Instinct Surf: A Home-Grown Journey

Instinct has returned to its roots, back to where it all started in Surf City, Durban some 44 years ago.

Our brand was born out of a desire to make the best surf apparel in the world and start a revolution in the water. Now, we’re building on this rich heritage to inspire the next generation of ocean lovers and wave riders to follow suit.

But we’re not only about performance and product.

As a purpose-driven brand, we believe in uplifting our communities and being custodians of the ocean.

We also believe in putting our money where our mouth is whereby 1% of all product sales are donated to the 9Miles Project, a non-profit organisation that uses surfing as a catalyst for transformation amongst the vulnerable youth.

As our founding champion Shaun Tomson so often says, ‘when you drop a stone, you create a ripple’. And those ripples can turn into a powerful wave of change.

Garments Made to Love & Last

Our ultimate goal is to make quality products that last a lifetime with minimal impact on the environment.

Most of our apparel range is designed and manufactured at our state-of-the-art factory in Durban, using responsibly sourced cotton from the African continent.

By supporting local manufacturing, we’re also reducing our carbon emissions throughout the production and supply chain – keeping it local means less planes, trucks and trains needed to transport our products and raw materials.

To seal the deal, we only use recycled or biodegradable materials in our product packaging.

As surfers and ocean lovers, the sea is our lifeblood and sustainability is our ultimate priority. Our process isn’t perfect (yet), but every day we strive to get a step closer.

Our Founding Champ

Shaun Tomson was born in Durban, South Africa, and competed on the professional surfing tour for 16 years, winning the World Title in 1977. He won 19 major pro events and redefined modern tube riding with ground-breaking performances at Off the Wall in Hawaii.

He founded Instinct in 1979 and assembled the best surf team in the world that quickly took the brand to unprecedented heights. Aside from being instrumental in establishing professional surfing, Shaun is regarded as one of the world’s all-time best surfers.

Today, he is a sought-after inspirational speaker and the author of the popular book Surfer’s Code and more recently The Surfer and The Sage. He also produced and co-wrote the award-winning 2008 documentary Bustin’ Down the Door.

A committed environmentalist, Shaun was named Environmentalist of the Year by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association in 2002 and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Surfrider Foundation. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2022.