Terry 'Simba' Simms is a pro surfer, elite surf instructor, and owner of Terry Simms Surf (TSS).
Simms is also an entrpreneur who founded the board short company KADU in 2012 and then went on to develop SIMBA Sentinel 1 surf helmet in partnership with SIMBA Action Sports, Inc. His wife, Nancy Opitz Simms, joined him in 2011 to run logistics and operations for TSS and to help develop the start-ups. The Simms family is currently based out of Ojai, California.
When they are not traveling and working, the Simms can be found chasing waves along the Ventura County coastline with their daughter, Indira.
TERRY SIMMS BIO
Born and raised in San Diego, CA, Terrance Michael Simms started surfing at the age of five. In the early ‘80s, he moved to Kauai, where he entered his first surf contest. Simms then went on to enjoy 15 years as a professional surfer (1984-1998) and was an ASP, world-rated, top ten longboarder for many years. The pinnacle of his pro career was 1997 when he was featured on the cover of international magazines four times: Surfer’s Journal (twice), Longboard Magazine and Pacific Longboarder.Simms first got a taste of sharing the surfing lifestyle with others when he decided to organize a surfing event for physically challenged surfers in Santa Cruz in the early 90s. He then began his professional teaching career as the Head Beach Master at California’s first surf camp, San Onofre Surf Camp, owned by the Paskowitz family. Simms was very inspired and influenced by legend and surf educator, Dorian Paskowitz.
In 1998, encouraged by enthusiastic clients and his own passion for sharing the surf experience, Simms started his own company, Simba’s Surfaris, a surf guiding, instruction and travel business, catering to an international client base of individuals and families. This later turned into the present company, Terry Simms Surf.
Many of his clients have been working with Terry for more than fifteen years and their children have become some of his most promising clients.