Good boards... terrible people....stay away from this place. There are better places to rent from who deserve your hard earned money and actually appreciate their customers. read more

Returned rental board. Claimed that I damaged it and was responsible to pay "ding repair" because I had signed a "contract." Untrue. In fact, i noted no damage at all to the board and was extremely careful with it throughout my time renting. To be honest, the board was a piece of crapola to begin with, with multiple sub par repairs already made. The owner pointed out a small ding in the nose after I had already gone into the office, completed my "contract", signed, and paid. For all I know, he could have created the ding himself, but obviously it was my word against theirs. The "ding repair" fee is also to be required to be paid in cash even though they already have your credit card information and charge your rental fee through your card. They explained that the ding repair shop only takes cash and they cannot handle the accounting to have the "ding repair" fee on their books... shady and unprofessional business. Find a better bookkeeper/accountant if you can't handle a transaction like that. I had no cash on hand, nor debit card to visit a supposedly nearby atm. I also had my 6 year old daughter with me at the time who had just purchased 8 dollars worth of stickers from them and I explained that leaving to get cash to pay their fee to would create a hardship for me as we were trying to head of of town for the next part of our trip... they couldn't care less and basically didn't inspire any stoke in a young girl looking to get into surfing who is inspired by her dads hobbies. Also the owner acts super chill and cool surfer expat bullshit type, but, in reality, gives off very disingenuous vibes. In our argument about the ding repair he questioned whether I am a truly a "surfer" and made a couple other condescending macho comments. Anyways, long story short... Bullshit tactics to wring a few extra bucks off of you. Bad vibes, no tranquilo. read more

Best board selection in the area. The owner Bobby is a local legend & gives great advice on the right board for the conditions. This is my go to. Five Stars all the way! read more

Mar Azul Surf Shop - Ample board selection! - Surfing Near Me - Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

STAY AWAY. Worst rental experience of my life. Bobby, the older guy/owner, has apparently made a business of ripping people off. I've worked in the surf industry for over 10 years, have surfed all over the world, and have never interacted with someone who so badly represents the expat-surfer-now he thinks he's a local douche bag. Here's what happened: I rented a 6'0 Al Merrick--a decent board but very used and many times repaired. Their selection was slim (don't pay attention to their misleading website), so I grabbed it. I was then rushed through signing a long contract (it's a board rental--a business I have been in--you never should have to sign a contract like this). The waves were good though and I wanted to get out. Ok, signed. Two days of great surf at Maria's and Domes. Then, I go to bring it back...I return before 9am so he doesn't charge me for the day (which is also apparently part of his scheme, according to other reviews here). One guy (not Bobby) took a quick look and gave me the thumbs up--no additional damage. Then Bobby says "holy shit! This board is ruined," to my surprise. There was a crease across the bottom, a crease that was ALREADY THERE, and a small crack, which I had failed to notice. Fine, I would happily have paid to fix the crack (small enough I couldn't fit my fingernail in, by the way). He then proceeded to tell me that the board was a total loss and that I owed an additional $350. No way. I argued with him for a while, he aggressively kept saying "you signed a contract", "it's a huge loss to my inventory" and all of that BS. He also loved to keep patronizing me by saying "if you're really a surfer you would know that the board is totaled.." and "I've been doing this for 30 years, I know that boards value" yadda yadda. Ok, buddy. Here's the kicker: he already has my card on file, and this contract. He says he's going to charge it. With the rental fee for the two days and tax, he charged me a total of $446! It should have been $50 ($25/day for the rental) plus tax...and MAYBE an extra $20 for that small crack. I now have to either try and sell the board or pay $150 to get it home. Oh, and there is NO WAY the replacement value on that board was $350. Not a chance. All in all, a terribly run business that is out to take advantage of customers, at a cost of 100s of dollars to us. Do not rent/buy from or even visit this shop. Heed the reviews. read more

People complaining about business hours or getting charged for breaking a board don't understand how to run a business. Bobby runs a tight shop and becuase of that has one of the cleanest shops and best board selections on the island. He takes extremely good care of his equipment and legitimately cares about how things are done. You can tell immediately walking in. Thus why he's been in business for so long. I've been going to Rincon for a few years now and seen surf shops come and go. This place is there for good. If you want to rent a high quality equipment from people who care about their business, go here. They only offer the best. read more

I rented from this place a few years back and while everything went smoothly enough with my experience, I remember being made to sign an extremely onerous "contract" and also that the owner was inflexible about the timing of the rental and the way he charged you. They insisted on charging me for a "half day" even though I picked my board up at 6pm. Recently (two weeks ago) my brother and a friend rented from the same shop and were treated like absolute garbage. The owner of this place is a complete prick. Upon returning his board, the owner insisted that the board was "creased" and a "total loss," forcing them to purchase the board for over $350 -- and this for a crappy used surfboard, obviously repaired many times previously, maybe worth $150. The thing is, the board was in EXACTLY THE SAME condition as when it was picked up. I saw the board because my brother had to bring it home. The so called "total loss" is an extremely minor horizontal bruise that looks like it was caused maybe by a leash getting wrapped around the board. Basically normal wear and tear for an older board that has seen a lot of use. The bottom line: the owner intimidated my brother into buying the board with the threat of a totally illegitimate "contract" that they gloss over during the rental process. He had to pay for the board, return board fee of $150 with the airline, and a boardbag ($50) to get it home. All said and done, this little 2-day experience cost him over $500. He's now the lucky owner of a crappy used surfboard worth maybe $150. STAY AWAY! HEED THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS HERE AND ELSEWHERE. These guys obviously are not 'honest' operators and instead are just preying on tourists and those unlucky enough to walk into their shop. read more

Good board selection but we had a much better experience renting from Desecheo down the road. Mar Azul wasn't as flexible with pick-up/drop off times and wanted to charge us for a 1/2 day even though we were picking up an hour before close and dropping off at 10am the next morning...also felt that the guy was a bit condescending as he immediately assumed we had no idea what we were doing and talked to like we were kooks. .Desecheo was totally cool w/ charging us 1/2 day and letting us go a little over or picking up the night before. The people at Desecheo were friendlier too and went above and beyond to make sure we had what we needed. They also have better hours than Mar Azul. I would not recommend this shop. read more

Apparently, this is THE PLACE to rent your board in Rincon. It was suggested to me by three different surfers, on three different occasions, so I knew it had to be decent. They were friendly, quick, and accommodating. Great board selection. Great "swap it anytime you like" policy. Throw in some free ratchet straps, and hit the glass. The owner Bobby took some time with me to explain the local breaks and conditions. Seemed like a nice guy. One small thing though I feel I should mention. When I returned the board, they almost charged me an extra day. I had to politely request that they redo the math, and the matter was resolved with grace. I would definitely go back. I mean, I WILL definitely go back. read more

This is a great local shop to check out! The owner is wicked nice, they have a great selection of rental surfboards. The shop is located on 413 the road to happiness! read more

I almost didn't go here because of the reviews. I had started out at another place, but their boards were pretty beat up and whoever was supposed to meet me "early the next morning" (8:45-9am...I waited until 9:30) never showed up. :/ So I thought I would check Mar Azul out. The boards here were much nicer. (Like, not beat up *at all*.) The place was clean and well-tended. And I felt like the people were respectful and nice. Yes, there was a contract. But I've signed a contract at every place I've ever rented from, with the knowledge that I could potentially be charged up to the full cost for a replacement of the board. So I am as careful and respectful with a rental board as I am with my own boards (actually, probably more so). One complicating factor to renting in Rincon is that bottom is rock/coral. It's ALL rocky. It would be very easy to damage a glassed board here, just by bailing on it, one time. Or by not being careful getting in and getting out of the water. So you have take those things into consideration. But if you are a good surfer and can surf in control, don't let the reviews scare you off. If you're still worried about getting charged for something you didn't do, you can take pictures of the board before you take it out. Or you can ask that the board's replacement cost be outlined in the contract, and same with ding repair (e.g. a 1" gouge in the rail). But I had a great board and a few solid sessions. So if you want a nice board, go here. read more

These guys are great. Travel costs are so high these days i rented a different board everyday for less than the cost of baggage fees. Good name brand gear. Even got to try some new boards/shapes I've had my eye on. Boards I rented included ..Lost, Takayamma, Al Merrick, Firewire, Jimmy Lewis as well as local sharpers. Don't be a Kook or a know it all, be good to the gear and they will be great to you. Treat it like its yours and have some fun! read more

Not flexible whatsoever with drop off of the board you PAID to use. The older guy Bobby is a condescending asshole, I can't imagine that dude has smiled or joked around in years cause he was not friendly at all. I showed up at 5:04pm (exactly) after my cab was late picking me up, they close at 5:00. They were locked up so I went to the outdoor racks to drop it off and I was just gonna call them the next day since I had to run catch a flight and they already had my credit card on file (I yelled for someone at the gate with no answer). Didn't think it was a big deal but this guy came out in a rage, I explained to him I was short on options and he's yelling at me about "YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT!" And every other derogatory remark in the book, you would have thought I killed his dog, I was 4 MINUTES LATE. I tried to be respectful, he wouldn't let it go, went on and freaking on. As a paying customer and a reasonable person, He could have brushed it off and been understanding but was not at all. Thought he was just a complete dickhead and I would highly recommend going elsewhere I've rented from Desecheo and Playero down the street cause I come down all the time and it was NIGHT and DAY different in customer service. Don't give this place your business, there are better friendlier options with more flexibility with your schedule. I told some of my friends down there about it and they all said they don't like them at all and they tell people to rent elsewhere. I highly recommend you do read more

I rented an 8-foot epoxy board in okay condition that could have been sold at a fair market price of $250-$300. It would not cost more than $450 brand new retail. I rented it on Friday morning. When I returned it on Sunday afternoon, the board had buckled (surf was big), so I knew that I was returning a board that would no longer be rentable and would expect to "pay up" for the fair market value of the board. After a lot of number crunching and verifying information amongst themselves, I received the bill - it came to $675. The logic was $500 replace value for the board + fees + the rental time. I wish I were embellishing. After complaining at the ridiculous cost, the main guy at the shop just said, "sorry, it's a lose-lose when people break boards". Of course there was nothing that I could do since they already had my card info...... The shop itself is okay and would have gotten 3 starts. But $675 for a buckled generic epoxy board - unethical! Avoid this place. read more

They will rip you off! They rush the consumer through the rental process, fully taking advantage of a beginners' lack of knowledge of prior damage to surfboards. To the beginner, this may look like general wear and tear of rental equipment. When the equipment is returned, they charge for repair of "dings" which were already there. This happened to myself and my friend. I did not carefully inspect the equipment because other similar businesses do not operate like this. But I am a fairly experienced surfer and am sure I did not damage my equipment. They charged us an extra $70 for repair. After the incident, I asked around town, and it is well known that Mar Azul makes most of its money off of unsuspecting tourists who are charged for "ding" repair. I suspect when they notice the renter not carefully inspecting the equipment before renting, they take advantage upon equipment return and charge for prior damage. While I cannot prove they operate in an illegal fashion, their practice is highly dishonest, and should be made known to the unsuspecting consumer, usually tourists. You're much better off renting from locals on the beach. read more

Mar Azul set me up with a longboard, soft rack, and starfruit. I now have my own board and surf regularly, but I was a rank beginner when I rented here. Bobby (the owner) was great about getting me a board suitable for my (low) skill level and, as a beginner, I quite appreciated that he neither talked down to me nor expected too much of me. He was also helpful in terms of discussing which of the local breaks would be appropriate for me. I also appreciated that he'd say hi and generally be friendly when I saw him around Rincon for the few days my husband and I were there. I can't speak to it from experience, but I got the impression that Mar Azul also has plenty of gear for more advanced surfers. EDIT: I forgot to note that the starfruit was delicious, and there is sometimes a cute and playful dog to run around with. :) read more

Great, family run business that is strict because Bobby runs a tight ship to avoid ppl abusing any flexibility (ie dropping off late, complaints about damages that were probably compared against previous damages noted in contract prior ( like a Rental car). He's a great guy and runs the best Rental business in rincon. He has a variety of boards that are in good condition (take into account that they are rentals in a place with shallow reefs and gringos that expect to not be charged for damages). Carries boards from top of the line shapers in multiple sizes and shapes. Couldn't speak highly enough about how reputable he is...let the haters hate because at the end of the day they know they indeed paid for only damages they caused and are just sour gringos. read more

Mar Azul was recommended to me by three locals so it was a no brainer. They had an awesome selection with a buch of glass over epoxy and weren't pushy or snobby when it came to picking a board. I grabbed a board as they were about to close and they did not charge me for the day which was awesome. They made changing boards effortless and easy, they were knowledgable and friendly, and answered all my questions. I would recommend this to anyone staying in Rincon. read more

Friendly people, with decent rentals. The workers are also very helpful with directions to prime spots.

I found Mar Azul via a Google search and I can see why people like this place. They made it so easy to get a surfboard and into the surf. Having never surfed in Puerto Rico before, they had a great little "surf spot cheat sheet" map that got me acquainted with the area in no time. This sort of information would have taken me a few hours to put together online! The service was friendly and I was able to stop/start/swap my board rental at any point throughout the week without any fuss which was a HUGE plus because the swell died for a few days while I was there, so I just turned my board in and effectively hit "pause" on my contract. I would recommend Mar Azul to anyone who needs to rent a board in Rincón! read more

On our PR adventures, we made a trip to Rincon and stopped here to pick-up some T-shirts for our boys. Bob and his wife were great. Loved their shop and were very helpful on finding the surf various spots in Rincon. Definitely making a stop here again on our next trip to PR! read more

The place is wonderful. Wide selection of great quality boards at very reasonable prices. I will definitely be coming back the next time I'm in Rincon. read more

This is a ditto review from me but after I read it I felt the EXACT same way. Sorry about your ignorance Adam but Mar Azul are the most honest people in town and if you got talked down to I am sure it was deserving. Mar Azul is a great small business, with a wide variety of boards. Personally I've known the owners for years, and I've used a variety of boards many times. Prices are always fair, and the service is great. I don't know what Adam was talking about as Rincon is a very small, tight nit community and I'm sure nobody has said anything about Mar Azul, sounds to me like inexperience and slander. I highly advise anybody who read that review NOT to rent boards off "locals" on the beach. You could be setting yourself up to be ripped off, and possibly thieves may target you, you're much safer trusting a local shop. It's very unfortunate but thieves pray on tourists no matter where you go, not unlike PR. And no matter where you go, if you break it you buy it. If you didn't inspect the gear prior to renting it, and you didn't take pictures of the gear prior to renting, there's no way to know if you did or didn't damage the boards. Rincon has plenty of reef and rocks around its coast to make an easy ding without noticing. Just like rental cars make you inspect it with them to make sure you are aware of the condition you are getting the car in the same should be done with everything you rent. Trust someone who's lived there, and grown up there. Mar Azul can be trusted 100%. read more

Highly experienced and friendly people. I've dealt with a variety of surf rental businesses around the world and this shop was by far the most knowledgeable and had a killer selection of boards. Bobby was a great guy to talk with and Raquel was a sweetheart! Thanks again for the hospitality and tips see you two again next time. read more

They have a good board selection and have no problem with you swapping boards but customer service is very bad. I gave them a second and third try but nothing improved. If you find yourself in a pinch due to unforeseeable circumstances they will not cut you a break. They will give you false/misleading information and treat you like a total kook (even if you're a resident local). They are very condescending and do not appreciate you as a customer or a human being. Karma will take care of these assholes. Don't be a part of it! read more

I don't write reviews often but felt compelled to write after our experience. The folks who rented us the boards were polite and helpful, but on return the gentleman who owns the shop was extremely rude and unaccommodating. When we rented the shop help had explained that a day rental was a 24 hour period. We picked up at 1:30 PM and drove up to Hobo beach since Ricon was glassy that day. Boards were in pretty poor shape but we were just happy to be on vacation (fin set screw was missing and the board was pretty beat up). When we returned at 1:30 the next day the owner, Bobby, pretty much flew into a rage when we told him what the shop help the previous day had quoted. It was actually us that had to calm him down when you would think he would be placating the customer. Anyway not only did he not honor the previous day agreement but he decided to charge us an extra full day because we had come back at 1:30 PM and that's considered a full day by there standards. I should have paid more attention to similar reviews regarding the owners condescending attitude and inflexibility. If there is a way they can get more money from you they will. There are many choices available and many have said they have much better experiences with several of the local competition. I would advise against using these folks and head elsewhere. read more

fantastic experience renting surf boards from here. bob was really friendly and helpful. highly recommended.