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Meet the Team

Experienced surfers, qualified coaches, and friendly faces ready to get you in the water

Our team is made up of experienced surfers and qualified instructors who are passionate about sharing their knowledge of the ocean. With years of coaching experience and a deep love for the local coastline, they’re here to help you build confidence, improve your skills, and enjoy every moment in the water.

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Paul "Tomo"

Owner

The backbone of our business, Tomo has grown up surfing Scarborough and has dedicated his life to the surf industry in the North East. With deep local knowledge and decades of experience in the water, he represents everything our surf school stands for: authenticity, expertise, and a genuine passion for the coastline we call home.

Surfs: Regular foot

Go to boards: 6’8 Firewire Boss Up or 7ft Seaside and Beyond

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Tori

Manager & Head Surf Coach

Known as Secretspot’s “Mother Hen,” Tori truly lives and breathes surfing. With over 20 years of surf experience, 16 years coaching, and 12 years as part of the Secretspot family, she plays a central role in everything we do.

Surfs: Goofy foot

Go to boards: 5’9 JS Sub Xero or 5’9 Firewire Glazer

Surf Quals:

  • Surfing England Trainer Assessor
  • Team England Junior Squad Coach
  • ISA level 2 Surf Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf Rescue Award
  • Level 3 Strength & Conditioning
  • UK Coaching Performance Coach Development Programme
  • ISA level 1 Judge
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Andy

Head Coasteering Guide

Surfs: Regular

Go to board: 7’2 Walden MegaMagic

Qualifications: 

  • ISA Level 1 Surf Coach Award
  • ASI Level 2 SUP Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf Rescue Award

Bronte – The Grom!

Assistant Surf Coach

Bronte is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic people you’ll ever meet, bringing an infectious positivity to every session she coaches. Her fun, empathetic approach and legendary beach games make her a firm favourite with our kids’ clubs and group lessons.

Surfs: Regular foot

Go to board: 6’2 Torq PodMod or a longboard on smaller days

Surf Quals:

  • Surfing England Recreational Surf Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf lifesaver Award
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Alan

Surf Coach

Alan was born in Scarborough and first discovered surfing in 1968 at the age of 13. Now in his 70s, he’s still as active as ever and can regularly be found either in the water, out on his mountain bike, or running across the Yorkshire moors — having completed seven marathons along the way.

Surfs: Regular

Go to board: 9ft Walden or 7ft Walden on bigger days.

Surf Quals:

  • ISA Level 1 Surf Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf Lifesaver Award
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Jack

Surf Coach

Jack’s path to surf coaching has been anything but typical. Having grown up about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, he later moved to Yorkshire for university and eventually discovered the coastline that would become a huge part of his life.

Go to board: Longboard

Hidden talent: Designed and built his own surf forecast App ‘Bouys Bouys Bouys’

Qualifications:

  • Surfing England Recreational Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf lifesaver Award
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Mike

Surf Coach

Mike has been surfing for over 12 years and coaching for the past 3 and has never let a small detail like living in Manchester get in the way of chasing waves whenever he can! His surfing journey began at nearby Scarborough South Bay in 2014, and the Yorkshire coast has been his second home ever since.

Surfs: Regular

Go to Board: Skindog 8ft Ova or 9ft Torq on smaller days

Qualifications

  • ISA Level 1 Surf Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf Lifesaver Award
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Keian

Surf Coach

Keian has pretty much grown up in the water. Whether it’s surfing, kitesurfing or wakeboarding, he’s always chasing wind, waves and the next good session along the Yorkshire coast.

Go to Board: 5’8 Lost Puddle Fish

Qualifications:

  • Surfing England Recreational Coach Award
  • SLSGB Surf Lifesaver Award
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Gift a voucher!

If you’re looking for a unique gift then our Vouchers make an awesome treat for anyone who loves the outdoors and adventure sports. 

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Paul "Tomo"

Owner

The backbone of our business, Tomo has grown up surfing Scarborough and has dedicated his life to the surf industry in the North East. With deep local knowledge and decades of experience in the water, he represents everything our surf school stands for: authenticity, expertise, and a genuine passion for the coastline we call home.

In 2008, Tomo took over the surf school from Ross and brought it together with Secretspot Surf Shop, established in 1989. As one of the oldest surf shops in the UK—and the largest in the North East—Secretspot has long been at the heart of the local surf community. Combining the two businesses was a natural progression, allowing Tomo to carry forward a shared ethos built on local knowledge, surf culture, and a lifelong love of Cayton Bay.

The philosophy has always been simple: run by surfers, for surfers. That means providing the best possible equipment, honest advice, and coaching rooted in real experience—whether you’re standing on a board for the first time or looking to progress your skills.

Known affectionately as our “Chief of Coasteering,” Tomo grew up exploring every nook and cranny of the East Coast. That lifelong familiarity with the coastline led him to become a trained coasteering instructor and to introduce coasteering to the Yorkshire Coast. Over the years, he has personally developed and led thousands of coasteering sessions, continually refining them to create the safe, professional, and unforgettable experiences we offer today.

Tomo’s depth of experience, commitment to safety, and passion for sharing the coastline are the foundation of everything we do.

Tori

Manager & Head Surf Coach

Known as Secretspot’s “Mother Hen,” Tori truly lives and breathes surfing. With over 20 years of surf experience, 16 years coaching, and 12 years as part of the Secretspot family, she plays a central role in everything we do. Tori manages all activities across the surf school and leads our coaching programme as Head Surf Coach, with a particular passion for junior development and performance surfing.

She created and leads our SuperGroms junior progression programme, helping young surfers build strong foundations and progress with confidence. Tori also delivers our advanced lessons, using video analysis, performance drills, and tailored coaching to support surfers looking to take their skills to the next level. Alongside this, she works as a Surfing England Coach Trainer Assessor, delivering coach courses here at Cayton Bay, and volunteers as a Team England Junior Squad Coach, supporting the next generation of competitive surfers.

You’ll probably recognise Tori from our socials, where she provides daily video surf reports, keeping the local community up to date with conditions and surf forecasts. Away from the water, she’s deeply involved in the local surf scene as the founder and chair of Scarborough Boardriders Club CIC and is often behind the scenes organising local surf contests, events, and socials.

During the busy summer months, Tori can be found at Cayton Bay day in, day out, making sure the surf school runs smoothly. When winter rolls around, she heads off to enjoy some free surfing at favourite destinations such as El Salvador, Bali and Ireland, before returning refreshed and ready for another season.

Bronte

Assistant Surf Coach

Bronte is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic people you’ll ever meet, bringing an infectious positivity to every session she coaches. Her fun, empathetic approach and legendary beach games make her a firm favourite with our kids’ clubs and group lessons.

Bronte’s surfing journey actually began right here with us at Cayton Bay. She first joined Scarborough Surf School as a tiny “micro-grom” in our kids’ clubs and quickly caught the surfing bug. From there she progressed through years of our SuperGroms courses, spending every spare minute she could free-surfing locally or chasing waves on family holidays.

After becoming such a familiar face that she was practically part of the furniture in the surf shop, Bronte started with us on work experience. She soon discovered a passion for coaching and has been part of the team ever since.

Bronte is now a qualified Surfing England Surf Coach and an integral member of the team as our Assistant Coach. Alongside coaching, she is continuing her studies in education and recently blew us all away with her academic results, achieving outstanding grades with A’s across the board. She works with us on weekends and during the school holidays, bringing the same energy and dedication to the beach that she does to her studies.

Away from the water, Bronte is also an excellent skateboarder and often helps our junior surfers develop their surf-skating skills — a great way to build balance, style and confidence when the waves are flat.

Having grown up through the Scarborough Surf School pathway herself, Bronte is a brilliant role model for the next generation of young surfers coming through the club.

Alan

Surf Coach

Alan was born in Scarborough and first discovered surfing in 1968 at the age of 13. Now in his 70s, he’s still as active as ever and can regularly be found either in the water, out on his mountain bike, or running across the Yorkshire moors — having completed seven marathons along the way.

In his younger years Alan swam competitively for Yorkshire and worked as a lifeguard on Scarborough’s South Bay beach and at local swimming pools, before later joining the Fire and Rescue Service. His career also led him into education, where he lectured for the National Examination Board in Health & Safety.

Alan has a lifelong connection to water safety and coaching. He is a former lifeguard trainer assessor and remains a qualified swimming teacher, fitness instructor and indoor cycling instructor.

During the winter months Alan often heads overseas in search of warmer waves — either surfing in Santa Monica, where one of his sons lives, or travelling to Morocco for sunshine and surf.

Alan has been coaching with Scarborough Surf School for the past five years and brings a huge amount of experience, enthusiasm and local knowledge to every session. When he’s not coaching, he’s often volunteering his time as a seasoned judge at many of the local surf contests, continuing to support and inspire the Yorkshire surf community.

With a lifetime spent in and around the sea — from surfing and sea swimming to wreck diving and fishing — Alan’s passion for the ocean is obvious to anyone who meets him.

Jack

Surf Coach

Jack’s path to surf coaching has been anything but typical. Having grown up about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, he later moved to Yorkshire for university and eventually discovered the coastline that would become a huge part of his life.

Before swapping the office for the ocean, Jack spent over 20 years working in technology, including 15 years in the visual effects industry. During that time, he helped build software used across major film productions worldwide, including leading the team behind technology used on Avatar, and more recently contributing to the incredible visuals at the Las Vegas Sphere. He later went on to found his own tech startup, growing it to a team of 30 and building a platform used by tens of thousands of people.

Surfing has long been a huge part of Jack’s life, and after stepping away from the tech world he decided to follow that passion into coaching. Jack qualified as a Surfing England Recreational Surf Coach with us here at Cayton Bay, completing one of the highest standard surf coaching qualifications in England. His calm approach, attention to detail and enthusiasm for helping others progress make him a fantastic addition to the team.

Alongside coaching, Jack is also the creator of BuoysBuoysBuoys, a surf forecasting app he’s developing to help surfers better understand conditions and avoid those frustrating flat day missions to the coast:
https://buoysbuoysbuoys.surf/

When he’s not coaching, you’ll usually find him in the water making the most of the Yorkshire waves or building tools to help the rest of us score better sessions.

Mike

Surf Coach

Mike has been surfing for over 12 years and coaching for the past 3 and has never let a small detail like living in Manchester get in the way of chasing waves whenever he can! His surfing journey began at nearby Scarborough South Bay in 2014, and the Yorkshire coast has been his second home ever since.

Mike is qualified as an ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor and holds SLSGB Surf Coach Safety and Rescue certification, bringing strong water safety knowledge and a calm, supportive coaching style to every session. Known within the team for having one of the kindest and most patient natures, Mike is a fantastic coach for beginners and intermediates, helping surfers build confidence and progress at their own pace.

As someone who didn’t start surfing until his twenties, Mike has a real passion for helping adult learners progress in the waves, understanding first-hand the challenges and rewards that come with learning later in life.

When he’s not in the water, you’ll often find Mike training in martial arts or continuing to support his questionable choice of football team… Spurs!

Keian

Surf Coach

Keian has pretty much grown up in the water. Whether it’s surfing, kitesurfing or wakeboarding, he’s always chasing wind, waves and the next good session along the Yorkshire coast.

Keian qualified as a Surfing England Recreational Surf Coach with us here at Cayton Bay, completing one of the highest-standard surf coaching qualifications in England. Surfing England courses are widely recognised for their rigorous training, safety standards and professional coaching pathways, and Keian’s qualification reflects the high level of training we deliver here at Scarborough Surf School.

A passionate surfer and watersports enthusiast, Keian brings great energy to every session. He’s particularly passionate about fitness and strength training, and this shines through in his coaching. His ability to lead engaging fitness drills, motivate groups and help surfers build confidence in the water makes him a fantastic coach to learn from.

When the surf goes flat, you’ll most likely find him kitesurfing, and if the wind drops too, he’ll happily switch to a wakeboard session instead.