Our goal at Hill Country Surf is to introduce Austin to a new way of experiencing Austin's beautiful waterways and get a great work out.   

Our Business

Hill Country Surf is a small locally owned company.  We care about the Austin community and donate 10% of our profits to local non-profits.

Who We Are

Matt is the owner and lead instructor for Hill Country Surf.  Matt has been an avid water enthusiast since a young child.  He was on swim teams from the elementary school through high school and became an open water scuba diver at age 13, an advanced diver at age 16 and currently is a master diver with Stress and Rescue certification.  Matt first surfed at the age of 12 on Galveston island, stood up on his first wave, and was instantly hooked.  Many summer days were spent with the family at Galveston which was only a short drive from home in Houston.  At 18 years old Matt traveled to California to attend school at Pepperdine University where he received his bachelor's degree and spent four years surfing the incredible local Malibu waves and exploring the California and Baja coastline.  After graduation he worked at a youth camp in Ventura where he was in charge of the surf program.  This combined two of Matt's loves, surfing and working with kids, which he did for several years through church programs, camps and working with special needs kids in the public schools. 

Matt has traveled extensively throughout Central America surfing Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.  He also lived on Maui, honing his surf skills on bigger waves and beginning to learn the art of freediving.  Matt also has surfed in France, and stateside in South Carolina, Florida, Texas from top to bottom, and all over Southern and Central California.                       

Stand up paddling began in 2005 for Matt on the Brazos river in Waco.  During a year long stint in Waco Matt had to try and find a way to have fun and stay in shape for surfing.  Using an old windsurfer board and a canoe paddle, Matt would cruise up and down the Brazos for fun and exercise.  Soon after Matt built a paddle out of a closet rod and some plywood (don't worry  we have nicer equipment now).  He's been paddling ever since.

 Matt lives in Austin Texas with his beautiful wife Erin.  They enjoy, running, reading, cooking, climbing, hiking, surfing, hill country surfing and most anything else outdoors. 

Matt is a registered EMT-B, trained in CPR, First-Aid, AED use, and swift water rescue.

Please give us a call so we can share this exciting sport with you!