My wife and I had an awesome surf lesson with Katy! She's very knowledgeable and so nice and helped us a ton with everything. I can only recommend Capitola Surf and Paddle for everyone local or visiting Capitola who wants to start surfing! read more

Katy is a terrific instructor--super knowledgeable and patient, my kids loved surfing with her!

Excellent experience! Signed up for a private sup lesson via the website and was contacted later via phone call / texts for all the confirmations and info for wetsuit sizing. Had a 2 hour lesson with Jason and he was extremely nice and fun! Never been on a stand up board before but he made it fun and not stressful at all. Got lucky that the weather was perfect. Highly recommend. Excellent and friendly staff from everyone I interacted with and a great experience! read more

Very helpful staff! Their boards and paddles were fairly new. The staff gave me and bf helpful tips on where to paddle along the Santa Cruz/ Capitola bay. The rental price was also affordable and they were kind enough to not charge us a full hour for the extra 30 mins. I've heard good things about their stand up paddle tours and surfing lesson. I am sure going to check them out for surfing lessons next time I'm in the area! read more

Capitola Surf and Paddle - Paddleboarding Near Me

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Fantastic beginner surf lessons for my daughter and her friend, they couldn't wait to get back out there with Katy, who is an amazing teacher and super nice person! I got the recommendation from my brother, who took his kids here for lessons, they all had a great experience too. Don't hesitate to book. read more

SO worth it! This was honestly the best surf experience I've ever had! I've taken surf lessons before and have gone out on my own. I decided to reach out about a lesson and was contacted so fast! I did a private surf lesson with Katy, and she was insanely helpful and actually gave me so many tips on how to improve my surfing. No matter your skill level, I promise taking a lesson here would be worth your time and money. It was so personal and fun and stress free! I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone! read more

Highly recommended. Our group visited two other surf shops around Santa Cruz before being told to come to the surf shack in Capitola, because there were either no tides or too high for us first-timers. The surf shack wasn't open but we found this amazing place. The staff was knowledgeable - which was really helpful for a group of four beginners - and the prices were good. Unfortunately my surfboard didn't have a leash and when I returned to get that resolved, they were on break for quite some time. When they returned they gave me extra time to compensate for the lost surfing time which was amazing. When we returned they had a hot shower and we didn't have to clean the boards either. (I've previously had to clean the surfboard before returning it in LA.) We were freezing so the hot shower was the best thing ever. They also offered us free beer too! One thing that does concern me is that we were required to write down our credit card numbers, but I'm sure that's fine. read more

Found a groupon and took a chance. So happy I did, we had so much fun out there! The shop is right downtown, and check in took about 5 minutes for paperwork. The staff rolled our paddleboards to the beach and suggested a good spot to go, but was wiling to drop our boards anywhere we wanted, so nice!! Excellent service, boards were in great condition, I'll for sure be back to rent from them, they make it so easy. Fun day! read more

Came here last week with my girlfriends and we had a two hour lesson with Roger. He was patient, kind, answered all of our questions, made us feel safe, and best of all - took lots of pictures for us! =) We had a great time. I came back today with another group of friends. We were not disappointed. The staff wheeled and carried out all of the paddleboards to the beach for us and our only job was to get in the water and have fun = ) Once we were done, we stayed with the boards on the beach while one of us walked back to the shop to let them know we were finished. Then all of us walked back together as a group - and all we had to carry were our paddles. It was all just so easy. There are lockers to keep your stuff while you're out on the water. There's also a dressing room, restroom, and an outdoor shower to rinse off. Thank you Capitola Surf and Paddle! I plan to come back many times. =) read more

Our child had a first time surf lesson and Jason was absolutely fantastic with her. From providing the wetsuit and surfboard to the genuine care and enthusiasm along with obvious expertise, it was such a great experience for her and for us. She was up on the board and riding a wave in within the hour. I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to try surfing, they are truly kind and knowledgeable people who made our vacation that much better. Thank you so much! read more

Great options to get out on the water and learn, friendly service, and just a quick walk to get in the water from the shop.

Second time around, didn't fail. Rented two paddleboards and the employee dropped us off and picked us up on time at the beach. Lockers were provided for electronics and such. Gave these kids a generous tip. Thank you! read more

This is probably the best place to rent surfboards/paddle boards. The staff were very knowledgeable and helped us with out first surfboard rentals. They have a great selection of wetsuits, standup paddle boards, and soft to hard surfboards. The business is ran by a local firefighter and his son who are both passionate about the sport. They provided us with a warm shower, locker for all of our belongings and a changing room. We didn't get any lessons from them but I would trust in them for any pointers. read more

I've lived near the ocean my entire life and this is the best surf shop I've ever been too!! The owner is the coolest dude; we went to rent surf boards and went back the next day for paddle boarding! He showed my boyfriend & I the coolest paddle boarding spot!! He also offered to look at my own surfboard and help me fix it / offered me a new one at a great price! This place is the best! read more

Rented wet suits and boogie boards this morning from the kind people at Capitola Surf and Paddle. We went early and had no trouble parking. Great people, very friendly, super helpful and reasonable prices. read more

The crew at Capitola were super accommodating. We called in the morning and they were able to throw together a surfing lesson for us that afternoon. We are a Midwest family of four with no clue how to even get in a wet suit. They got us fitted with wetsuits and boards and drug us down to the beach. Jason (not the owner Jason). Was very patient with us. The only reason they didn't get 5 stars was because they were a little unorganized and left us standing around a lot in the beginning with no direction. We also had hoped from the reviews that someone would take some pictures for us while we were on our boards, but they could not accommodate. I think if the owner was there it would have been a different story. Everyone moved a little quicker when he was there later in the day. All in all we had a great day with great service! Definately stop by!! read more

Two friends and I just did a SUP yoga class through Capitola Surf and Paddle Ave it was awesome! Jason was very helpful with setting everything up, and our instructor Rick was great! read more

1st review... Just the worst. Went on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, was informed by the stoner kid running the front that his "co-worker" was a no show so no chance renting a SUP cause someone has to walk us to the water.. Had us reserve for the next day at 11. Next day get there at 11:15, same kid is just opening the shop, an hour late and again no co-worker, and no register. And again no SUP cause he has no co-worker, who we found out is the owner, and no register to even pay. Felt bad for the kid with no support on the busiest weekend. Will rent elsewhere. read more

Great staff and reasonable prices. After our day of surfing they offered us a hot shower and free beer. We were absolutely freezing at that point so it felt like the best thing in the world. Fantastic place. read more

Friendliest staff, great selection of wetsuits, boards, etc. and they get you in and out of there quickly so you can get to the waves. To top it off, I left my credit card there and they sent it back to me!! read more

Called this place on thursday to see about group lessons for the weekend. They set one up specifically for my boyfriend and me at the time that we wanted. It ended up being just the two of us, even though we had paid for a group lesson. Our instructor Roger was amazing, taught us everything we needed to know and was very easy to get a long with. He made sure the lesson was at our pace. The store had lockers for our use free and had a warm shower when we got back. Super close to the beach. I will definitely being going back to rent boards. read more

Awesome staff, reasonable prices. When we were finished surfing, they had a hot shower which felt like heaven and they were super nice, which was great especially since we were dead tired. Free beer was perfect after a day of surfing :) read more

I had a wonderful time learning to paddle! The instructor was patient, knowledgable and reassuring. I can't wait to go again!

Our Favorite Day! (Not counting our wonderful wedding day). Jason our teacher - guide - leader was OUTSTANDING! Alisa got an SUP Board for Christmas, but I've waited until this trip and this day to try it. Boy was it fun! We began with a lesson on the beach, and Jason was a thorough, patient instructor. Once on the water, the wonderful guidance continued. I was up and paddling after only one fall, and Jason was near by with coaching and encouragement. We paddled out past the pier (beyond my wildest dreams) to the kelp beds, and we could not have been having more fun. We saw an otter in the second kelp bed, which was amazing, and as we moved off the bed back into the open water, we were met by a group of dolphins....a dream come true. We paddle back to shore and each rode a wave to the beach. And to top it all off, Jason took pictures throughout the entire trip. A once in a lifetime experience. THANK YOU JASON AND CSP TEAM FOR GIVING US OUR FAVORITE DAY! read more

Capitola Surf and Paddle - On the kelp beads with Jason and an otter - Paddleboarding Near Me

My boyfriend and I went there for a paddle boarding lesson and had the greatest time! Vince was our instructor, and he was super nice, patient and fun! We definitely recommend this place and look forward to going back soon. read more

Highly recommended! We stumbled upon this shop and they made a great first impression. The staff is responsive, professional and friendly. Jason provided a "first time" surfing lesson for my teenage daughters and both girls had a wonderful time. Jason was encouraging and fun - both girls can't wait to go surfing again. Their equipment was in very good condition and the staff was very safety conscious. We will definitely be back! read more

First time surf lesson with my 12 year old son. Wonderful experience. The nicest staff. The owner helped us pick out wetsuits and set us up with boards. The beach is a short 2 block walk, and the surf spot is just to the left of the band shell. The wetsuits keep you perfectly warm, the boards are easy to handle (light and easy to balance). Our instructor was incredibly patient, and a very strong paddler (handy when he helped tow my son out when he got tired). And he gave us both that key push to catch our first waves. I can't think of a better way to get introduced to surfing. I can't guarantee you'll stand up on your first day, but it was a blast. We'll be back. read more

These guys were great. Reasonable pricing and super helpful!! The shop is well organized and has easy access to the beach. They give off a really accessible vibe- no "this is our beach, get out" attitude here! Thanks Capitola paddle and surf! read more

Great service. Helped us pick the right wet suits that fit perfectly. Super friendly and helpful. Answered all of our questions. Rented two surfboards and two wetsuits for better price then we found anywhere else. Will definitely go back next time we are in Capitola. read more

My girlfriend and I loved this place. The staff is fantastic, cordial, helpful, insightful and eager to make it a positive experience. The staff knows everything about the community, the etiquette on the water, & their technical expertise is great. They are wonderful about bringing the boards out to the water and accommodating students of all levels of experience. Thanks to Thomas and Jason for a great training session. We'll be coming back!!! Highly Recommended to anyone. Don't forget sun lotion :) read more

Very very friendly staff!! Gave me and 3 other friends a great deal for boards and wetsuits. Definitely coming back again!

My friend and I took a private surfing lesson here and it was great! They provide the boards, wetsuits, and footwear. The instructor (Brian) was obviously a true expert, very hardworking, and really did everything to make sure we had an awesome time. We will be going back here as soon as possible! read more

I purchased my nieces, 11 & 14 years old, 2 hour paddle board lessons. The instructor was very professional and great with the kids. The staff was kind and helpful from the minute we walked into the store and throughout the entire lesson. The shop and equipment was very clean and maintained well. read more

Staff were friendly and conscientious, and even went out to help my wife when she started to drift away from the beach

The staff here was super friendly, especially the manager I believe. The prices were good, $25 for the day for a board and wetsuit. Definitely a very welcoming and laid back place. Other stores/people were not so outwardly friendly in the area so this was a really good experience. read more

Jason and Roger we awsome.... took our group out for about 2 hrs we saw dolphins, sea otters, and seals... whales were in the area but we did not see them... the instruction was clear, they follow up while on the water with great pointers, and by the end of the class I was having a great time and a great workout. I'm hooked. Wa'SUP! (Stand Up Paddling). read more

I'm giving them an extra star because the staff was really nice...but the experience was fairly unorganized/unpleasant and all in all I won't be back. I surprised my boyfriend with 2 hour SUP rentals. We got there and I gave my Groupon information (yay Groupon!) to the front desk. You get a major 5 minute warning not to ding up the boards...which sucked because we ended up not trying to take any waves for fear of wiping out and dinging the boards...I definitely think they should have more of an allowance for normal wear and tear of the boards (as someone who went to surf camp every summer growing up with rental boards...the minor dings they were pointing out are just a part of surfing!). I'd never done a SUP rental before and I wish they'd included to bring a watch on the FAQ page, I asked the guy about how we were supposed to keep track of the time and he just told us not to worry about it...but when we got back we were told that we were going to be charged for an additional hour out on the water! (Which at $20 per hour per board after already paying for 2 hours for 2 boards is kind of a big deal for your typical broke college students.) After we changed I went to go see what happened, since we weren't even sure what time we went out because we had to wait awhile for them to be ready to transfer the boards onto the beach (plus you "return" your boards by just leaving them out on the beach, and we went to shower and get ice cream before going back to Capitola Surf And Paddle to change and grab our stuff from the lockers...and since there was no one there to see when we left our boards on the beach, how could they even know what time we returned them?). As it happened, we were actually early getting back to the shop even with our stops along the way but they had confused us with other customers...still definitely not something anyone would want to deal with, especially on a date :/ Then they asked me to pay again but I had to remind them that I already paid with my Groupon and they had to look up the information again.....just wasn't a smooth transaction for what should have been a relaxing day at the beach. read more

Capitola Surf & Paddle was extremely friendly, kind and cost-effective. My wife and I had an excellent experience learning to SUP and we highly recommend Capitola S&P to others. Jason, our instructor, was super patient, informative, transported all of our equipment to/from the beach; overall, the entire experience from start to finish was excellent. We highly recommend Capitola Surf and Paddle. read more

I was very disappointed with the lack of professionalism. No one seemed to know that I had even scheduled a lesson nor did they care. After being told to wait 15 minutes my 7 year old was sad when they told her it would be 20 more minutes or even more because they didn't know what time the instructor would be back. We ended up canceling. Never going there again. read more

Being a first time paddle boarder I was nervous, but the skilled instructor put me at ease. My best friend and I took silly wetsuit selfies in the locker room and made loud jokes and the staff didn't mind. The instructor could tell I wasn't as experienced so he gave me some extra tips and help when I needed it. I had a blast, even after falling in countless times. It was a tough workout but, it was well worth it to see the sea creatures and peaceful waters. Walking back after the lesson was over I felt so accomplished and proud to try something new! Highly recommended to those seeking adventure and something to check off their bucket list. read more