At a time when many kids are spending more hours indoors, attached to screens, and increasingly disconnected from nature, one small surf camp on the North Coast continues to offer something refreshingly simple—and increasingly important: real connection.
For more than 25 years, Moonstone Beach Surfcamp has introduced thousands of children and families to the ocean through surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, beach games, ocean safety, and environmental education at beautiful Moonstone Beach.
Founded in 2001 by Jeffrey “Steiny” Steinkamp—a lifelong surfer, former California State Lifeguard, credentialed teacher, and Humboldt County ocean advocate—the camp was created with a simple mission: help kids feel comfortable in the ocean, build confidence, and develop a lifelong respect for nature.
Steiny’s own relationship with the ocean began as a child growing up in Southern California. Summers were spent body surfing, fishing, junior lifeguards, and biking to the beach after school to surf until sunset. Over time, that connection evolved into a passion that carried him around the world—from the warm reefs of Indonesia and Fiji to the powerful winter surf of Humboldt County.
But while the waves were unforgettable, Steiny says the deeper lesson was always about people, community, and connection.
“The ocean is kind of a universal language,” he explains. “You can travel halfway around the world and connect with people just by sharing waves.”
That spirit is woven into every part of Moonstone Beach Surfcamp.
On any given summer day, campers can be found learning to paddle, catch waves, pop up on surfboards, body surf, skimboard, and bodyboard while also developing ocean awareness and confidence in the water. A typical camp day blends surfing instruction with beach games, junior lifeguard-style challenges, teamwork activities, and lessons about tides, currents, surf etiquette, and wave dynamics.
Campers learn how to safely enter and exit the ocean, how to identify rip currents, and how to stay calm in moving water. Instructors teach kids to work with the ocean rather than against it—transforming fear into confidence through experience and understanding.
“We want kids to become comfortable in the ocean, not intimidated by it,” says Steiny. “Confidence comes from knowledge and experience.”
Safety is the foundation of the program. The camp maintains a strong instructor-to-camper ratio, and many instructors are former campers who grew up through the program themselves before completing lifeguard and surf instructor training. Through years of experience in the challenging conditions of the North Coast, Steiny and his staff emphasize awareness, communication, and respect for the ocean at all times.
But camp isn’t just about skill-building—it’s also about joy.
There are relay races, beach games, laughter-filled wipeouts, floating “walk the plank” challenges on surfboards, and spontaneous cheering every time someone catches their first wave. Campers often arrive nervous and leave smiling, exhausted, sandy, and proud of themselves.
“The best surfer in the water,” Steiny likes to say, “is the one having the most fun.”
One unique aspect of Moonstone Beach Surfcamp is its intentionally unplugged atmosphere. Phones and devices are not part of the experience for kids or staff. Instead, campers spend their days fully immersed in the natural environment—watching pelicans dive, spotting seals beyond the surf break, exploring tide pools, and paying attention to tides, wind, currents, and weather.
“You see kids relax out there,” Steiny says. “They notice each other. They notice the ocean. A lot of them don’t realize how much they needed that.”
For Steiny, the ocean is more than recreation—it’s a teacher.
“The ocean commands respect,” he says. “You can’t be unconscious out there.”
That respect also extends to environmental stewardship. Moonstone Beach Surfcamp supports organizations such as the Surfrider Foundation, Save The Waves Coalition, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Humboldt Baykeeper, and Greenpeace—groups dedicated to protecting oceans, coastlines, wildlife, and clean water.
That commitment is deeply personal for Steiny. During the late 1980s, he witnessed firsthand the effects of offshore industrial pollution near Humboldt’s surf breaks. Toxic water conditions, foul-smelling foam, and pollution-related illnesses among local surfers left a lasting impression and strengthened his belief that clean water and healthy oceans should never be taken for granted.
Today, that message continues quietly but meaningfully through the camp. Campers learn not only how to ride waves, but how to care for beaches, respect marine life, and understand their place within the natural world.
Over the years, Moonstone Beach Surfcamp has grown into something much bigger than surf lessons. It has become a multigenerational North Coast community. Former campers now return as instructors, and some former instructors are now bringing their own children to camp.
“The best part,” Steiny says, “is seeing kids grow up confident, connected, and stoked about life.”
And while surfing is certainly part of the attraction, the deeper impact often comes from something harder to describe—a sense of freedom, confidence, humility, and presence that naturally happens when people spend meaningful time in the ocean.
Or, as Steiny likes to call it: “the ocean potion.”
As another North Coast summer arrives, Moonstone Beach Surfcamp continues to provide a reminder that healthy communities are built not only through recreation, but through connection—to nature, to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves.
And sometimes, all of that begins with a child catching their very first wave.
For more information and to register for surfcamp visit moonstonebeachsurfcamp.com or call (707) 822-5099.