About Us
Contact Info
35th Street Store
- K-Coast Surf Shop
- 3505 Coastal Highway
- Ocean City, Maryland 21842
- Phone: 410-524-8500
- Fax: 410-524-8501
78th Street Store
- K-Coast Surf Shop
- 7805 Coastal Highway
- Ocean City, Maryland 21842
- Phone: 410-723-3330
Web Store / Order Info
- Phone: 410-524-8500
- (live support 9am-5pm EST)
- Email: webstore[at]kcoast.com
24 Hour Surf Report
- Phone: 410-524-SOUL (7685)
Ocean City's surf culture is a huge part of life in the area. The town has been named for having one of the best 50 breaks in the world. And while the surf sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, all the waiting is worth it when those perfectly glassy head-high sets roll in. K-Coast has been an elemental aspect of the surf culture in Ocean City since 1989. As the largest surf shop in Ocean City, we want to embrace the surf culture, offering our customers an overflow of surf products and the beach spirit.
K-Coast Surf Shop first opened its doors over eighteen years ago in the spring of 1989 on Somerset Street in downtown Ocean City. During that first summer, the tiny 600 square foot shop was originally called Kookaburra Coast, named after the Australian Kingfisher bird. Now you know what the "K" stands for!! The shop and its resources, like the Kookaburra, were tiny, but the plans for it were huge in the minds of two surfers and best friends that had met while bussing tables at Phillips Crab House in 1982.
After a cold and hungry winter, yet still optimistic, Mark and Chris, with their cars as collateral, secured a small loan to take advantage of the opportunity to move the shop to a larger location across the street into what was the original Ocean City Post Office. The new location, at the corner of Somerset Street and Baltimore Avenue, with its name shortened to K-Coast, started to gain a loyal downtown clientele and became known for its rootsy appeal with Mark, Chris and Mark's mom as the only employees and a surfboard shaping room in the back. Bartending to make ends meet and always with the goal of having a location on Coastal Highway, the boys spied an opportunity when an old carpet shop went up for lease on 78th Street in the fall of 1990. The 78th Street location was a dream come true but needed to be completely gutted and also forced the pair to become landlords as they had to rent out the upstairs apartment to help meet the rent and hopefully make it all work.
Business at the 78th Street location grew steadily, slowly taking over the entire building by 1995 as the need for more retail space was needed. In 1992, Mark "Hairball" Harrell, a local standout surfer joined the staff and would eventually become the K-Coast General manager. In order to concentrate on the demands of the growing highway location, the downtown location was closed in 1996. K-Coast grew steadily during the mid to late nineties and established itself as "Maryland's Largest Surf Shop" with the largest selection of surfboards, skateboards, bodyboards and hardgoods found in the Mid-Atlantic. As many of the older surf shops in Ocean City went out of business for one reason or another in the 1990's, K-Coast was now one of the oldest established shops currently in business.
By 1999, Mark and Chris could see the time coming soon when the amount of customers was outstripping the size of the 78th Street shop. Later that year K-Coast signed a contract to purchase a half acre parcel at 36th Street in Ocean City. In July of 2005 the new 10,000 square foot flagship store was opened making it one of the largest surf shops in the United States. Whether you're at 78th or 35th Street, both shops are only a two minute walk from the door to the surf.
K-Coast was born to fill the need of offering top customer service with a friendly attitude and product knowledge. K-Coast has become one of the largest and most successful surf shops on the East Coast, mainly as a result of its dedication to customer satisfaction and to the sport of surfing. K-Coast prides itself on a large and complete inventory, knowledgeable and friendly staff, as well as constant innovation to keep up with the latest developments in the surf industry.
Fully stocked with hundreds of surfboards, skateboards and bodyboards along with a wide variety of hardgoods and surf gear, the boardroom is a surfer's Aladdin's Cave. The Sugar Shack is always stocked with the latest in surf fashions, swimwear, jewelry and accessories for juniors, little girls and young moms. For the guys and little boys there is a wide array of great casual clothing to choose from, including a very impressive selection of skate shoes. K-Coast is also the largest supplier of Reef and Rainbow sandals and high quality polarized sunglasses in the area. As surfers grow older they never loose their stoke so K-Coast has expanded its collection of clothing from Honolua and Silver Edition for the seasoned surfers.
At K-Coast, the surfing lifestyle isn't just inside the shop. K-Coast co-sponsors, along with Billabong, surfing lessons through O.C. Groms LLC. It is a great feeling to see a parent that had a surf lesson from K-Coast in the early 1990's now coming in with their kids to start a second generation of surfers. This October we will be hosting the 9th Annual K-Coast Open Surf Festival to celebrate the joys of surfing and the ocean lifestyle for the entire family while continuing to benefit the Ocean City career firefighters and paramedics that do so much for our community. And of course a surf shop can't be a surf shop without the hum of the grinder and ding man covered in dust. K-Coast has been repairing Ocean City's broken surfboards since the first day we opened and still prides itself on the best repairs in the business.
Whatever your surfing needs may be just stop by K-Coast and you'll be taken care of. Peek inside with our virtual tour and when you are in Ocean City please checkout the shop and all we have to offer. See why K-Coast is The Surfer's Choice!
