Newport Surf School

(120 reviews)

6.1 km

Great experience with awesome instructors - patient, cool - exactly what you'd hope…read more I can say I've surfed after the experience

*****Perfect***** My…read moreyoungest is an avid swimmer in the pool and in the ocean. She swims and body surfs. She already had fins and knows the Newport and Laguna waters well. She even has done Laguna and Crystal Cove Junior Guards. However, she just wouldn't try surfing with me. So, I enrolled her in a private lesson. I spoke to Amy on the phone and she understood. She recommended Jorge because he has kids of his own. Jorge was great. Right away she hopped up and rode wave after wave. He was proactive at identifying good waves and giving her a slight push with verbal instructions. Afterwards, she kept asking me for a board and to go back surfing.. Even if you are a great surfer, there are many advantages of getting a lesson for your child. They have wet suits and giant foam boards. This saves money instead of going out and spending two or three hundred when your kid might not even like it. Using a larger board is the way to go and it eliminates the frustrations of learning on a shorter board. Jorge was great. He was proactive, engaging, and well versed with kids. I ended up buying a used foam board for her to practice more on. As she progresses, she can get a regular board This is a great place to take a lesson. Open communication and the follow-through makes me a fan and then some! Don't just go to the beach and take selfies to post. That behavior ruins the beach and it's a stupid way to live a fake life. Take a lesson and get in the water. Enjoy the ocean for all it has and have someone else take real pictures of you enjoying it! A nickel says you will have a blast Or, give your kids a great experience they will always remember. They make it easy here!

Learning to turn in surf class

Female student dropping into a wave during Summer Surf Camp!

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Learn To Surf

4.6

(72 reviews)

7.7 km

First time surfing! Dave was great at teaching us the fundamentals and helping us to get on the…read morewaves! We were able to stand on the board and ride the waves The location is great for beginners to learn. Overall a great experience Parking is street parking so give yourself enough time to find a spot.

I booked surf lessons and clearly communicated three times that I am an intermediate surfer, which…read moremeans the instructor needed to bring an appropriate surfboard. Instead, he arrived with one that had a broken leash and spent 90% of the time going back to shore, leaving me without instruction. This was beyond frustrating and completely unprofessional. To make matters worse, the merchant promised to take pictures during the session for two hours. She showed up late, despite the sky being clear and bright 30 minutes before the lesson was set to start. In the end, she only took photos for half an hour and never sent them to me despite my constant reminders. This experience was a total disappointment and an absolute waste of time and money. I would never recommend this service to anyone. The merchant was also being racist, and accusatory. I have the recording if anyone is interested. Overall, just stay away to keep your insanity. Many other surf schools in Huntington and I trust there are many other non racist people.

Dave always did great job

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Positive reinforcement produces competent surfers.

Newport Beach Surfing Lessons

4.5

(19 reviews)

5.2 km

Renting wetsuits was a new experience for me and my girls. Newport surf school was awesome! we…read morecan't wait till come back. Thanks Sean and Kelsy.

Myself & my 10 year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed our 2 hour surf lesson we recently had. Mason…read morewas great with both of us and had both of us standing on waves by the end of our lessons. Thank you Mason, The Saldivars

Students First Surf Lesson

Surf Lessons For Groups!

Surfing Lessons Rock!

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Newport Surf Camp

4.8

(63 reviews)

5.6 km

Great camp! My son has been going for 3 summers now and always has the best time. It is well run…read moreand such a worthwhile experience.

This surf camp is EVERYTHING. We have done this camp two years and my kids love it. The price is…read moreamazing, the staff is kind, gentle, and warm, and the safety and instruction absolutely EPIC. The way they teach the kids to get up and help them consistently while in the water creates confident and adventurous surfers. We have loved watching our kids develop their skills ever since they started with Newport Surf Camp. Highly recommend!!

My son's instructor was wonderful!

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Learn2Rip Surfing Lesson and Ocean Academy

(377 reviews)

21.9 km

We are complete beginners in our 50s and this was our very first time learning how to surf. Cat and…read moreDom are really good and caring instructors who prepared us with solid basic dry land instructions and made sure we are comfortable getting in the water. FYI, we haven't even been at the beach since covid. So, yeah... first time in the water in a while and learning how to surf. With great instructors anything is possible and it is never too late to learn something new. In the water they made sure we were safe and guided us thoroughly. My wife was able to stand on the board on her first wave. It was really fun. I needed more help and they were always there to coach us right along. We are definitely coming back for more surf lessons. If you want to learn give them a call.

I wish I could give 10 stars! From start to finish, this was…read morean outstanding service experience. The communication was excellent, responses were prompt, and the team genuinely cared about helping my niece achieve her goal--standing up on a surfboard (just like she dreamed!). They didn't just focus on the end result--they spent over two hours patiently working with her, correcting her form, and building her confidence every step of the way. Cat is amazing, Bjorn was incredibly patient and encouraging, and Rosa was so sweet! We couldn't have asked for a better team. Highly, highly recommend!

South of Huntington Beach

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Wavehuggers

4.7

(294 reviews)

13.1 km

Women-owned & operated

Kid friendly

This was our son first time taking a surfing lesson, and as an adult with special needs, he was…read moreanxious and nervous going into the session. We weren't sure how it would go, but coach Elliot made all the difference. He was incredibly patient, kind, and understanding of our son's needs. The first couple of attempts were tough- our son was nervous about riding the waves and facing the unknown. But coach Elliot never rushed him and offered steady encouragement the whole time. By the third try, everything changed- we saw a big smile on our son's face, thank you Coach Elliot for creating such a positive and supportive experience!

I registered my daughter for a full-day surf camp three weeks in advance and paid $675. The camp…read morewas supposed to start on Monday, but on Sunday afternoon--just ONE DAY before it started--I was contacted and told they didn't have enough participants for the afternoon session and had to cancel it. Since the afternoon session was important for our schedule, I asked to cancel the entire camp, and they agreed. It has now been 10 days since the cancellation, and I still have not received my $675 refund. I've sent multiple messages asking for an update and have received no clear response or information about my refund. This has been a very poorly managed and disappointing experience. At this point, I'm actually glad my daughter didn't attend. I would not recommend this surf school based on how this situation has been handled. I am still waiting for my $675 refund and confirmation that it has been processed.

Instructor Quinn helps these awesome ladies catch their very first waves!

These bags are perfect for beach days and shopping! Post a photo of your lesson and tag @wavehuggers to receive yours!

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Another happy Wavehuggers' student.

Banzai Surf School

(90 reviews)

8.4 km

What a great experience! I booked a January class expecting the cold and wind yet Justin made it…read moresuch a fun time. He was so knowledgeable while also being upbeat and our time flew by. So worth the money and Banzai has everything you need... just bring a towel !

Went twice with each of my children. Justin Brown was great, we learned a ton, and he took good…read morecare of us as we tired out. Thanks!

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California Bodyboarders

4.8

(5 reviews)

4.2 km

My kiddo has been here for 2 summers, last summer and this summer. It's been a fun time, and there…read moreare morning excursions to tide pools and Pirate's Cove.

My 8-year old son absolutely LOVED their summer camp. He attended 2 weeks this past summer and…read moreaccording to him: It was the BEST camp ever!

Not everyone wants to go straight into the water

Wetsuits keep them warm in the water

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Sea

Surfriders Academy Surf School

(74 reviews)

12.6 km

Dallas was my son's instructor. Lahaina native…read more My son had a lot of fun and most importantly, he was safe. He was all smiles after his lesson. Thank you Marcus and Surfriders Academy!

My friend and I had a lesson with Hunter. It was a blast. This was our first ever surfing…read moreexperience. We were 100% happy about the class. Surfing was challenging but fun. Hunter was extremely patient, encouraging and professional. It was convenient that they provided all the equipments. The communication on booking details were excellent! I want to bring my other friends for more surfing lessons.

Koa surfing on a boogie board!!!

Student first time surfing in Huntington Beach.

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First time on a surfboard! this young student had that day surfing!

Urban Workshop

Hi, I called to inquire about the summer program, and when I was told it was $900 a week, my jaw…read morehonestly dropped. That pricing makes the program completely out of reach for many middle-class families. At nearly $4,000 a month, especially in Orange County where families are already struggling just to cover rent and basic expenses, it feels pretty outrageous. I really hope your team reconsiders the cost of the program or offers more affordable options for working families. Programs like this should be accessible to more kids, not just families with extremely high incomes.

We are at the Open House. This place is awesome! I feel like we can make anything here. The…read morestaff is friendly. Can't wait for my children to start this Fall! JMJ

Large professional woodshop with CNC router is ready for your project.

Engineering computer lab with design software, programming tools, CNC programming software, large format printer, and vinyl cutter

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Large open work area promotes sharing ideas and team work.

Sunsational Swim School - At-Home Swim Lessons

4.8

(337 reviews)

17.2 km

I highly recommend Nicole as a swim instructor…read more Before taking lessons with her, I had already tried learning how to swim two or three times, but I never really succeeded. After just six one-hour lessons with Nicole, everything changed. In the very first lesson, she taught me how to float, which immediately helped me feel much safer and more comfortable in the water. Over the next few lessons, she taught me breaststroke, freestyle, and backstroke. More importantly, Nicole completely changed the way I feel about swimming. I used to be afraid of the water, but she helped me feel safe, relaxed, and confident. Now I actually look forward to swimming. Nicole is incredibly patient, encouraging, and excellent at explaining things in a way that is easy to understand. I never imagined I could make so much progress in such a short time. Thank you, Nicole!

My girls and I LOVE Bahar! She is patient and absolutely wonderful with kids. We love her gentle…read moreand effective teaching skills! Her smile and energy radiates and we always look forward to our lessons! I highly recommend her to all my friends!

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Little Angels Family Childcare

Women-owned & operated

As first-time daycare parents, we were very nervous about starting daycare, but the experience has…read moreexceeded our expectations. Even after just a few days, our little one has adjusted so much better than we imagined. The owner and staff have been patient, caring, and supportive during the transition. We were honestly amazed that he was able to nap in a sleeping bag alongside the other children, especially since he normally has a very specific routine at home. It almost felt like magic! We know it's still early, but we're so grateful for the care, attention, and reassurance we've received. It's such a relief to see our child feeling comfortable, safe, and excited to go to daycare.

We are so grateful for Elle and Little Angle Family Daycare! Elle is truly a lifesaver for so many…read moreparents--and for their little ones, too. She is incredibly kind, patient, and understanding with young children as they take their first steps outside the comfort of home and experience being away from their parents for the first time. Starting daycare is such a big and emotional transition for both children and parents, and we feel so fortunate that Chris gets to go through this experience with Elle's care, patience, and support. It is such a challenging and important job, and we truly appreciate everything she does for these little ones

Backyard at Little Angels Childcare

Backyard with enriching toys and plenty of play space!

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Playroom at Little Angels

Catalyst Kids - Newport Heights

(3 reviews)

4.4 km

Newport Heights CDC provides an excellent and high quality after schools program year round. The…read moreSummer Camp is so much fun and the kids who I tutor love it. They go on many fun field trips and adventures that the kids adore. The teachers are all awesome especially Miss Valerie and Miss Marsha. I think they are enrolling right now for summer too. It really is so much fun and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I cannot wait to go back and join them this summer to help out on some camp days and trips.

Best place ever! My girls love it!! Miss Marsha and Miss…read moreValerie are so warm and caring. My two girls have been going there for years and its like a home away from home. They help them with homework and always come up with cool clubs and activities. Most importantly, they listen to the kids and give them a vote to include them and make them feel important. Would highly recommend this place. As a mother, its reassuring to know that my girls are in safe hands! My girls give them 2 thumbs up.

Pictures are from various CDC locations

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Giant Step Learning Center

(19 reviews)

5.5 km

We enrolled our son here last year when he was just 3 years old. At the beginning, he needed to be…read morewith another child so he wouldn't feel too shy, but now we've seen tremendous improvement in his confidence and learning. He truly enjoys going to school and loves his teachers, especially Ms. Martha and Ms. Anabel. I highly recommend this school to parents who are looking for quality education and a nurturing environment for their children. Their tuition fees are also more affordable compared to other nearby learning centers, which makes it an even better choice.

I can't say enough good things about Giant Step Learning Center. As a parent, I was really nervous…read moreabout leaving my daughter in someone else's care for the first time, but the staff here has gone above and beyond to make the transition easier than I ever expected. Mrs. Martha has been such a gift for us. My daughter is usually very shy and takes a while to warm up to new people, but she completely adores Mrs. Martha. When she's having a hard moment or feeling unsure, she automatically goes to her for comfort, which says a lot about the trust and bond they've built. You can just tell she has a special way with kids. The center also keeps me updated on how my daughter is doing what she ate, how she napped, if anything unusual happened. Those little updates mean a lot and give me peace of mind while I'm away. As any mother we wanna know our children are being cared for and these amazing women definitely do that. I also have to mention Ms. Jazmin, the director. On the very first day, I started tearing up when I dropped my daughter off. Ma. Jazmin comforted me and shared that she went through the same emotions when she left her own child at daycare for the first time. Just that reassurance and understanding made me feel better. Another thing worth mentioning is that their rates are much more affordable compared to most places in the area, especially considering how popular the location is being right near The CAMP. It's getting the best of both world's quality care at a price that doesn't feel overwhelming. We honestly feel lucky to have found Giant Step. It's been such a positive experience, and I'm grateful every day knowing my daughter is in such good hands. Overall, everyone I've met here is warm, approachable, and clearly cares about the kids. They even do little events for families throughout the year, which makes the place feel more like a community.

Easter 2025! 2-year-old class.

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Coastal Children's Learning Center

4.7

(34 reviews)

3.7 km

I (we) think that Coastal is simply a fantastic pre-school run by equally fantastic teachers and a…read moregreat director. We dug deep prior to enrolling our little at Coastal and found it to be the most well-balanced pre-school that allows kids to both learn as well as engage in outdoor play. While we loved ENC, for example, and even got a place to enroll, I can't have our kid looking at leaves all day long without any formal learning or curriculum. Coastal delivers both education (we want to educate our kids right?) as well as the essential outdoor play, interactive, creative and group play. The kids are great. The campus is fantastic. It's a well run machine and there's plenty of value. Love this place and we highly recommend it.

Love Coastal! One joined at 18 months all the way to when she went to TK. The younger also joined…read moreat 18 months and has 1 more year left. The teachers are amazing and the kids always come home happy and cheerful telling us about what they did that day. Such a great place for kids to make friends and play every day!

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Swim with Mike Arentz

(32 reviews)

4.9 km

We're about to start on our 2nd year with Coach Mike and this is the best investment we could make…read morefor our kids. Coach Mike is calm but firm and the after each lesson our kids are visibly better swimmers.

My sons took lessons with Mike almost 3 years ago. My youngest had been taking lessons at Lifetime…read moreFitness for almost a year with no progress. To put it into perspective, he was deathly afraid of the water and wouldn't even put his head in even if he was standing on the steps of the pool. Mike had him swimming in less than 2-3 lessons. He now does the 100 yard freestyle in 1:45 and is doing the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards this summer.

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

2 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Matt B.

12 years ago

Wow!!!!??? This is Matt owner of Newport Surf School, I've just checked in on Yelp and these negative reviews are 100% false and am suspicious that these slanderous remarks are from competing surf schools? Check out my stellar site @ newportsurfschool.com and any will see that I am the best in the country and do not deal with clients/students like Daniel P nor S.b. who wrote these 2 reports defaming me and the way my curriculums work or my staff who do not give full attention either!!! Read my Testimonial Page, You'll see that my students are totally satisfied!!! So anyone can get on Yelp these days and write these ridiculous accusations trying to make it seem like I'm giving poor instruction. Please do not write anymore of these misleading Yelp reviews!!! read more

Laura W.

13 years ago

A.L. 's review is BS. She works for a competitor and left bad reviews for all other surf schools other than the one for which she works. Check out her history. Yelp needs to make sure these kinds of biased reviews do not negetively affect legitimate and good businesses. read more

Newport Surf School - surfschools - Updated August 2026

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Sal Y Sol Surf School

(13 reviews)

I've taken 3 lessons with Cat over a few months, as a beginner who can't always practice…read moreconsistently (travel/work), it's been helpful to have a patient instructor reminder me of the basics and help me get a little bit better each time. Highly recommended to surf with Cat and Jazz, they're super patient and knowledgeable.

Cat & Jazz have great customer service. Their communication was great whether it be by phone or…read moretext. They were able to coordinate a last minute surf lesson after another company flaked on us the morning of our lesson. My 11 year old granddaughter's lesson was with Aaron, who graciously showed up with a wetsuit, a board and a great attitude. All with barely any notice. She opted not to wear a wetsuit, but hey she's a polynesian girl and loves cold water. He explained safety, body positioning on the board, foot positioning, paddle and pop up. Actually he gave more instructions than I listed. She understood well, so this part of the lesson was pretty quick. They walked looking for a spot. Aaron explained the different types of waves pointing them out to her as they appeared. He picked a spot that was empty and showed her how to put the board in the water, which may sound silly but it is important. She paddled out, ducked and dived, turned, popped up and rode in on her first try. They stayed out for quite a while talking in between. Sometimes she wiped out and sometimes she looked like she'd been surfing since birth. After about an hour and half she needed a break and suggested he go out so she could watch. As impressive as he was, she KTFO!!!! LOL! Just a quick little nap after waking up early and all of her hard work in that cold water. When she got up they went out again. This time she needed very little assistance. It was great!!!! Now we can surf together. All in all I'm glad the other surf school I booked with flaked on us. This was a great experience all around. I'm planning on getting a lesson set up for one of my grandbaby's friends soon. The more the merrier right? I totally recommend the Sal Y Sol surf school for a great experience!

Serene Waters Surf Adventures

(27 reviews)

James is amazing teacher at surfing he is well known in Huntington Beach and is super cool dude and…read morerips

So fun! Coach James is absolutely wonderful with my 6 year old son. He is patient, encouraging, and…read moreknows exactly how to make the lesson fun while still helping him learn and build confidence in the water. My son looks forward to every lesson and feels so comfortable with him. You can tell Coach James genuinely enjoys working with kids and really cares about helping them succeed. We're so happy we found him and would highly recommend lessons to any family looking for an amazing surf instructor!

California Surf Experience

(43 reviews)

I've signed up my son, Dylan, for 5 private lessons with Instructor Travis…read more Travis is a wonderful Instructor with a lot of knowledges about surfing. Dylan has advanced from knowing a little bit about surfing to knowing a lot more about surfing. He is confident and comfortable now to surf on his own. He had so much fun surfing at the beach every weekend! Thank you California Surf Experience!! :)

What a great time! Got up my first try…read more Travis was helpful and knowledgable. Can't wait to do it again.:)

Newport Beach Surfing Lessons

4.5

(19 reviews)

Renting wetsuits was a new experience for me and my girls. Newport surf school was awesome! we…read morecan't wait till come back. Thanks Sean and Kelsy.

Kula Nalu Ocean Sports

4.5

(28 reviews)

Lessons, info, and passion is all great. No complaints regarding the actual lesson. The only…read morecriticism I may have on that is that our instructor wasn't very structured. This might be ok for some, but for those who prefer more defined teaching style, you may want to keep this in mind. My main pain point is the reservation process and getting in touch with the school. My appointment was was canceled twice, one due to surf conditions (unavoidable), the other due to poor planning and scheduling on their part. Getting in contact and making an appointment was very difficult to begin with, and even more difficult rescheduling. Weekend lessons are limited. Just keep that in mind if you decide to work with them. Reservations are done through email which is tedious and and inefficient. Trying to call to make reservations was not possible, and even requesting a call through email was not fulfilled. I left messages and more often then not, did not receive a call back. They did apologize for the back and forth, missed calls and lack of follow ups, noting that they had been encountering problems with their phones and call service. They noted that they were in the process addressing phone issues. They tried to make up for it by offering a free land training session in their gym. Though appreciated, I didn't want to go through the effort of having to schedule that. I can't verify that the call/phone service they used has changed, or if their inefficient appointment process has changed, but that's how it was in the spring/summer of 2014. What was meant to be a jump start of a summer off learning to surf, ended up being one lesson near the end of summer. To note, the reason I kept at it in, trying to schedule a session was 1) I had purchased a deal, 2) my friend really wanted the lessons, 3) I wanted to see how the overall service and lessons would work out. In the end, it was painfully enough for me not to recommend them.

you know what they say about life…read more no one's getting out of here alive. so might as well hurl yourself, head first. easy to say, hard philosophy to follow. most folks, as they get older-- either become more set in their ways (fear, judgment, insecurity, anger), or set on becoming better (more laughter, more wine, more empathy). but once in a while we get so caught up on social networks, jobs, ego, etc, that we need a little reminder. of how small we really, truly are. my remedy? mother nature. take any hard, fast talking, angeleno and drop them in the middle of an ocean. i'll bet money at the end of the day, guy will have chilled the hell out. now HK didn't do that to me, thank god. after years of debating, i finally booked a one on one surf lesson. having almost drowned a couple of times as a kid, i was a bit squirrley about going into the ocean. i mean, it's the OCEAN. no clean chlorine sheen, no grumpy swimmers, just water and earth. he was extremely patient with me, and did a very thorough prep work, going over safety tips, and overall basics of surfing at the shop. after that, we drove over to the water. we stayed in the white water, and he kept helping me go at it again and again, until i stood up (ish). i have to say, actually being in a the water is a completely jarring experience. i wiped out about 13 times minimum (as HK told me "you WILL wipeout"), and after the 12th time, i got used to the hammering of the ocean, and started to loosen up a bit. HK was extremely supportive, and damn, he's probably the best motivational speaker i've ever come across. he explained that you have to believe that you'll catch the wave, and make it your own. how can you NOT love the guy? or surfers in general. if you're a first time newbie like me, i highly suggest you do the one on one, you'll be more comfortable and HK will take care of you. this is a fantastic family run business, and after i grow a pair, i think i'll go try to the hit the waves again soon. head first.

San Clemente Surf School

4.4

(13 reviews)

Extremely disappointed. Chris cancelled our group lesson 2 hours before the start because his…read moreinstructor was sick. Since we were international travelers leaving the next day, we couldn't reschedule. Chris promised a refund but has been stalling for 5 months now, blaming his booking software 'Peek'. He has stopped responding to emails. If you are looking for a reliable surf school that honors its refund policy when they cancel on you, look elsewhere. Unprofessional and dishonest management.

Fantastic! I am a yelp lurker and don't normally post a review. However, there aren't enough…read morereviews for this business and I felt it important that others know how great it was! We emailed to request a lesson for my two kids (15 & 14) and the response was very quick. They scheduled a 2 hour lesson for the next day with Josiah. He was fantastic. He had both the kids up and surfing very quick. I highly recommend them. They were very easy to plan and work with!

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Jake is an awesome instructor. He has a ton of knowledge and takes his time to help you improve…read more Highly recommend him

I found him on yelp after many failed attempts with other places. He got back to me in a timely…read moremanner. On the surf side- he made my very young son comfortable and standing on the board in the waves within the first lesson. Highly recc

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4.0

(13 reviews)

I prepaid over $900 for camp weeks that were never provided and have not been refunded since August…read more2025. Multiple attempts to contact the owner, Karen, have been ignored with no resolution or communication. This has been an extremely frustrating and unprofessional experience. I strongly recommend not prepaying and proceeding with caution before booking

Awesome... if you have kids... send them! My Son enjoyed the…read moreovernight camp, made great friends and had a blast. No frills just good fun, good people and good times..

All Abilities Surf Therapy

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Mike was so great with our son! He talked to him in a patient, calm voice, and explained everything…read morethey did step by step. The surf lesson was an experience we will never forget! It gave our son more confidence in the water and the opportunity to develop balance, coordination and strength, all while having a blast at the beach! We will definitely continue to do surf lessons with All Abilities Surfing!

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