Surf School Santa Cruz
Surf School Santa Cruz
5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Welcome to Surf School Santa Cruz, the best-rated surf school on the West Coast. We accept students of all ages and skill levels and guarantee a quality, safe, and fun learning experience. This surf school was created because of our passion for surfing and developed because of our desire to share it with the world. We believe that surfing is not just a sport, but is actually therapy for life. We ardently advocate that the only thing better than a great day of surfing is helping fuel someone else’s passion or improve skillsets that work in the ocean and carry over to day-to-day life. Our instructors are professionals who tailor each lesson to the students, so no matter your ability, you are encouraged and supported in the most personalized way possible. The cumulative years of quality surfing and teaching experience we have under our belts allow us to provide you the best surf lessons in all of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz, California
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Surf School Santa Cruz
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
624 reviews
Excellent
604
Very good
17
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
jakeismail
1 contribution
Aug 2020
This is my first time ever surfing at age 22 and let me tell you these guys know what they are doing. My instructor Ryan was very clear on giving instructions and would watch my carefully to point out things I was doing wrong. If you are going alone I highly recommend getting the one-one-one lesson. A bit pricy but so worth it. I will be back soon!
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
istrouss
Rocklin, CA1 contribution
Mar 2021
Spend the first two hours of each day here in Santa Cruz getting lessons from Ryan. Would highly recommend. Each day was a little different and Ryan pushed the instruction at a great pace to where I noticed big improvements with whatever the day's focus was. Will be getting more lessons on the next trip out. Even if you can get up- having someone like Ryan means you'll be catching way more waves and worth every penny. Don't forget to tip!
Written March 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
birdie02
Bothell, WA69 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
My 15 year old had a private lesson from Sam and had a blast. Regardless that it was raining and gloomy (we're from Seattle so felt natural), Sam made it fun, interactive and really enjoyable for the whole two hours. We'll definitely refer others and may be back to take more lessons. You can't go wrong with Surf School of Santa Cruz!
Written April 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria M
San Jose, CA14 contributions
Dec 2020 • Solo
So for yesterday's adventure (12/29/20 not "November 2020"), I went surfing for the first time ever, and thanks to Bud, I had a nice set up! He gave me two wetsuits which I wore layered so I wouldn't be cold. We surfed at Cowell. My instructor talked like Jeff Spicoli and towed me around with his foot on my board when this old lady was too tired to paddle. He was patient and pushed me out on lots of waves. I stood up three times! BTW you would not know the my instructor was a big time surf star from how humble and unassuming he was. Overall, this was a fun experience and I would book again. Thank you! 🌊 🏄♀️ 🤙🏽
Written December 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SALinCALIF
Berkeley, CA1 contribution
Sep 2020 • Family
The instructors were great - they had both of my sons (11 and 13) standing up and riding the waves in within an hour. Both of my kids felt great about their first time - and now can’t wait to go again. We’ll be back for more
Written September 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Biale
Marin County, CA4 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
The booking was easy, instructions to find the school were through.
This was my first time surfing, at 58. My instructor Steven, was great. He made sure that I had a great time, caught several waves, with his help. But more importantly he showed me the feel and basic techniques that built confidence that wants me to keep going out. I am definitely signing up for more lessons.
This was my first time surfing, at 58. My instructor Steven, was great. He made sure that I had a great time, caught several waves, with his help. But more importantly he showed me the feel and basic techniques that built confidence that wants me to keep going out. I am definitely signing up for more lessons.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rod D
World1 contribution
Mar 2021
I had the time of my life working with the Surf School Santa Cruz team. C is a brilliant surf instructor. He told me what I needed to do and then what I needed to work on in clear, direct terms. As a result, I was standing up on the board and surfing waves within a half an hour or so. C critiqued each of my rides in meticulous detail and in language I could understand so I could make immediate adjustments. I was actually surprised by how quickly I learned to surf, and it was all due to C's superb guidance.
The whole staff is friendly, professional, funny, and dedicated to helping their students gain essential knowledge of effective surfing techniques. The waves they have you ride are just the right size for mastering the basics. Moreover, the process you go through from the time you arrive at the surf shop to the time you return from surfing is nearly effortless, which was a pleasant surprise. Surfing is as fun as it gets. It's a beautiful, transformative experience. I'm grateful I had the chance to hang out with the Surf School Santa Cruz staff.
The whole staff is friendly, professional, funny, and dedicated to helping their students gain essential knowledge of effective surfing techniques. The waves they have you ride are just the right size for mastering the basics. Moreover, the process you go through from the time you arrive at the surf shop to the time you return from surfing is nearly effortless, which was a pleasant surprise. Surfing is as fun as it gets. It's a beautiful, transformative experience. I'm grateful I had the chance to hang out with the Surf School Santa Cruz staff.
Written March 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy S
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
I took my 8 year old niece and nephews (11 & 13) out for a surf lesson with Big C, Griffin and Aloe, and the kids (and I) had the best time EVER!! My niece started giggling in the parking lot and throughout the whole lesson, was just having the time of her life riding tandem with Calder... She loved the big waves the best, she said. And, the two boys caught waves, stood up, fell, rode party waves with Frosty and said they "would do it again!" They're normally all about video games, but I was so stoked they got off their electronics and were out in nature. Thank you SSSC and Big C, for a morning we won't soon forget...
Written August 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
505bc11
San Francisco, CA7 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
I've taken my daughter here 3 times over the last 12 months, and every lesson has been a huge success. I've been really impressed with their commitment to making sure each surfer has a positive and safe experience. My daughter has had 3 different instructors, and each has been skilled, positive, and good at figuring out how best to help her progress. I can't recommend these guys highly enough!
Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karet E
1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Family
My daughter took a private lesson with big C. She was skeptical to surf at first, but big C never thought once to paddle back in. He was very enthusiastic about the lesson and my daughter ended up having so much fun. He even told her all about how he used to live and surf in LA when he was growing up and recently moved to santa cruz. Great experience!
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy Heejung H
San Francisco, CA5 contributions
Do you have a class for under 13 years old?
Duncan S
Manchester, UK4 contributions
Hi,
How do I book as I can’t seem to find a website
Cheers
Dunc
rbystrzz
Salinas, CA1 contribution
It is very simple to book Surf School Santa Cruz. Everything is done online. You book the date and time you want to go out and just show up at the school on that date/time. Simply goggle, “Surf School Santa Cruz” and it should be the first one to pop up, click on the link and then click on “lessons.”
Surf School Santa Cruz - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Surf School Santa Cruz Information
Excellent Reviews | 603 |
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Very Good Reviews | 17 |
Surf School Santa Cruz Photos | 36 |