Day Camp Unit Leader

Colby Blackwell

Although he grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Colby spent every summer in Wilmington visiting his grandparents—where he first fell in love with the ocean. During those summer months, he learned to surf (with a couple Wrightsville Beach lessons and a lot of YouTube), eventually spending every spare moment in the water.

Colby moved to Wilmington in 2020 for school, and now, as a master’s student in marine biology at UNCW, he continues to study the ocean that’s shaped so much of his life. His research focuses on seagrass ecosystems, but when he’s not in the lab or knee-deep in mud doing fieldwork, you’ll find him out in the water doing what he loves most: surfing. Equal parts marine scientist and wave enthusiast, Colby brings passion, energy, and serious stoke to every surf session.