lessons from Sean. read more

After wanting to learn to surf for years I finally drove from Raleigh to Wilmington to try it out. I scheduled with Sean over the phone who is extremely friendly and understanding. This company will not cheat you of your time whatsoever. I was out in the water for the full scheduled time and was impressed with the patience and compassion of all the instructors. This is a great way to learn whether you're a kid or an older adult. I am definitely returning! Worth the money and time!!! read more

Me and my 14-year-old son took a 1.5-hour lesson with Sean's Surf in August 2021, and it was fantastic. Instructor Braydon was waiting for us with the right boards when we arrived. He was helpful, friendly, enthusiastic and really supportive of my son, who was taking lessons for the first time. By the end, my son got up and was riding waves all the way in and wants to go to Surf Camp next summer! Great choice for beginners or anyone else looking for a great day at the beach! read more