Founded in 1997 by Alessandro Staffa, Is Benas Surf Club is the first surf school in the Mediterranean. Based in Capo Mannu, Sardinia..

The club’s mission is to teach wave surfing to students from Italy and around the world, in both Italian and English, through immersive courses with structured training modules. Recognized by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) since 2003, Is Benas is also a certified Federal Surf School (FISW/ISA).

Beyond surf training, the club promotes ocean ecology, marine biodiversity, and surf culture to people aged 7 to 70. All instructors and judges hold international ISA and FISW-CONI certifications. Since 2008, Is Benas has been registered with the official Italian Sports Associations registry.

The club supports young Sardinian talent by offering free surf initiation and has trained over 30 athletes who’ve competed in national surf championships. Since 2001, it has hosted numerous regional and national surf events.

Is Benas has also pioneered partnerships with Italian and European universities (e.g., Milan, Bologna, Lugano SUPSI, University of Surrey) to integrate surfing into extracurricular academic programs.

Through its platforms, the club promotes surfing as a sustainable, accessible sport that doesn’t require major infrastructure — just passion and the ocean.