Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Santa Cruz
THE 5 BEST Santa Cruz Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Santa Cruz
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Category types
Outdoor Activities
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9 places sorted by traveler favorites
Surfing & Windsurfing • Boat Tours
Sports Camps & Clinics • Surfing & Windsurfing
Surfing & Windsurfing
What travelers are saying
- jonZ9125CNSunnyvale, CA1 contributionWe were 5 guys in our 40s with no surfing experience and the instructors had us all up and surfing waves within minutes. Friendly, nice clean and comfortable wetsuits, etc. Would definitely visit again.Written August 7, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SkipShankadelic1 contributionWe learned basic survival skills to prepare us for the apocalypse that may or may not happen in our lifetime. Not only was it a fun day out in nature, we learned real skills that will allow us to stay alive for a few days if lost in nature.Written August 1, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- jenmh4Roseville, CA10 contributionsI took my 14 year old daughter for her first lesson. And I had not surfed in over 10 years. Che was our instructor and was awesome! We both caught many waves, learned a lot and had an amazing session. Club Ed has been around for a very long time and has earned a great reputation. I would highly recommend them!Written July 21, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- b4i1eyKigali, Rwanda32 contributionsA friend and I booked a foil surfing lesson with Covewater. We started off with a miscommunication that resulted in a late start. We thought we had confirmed our lesson by discussing the plan over the phone the day before, but we missed the confirmation text. We were disappointed and a little frustrated until we clarified things over the phone with Olivier.
As soon as we met in person the experience continued to improve, exceeding initial expectations! Olivier apologized for the miscommunication and immediately set about making sure we had a great experience. He went out of his way to make sure we had a great time (not only during the lesson but afterward in the Santa Cruz area). We did not have any experience foil surfing before (although surfing experience and good balance is clearly required). Olivier was a very patient and enthusiastic instructor. I think he might have been even more stoked than us when we were progressing! He took pictures and video and shared them with us afterward.
Once we finished for the day he got us set up with SUP boards that matched our skill level and size. He gave us some recommendations for breaks and touring spots. He even gave us some suggestions for other things to do around Santa Cruz. Definitely a big part of trip to Santa Cruz.Written March 21, 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Christine D1 contributionRichard was a spectacular guide and we had an amazing SUP tour of Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. We were given excellent instructions, he made it fun and learned about the marine wildlife. We had encounters with sea otters, harbor seas, sea lions and tons of birds. It was a perfect day, highly recommend!Written April 2, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Chris C3 contributionsRon really knows how to connect with people, including kids. He got my daughter up and surfing in her first lesson. Grab the opportunity to take lessons with him. It will change your life!Written March 11, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- mankindcaWalnut Creek, CA6 contributionsWe stopped and got out of the car to enjoy all the colorful surfing kites weaving in and out of the small waves close to shore. It was so enjoyable to watch all of them. Put on some music to go with the show and take a 30 minute break from driving.Written March 5, 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz
- These places are best for surfing, windsurfing & kitesurfing in Santa Cruz:
- Covewater Paddle Surf
- Surf School Santa Cruz
- Adventure Out
- Club Ed Santa Cruz Surf School
- Richard Schmidt Surf School
- These are the best places for kid-friendly surfing, windsurfing & kitesurfing in Santa Cruz:See more surfing, windsurfing & kitesurfing for kids in Santa Cruz on Tripadvisor
- These are the best places for adrenaline seekers looking for surfing, windsurfing & kitesurfing in Santa Cruz:See more surfing, windsurfing & kitesurfing for adrenaline seekers in Santa Cruz on Tripadvisor
See what travelers are asking
Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic.
So I havent seen this post recently. Debating the merits of staying in Santa Cruz vs Capitola.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
Answer: There is not much for boys that age in Capitola. Its core is a small village with boutique shopping. The hotel itself is on busy 41st Avenue, not very near the village. The mall you speak of is considering going out of business and turning into something else. It has a couple of semi-fast food restaurants. It is not something the boys could walk to from the Fairfield Inn, or has anything of interest to them, IMO.
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
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