SOUL SURFING MAUI instructors are highly skilled at teaching students of all ages and pride themselves in having a special Knack for putting your worries to ease. Owner/Head Coach Brian DeCook says: “Helping people relax and have fun as they learn is our key secret to success! Our Coaching staff is comprised of professional Life Loving surf instructors that have a genuine interest in seeing you succeed. So whether you are a “Newbie” first time beginner or a seasoned surfers who is looking to improve, we got you covered . We want you to have the best day ever and our pro coaches are standing by to make that happen !”
Head Surf Coach: Brian Decook
Brian DeCook Founded Soul Surfing Maui in 1994 out of his genuine love for teaching people how to surf. Brian has a natural knack for teaching with a smile and putting his students worries to ease. Over the years he has exhibited supreme dedication to his craft, and has developed a number of intuitive coaching techniques. Brian’s business plan is the same now as 30 years ago: “Treat every guest as a #1 VIP and always display the highest level of personal service”. Aside from running SSM, Brian enjoys oil painting, photography and taking surf and snowboard trips to various locations around the world.
Surf instructor: Matt Mercado
Coach Matt was born and raised Upcountry in Makawao and has been instructing with Brian since the very beginning. Matt is a kind soul who lives Aloha and believes in preserving the old Hawaiian ways. Most of his friends know him as ‘Bones’ ( nickname ), a humble surf legend with a masters degree in ocean safety. Matt is a Maui County Life Guard of 20 years who in his free time also enjoys surf travel, playing the ukulele, fishing, working out and training in martial arts. We are proud to have Bones aboard our coaching staff.
Surf Instructor: Bennett Debeer
Bennett was born and raised in Kihei Maui and has been loving on surfing all his life. Bennett has in depth knowledge having surfed all over Hawaii, California, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Indonesia. He started working as a surf instructor with Brian in 2005 and still instructs with SSM today. Bennett’s upbeat style of coaching and genuine interest in seeing his students succeed is a stellar combination of talents. We are elated to still have Bennett on our coaching team after all these years. Benny’s other interests include surf and snowboard travel, videoography, bodysurfing and skimboarding.
Surf Instructor: Shaun Ferking
Shaun is the Young Gun on our coaching staff. Shaun was born and raised in Haiku Maui, and has been Surfing since he was a little kid. Shaun has extensive knowledge on the sport having surfed all over the Hawaiian islands, as well as many exotic locals around the world. For Shaun teaching people how to surf comes very natural. He likes to challenge himself to do better every time he paddles out, and having trained side by side with Brian, has the coaching skills to help you do the same. In his free time Shaun enjoys spearfishing with his friends, traveling to far off destinations to surf and snowboard, and above all spending time with his family and new born son Cruz. We are very happy to have Shaun on the SSM coaching team.
SURF INSTRUCTOR: TORREY MEISTER
Torrey is a professional surfer residing from Kailua Kona. Torrey moved to Maui 3 years ago, and instructs with us whenever his professional surfing career allows. O’NEILL has been his proud sponsor for the last 10 years, and with their generous support Torrey continues to surf and compete in prestigious events all around the world. A few of Torrey’s career highlights are winning the 2013 O’neill Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz, competing in the Jaws contest in 2019, being invited to the Eddie Aikau Big wave event at Waimea Bay last year and most recently taking 4th in the Sunset Pro in Nov 2024. Torrey started working with us earlier this year and discovered he has a special gift for teaching people how to surf. His humble nature and friendly demeanor, combined with his vast knowledge of surfing, has proven to be a winning combination for this line of work. We are so stoked to have him coaching with us. Welcome Torrey Meister!