Every Westhampton Beach local has at least one sweatshirt, mug, bathing suit, or maybe even a board from their beloved Island Surf. At age 28, Shawn Mett opened the shop off Sunset Avenue in Westhampton Beach. “It was a total leap of faith with no safety net if I failed,” Mett recalled, “and I only had $6,000 on my credit card.”

Mett was working seven days a week and during this time he would get to know his customers, which he felt made him become part of the community. Now, Mett enjoys working from May through August, which he categorized as “the busiest time of the year,” and is most likely at the beach during September and October when school begins and everyone is back in the city.

If you don’t catch Shawn at the shop, odds are you’ll see Jaime, who’s been at Island Surf for almost 10 years. When asked what her favorite memory at Island Surf was over the years, Jaime said: “I don’t think I can narrow it down to one particular memory. Each one is made with the staff – we laugh every day. The staff even has nicknames for each other!”

This past week, Island Surf celebrated its 25-year anniversary! To commemorate this milestone, Mett has released limited edition logo hoodies in six different colors. The sweatshirts have a distressed Island Surf logo and the sleeve is tagged with the 25th.

If you find yourself in town, make sure to stop in and say hi!