Chad has been surfing longer than most of our instructors have been alive… but that only makes him all the more stoked! From surfing in professional contests, to being a head judge for pro-contests and eventually becoming a competition coach, Chad is no stranger to the world of professional surfing. He’s coached six kids who are in the World’s Top 100 surfers. He’s experienced in teaching both competition surfing and helping beginners learn to surf and catch waves. He feels that there’s nothing better than seeing someone surf for the first time.
Scheduling Notes: Due to high demand from charity and pro surf contest events, Chad Bonsack asks for the flexibility to reschedule his lessons by 7:00pm (the day before). This is rare, but you will be notified as soon as possible regarding such change requests.
How many years have you been surfing for? About 30 years… I’m a little older.
Pro surfers Chad has coached:
Jordan aka Jordy Collins (title 2017 winner for North America QS, pro series)
Jake Marshall and Nick Marshall (ISA gold medalists)
Stevie Pittman
Kade Matson (ISA gold medalist)
Jasset Umble
Jackson Bunch
Goofy/Regular and Favorite Spots? Regular. Lahinch Ireland, freight trains in Maui, Pavone’s in Costa Rica, Surfer’s Beach Eleuthera, Thurso Scotland, and Fistral Beach Cornwall.
What’s your favorite moment in surfing? I mean, honestly, there’s nothing better than seeing someone catch that first wave. It doesn’t have to be a particularly long wave just watching them get that stoke on their face when they stand up, it’s awesome.
What’s a cool surf story you share with your family? You know one time I went out, it wasn’t too big, but my wife paddled out, and I didn’t think she was going to make it out to the line up. I got a nice eight footer and it was fun. I saw a great wave coming in. I watched my wife paddle real hard for it, and she caught it. She started to get to the top, but she pressed the nose and carved back down. I couldn’t believe it. She rode it for about 3-4 football fields. It was just such a beautiful thing to see and she was just so stoked for the rest of the summer, it was just a great surf.
What does the Aloha Spirit mean to you? The Aloha Spirit means being stoked. Learning about surfing and surfing as a way of life and how you can apply those lessons to other things, is how you can live with the Aloha Spirit. It’s about how to relax and face life, while still being able to stop and appreciate what’s around you.
Why do you love teaching surfing? I just love that stoke that I get to share. There’s nothing better and I love that it can happen to surfers of all different levels. Seeing surfers get stoked, it makes me stoked.
Why is surfing special to you? Surfing helps one be in the moment. It connects people from all over the world. I love getting to travel and learn about other cultures.
Why is Aqua Surf a great place for someone to learn? Everyone has different levels of experience. I do a lot of work with competition surfing, and there are other instructors who can help more with style. We all have different areas of expertise and we have instructors who are from all over the world and who have traveled all over the world. It gives great diversity to our teaching techniques. We all work as a team and collaborate with our students to create a seamless surf lesson that involves a variety of different perspectives to ensure that you get the best surf experience possible.
