About "Beach Camp"

Program Overview

Beach Camp is a fun-filled offering that promises seaside adventures on Scarborough Beach and is offered in week long sessions that run from 9am - 3pm, Monday through Friday, starting in mid-July.

Boogie action in the waves at Scarborough Beach!

This program is the perfect introduction to the ocean for younger kids and an ideal stepping stone for future participation in Surf Camp. Throughout the week, kids will explore Scarborough Beach and the surrounding area, and spend lots of time in the water! Beach Camp activities include:

• Boogie boarding
• Skimboarding
• Body surfing & swimming
• Snorkeling
• Tide pooling
• Sand castle building
• Beach games of all kinds
• Exploring Prouts Neck to the south and ‘the lagoon’ at the north end of Scarborough Beach

All participants will be provided with everything needed to enjoy an awesome day on the beach, including full wetsuits for endless ocean fun. Just pack a lunch and some snacks to recharge throughout the day and we’ll take care of the rest!

Location

An unbeatable location to spend a week in the summer!

Beach Camp is based out of a new tented camp on the southern end of Scarborough Beach State Park (to the right of the boardwalk as you are facing the ocean). Scarborough Beach is a 1.5 mile long stretch of white sandy beach with endless opportunities to explore. From the waves to the cliffs of Prout's Neck, it is the perfect place to spend a week in the summer.

Rain and Bad Weather

Beach Camp runs rain-or-shine and our camp setup provides shelter from wind, rain, and sun. In fact, sometimes the 'gray days' can be the most fun because we have the entire beach to ourselves!

In the rare event that the weather is truly horrible or unsafe (e.g., thunderstorms), we have access to an emergency shelter within the State Park. If such conditions are not 'passing,' it's possible that we would make the decision to end camp early for the day. If we have a total washout and miss a full day of camp, a make-up day will be offered in the following week.

On some occasions we may even take a half-day field trip to escape bad weather, visiting the local surf shop and maybe stopping off for an ice cream!

Typical Daily Itinerary

Camp drop-off is at 9am and pick-up is at 3pm. A typical day at Beach Camp might look something like this:

• 9:00am - 9:15am - Drop-off and meet at our gear trailer. Get fitted for a wetsuit and walk down to camp on the beach.
• 9:15am - 9:45am - Morning meeting, discuss the plan for the day, and maybe play a short game to help everyone get acquainted.
• 9:45am - 11:30am - Ocean session! Start the day by getting wet with a boogie board, body surfing, or maybe an introduction to surfing.
• 11:30am - 12:30pm - Lunch time and then a big game! We love to play capture the flag, "nuke-em," and lots of others!
• 12:30pm - 2:00pm - Time to explore a new area! We have some great secret tide pools and swimming holes to explore.
• 2:00pm - 2:30pm - Head back to camp, take a quick dip in the ocean, and start to pack up.
• 2:30pm - 3:00pm - Clean up our gear and meet parents for pick-up at 3 o'clock.

Our Environmental Ethic

Surf Camp prides itself on being a ‘human powered’ organization in the truest sense. Many of our employees carpool or ride bikes to work, and while we are at the beach, we are totally ‘off grid.’ We always strive to leave the beach cleaner than we left it.

In recent years we’ve taken a more proactive role in giving back to the beach and ocean environment that provides so much to us.

We like to leave the beach cleaner than we found it.
All of this garbage -- mostly non-biodegradable plastic -- was picked up in just one morning!

Once a week, we give a short talk to our campers about the ocean environment and environmental responsibility, and follow with a major beach cleanup. Two groups head in opposite directions and compete to get the most trash picked up and into garbage bags. Back at camp when we put all the bags together, it is always amazing how much we’ve managed to pick up, and how much cleaner the beach is for it. Last year, we removed several hundred pounds of garbage from the beach. At Surf Camp, campers will learn the necessary environmental ethic that surfing requires while helping to keep the Maine coast beautiful.

- Sign Up for Beach Camp! -