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 professional coaches are poised to make that happen !”
Head Surf Coach: Brian Decook
In 1994 Brian DeCook Founded Soul Surfing Maui 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 mission now is the same as 30 years ago: “Treat every guest as a #1 VIP and always display the highest level of personal service”. When Brian is away from work he enjoys surf travel, snowboard travel, oil painting and photography.
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 former 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 stoked 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 vast knowledge of the sport 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 winning combination. We are very stoked to have Bennett on our coaching team. His other interests include surf and snowboard travel, Gopro 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. He has vast knowledge and insight having surfed all over Hawaii, as well as exotic locals around the world. For Shaun, teaching surfing comes very natural; he likes to challenge himself to do better every time he paddles out, and he enjoys helping others do the same. Shaun believes there’s always room for improvement, and has the coaching skills to help you achieve your goals. Apart from coaching, Shaun enjoys surf and snowboard travel, spearfishing and spending time with his family. We are very stoked to have Shaun on our team!