My three teen/young adult sons had a fabulous first surfing experience today thanks to LTR and…read moretheir knowledgeable and helpful instructor Hayden. Everyone at LTR was so kind and helpful. We parents were quite impressed with their overall program, which we saw in action. At one point, I observed the intermediate group of youth at a camp/session that John was coaching picking up trash on the beach during a break. They clearly know not only how to cultivate community, but also how to care for it and the environment. Bravo! My sons can't wait to get back in the water tomorrow and give surfing another go! Thank you!

My boys (14 &12) had 3, 2 hour surf lessons with LTR. They absolutely loved their lessons even…read morethough they were very hesitant. The instructors made the boys feel extremely comfortable and confident. By the second lesson the instructors decided to take them out into the deeper water and challenge them more. I really appreciated that. Also, communication with setting up appointments was very prompt and thorough. LTR provides everything for the lesson. They have a great selection of boards and wetsuits.

Great in-water instruction for beginners. Lots of reps on the inside reform for those who need to…read morefind their feel for the waves, then help with learning to catch and drop in on waves with a face

We LOVE Eli Howard! Our most favorite camp that we truly count down the days for. Emily is amazing…read moreand so are all of the instructors.

Courteous and great staff, amazing, smart instructors, fun and safe learning surf experience!read more

I was really disappointed with our experience at San Diego Surf School. My husband and I booked a…read morebeginner surf lesson because we had never surfed before and wanted to learn the fundamentals from a professional instructor. Unfortunately, that isn't what we received. Our instructor told us he was just visiting from out of town, and it felt like he wasn't prepared or invested in teaching. To start he was late, when he did show up we received very little instruction before going into the water and were never taught many of the basic skills that beginners should learn, including proper paddling technique, how to pop up on the board, or even how to safely fall off the board. As beginners, that was especially concerning because safety should be the top priority. Once we were in the water, we were practically left on our own. Instead of receiving coaching, corrections, or guidance throughout the lesson, we were left trying to figure everything out ourselves. We paid for a surf lesson, not just a board rental. After the lesson, I reached out to the owner to explain our experience. To their credit, they responded promptly and admitted that our lesson was not taught according to their beginner curriculum. They explained that beginner lessons are supposed to include ocean safety, surf etiquette, how to safely fall, paddling technique, popping up, and active coaching throughout the lesson, all of the things we expected but didn't receive. However, the resolution they offered was only 50% off another lesson. While I appreciate the acknowledgment that our lesson fell below their standards, I don't think it's reasonable to ask customers to pay again even at a discount to receive the instruction they already paid for the first time. They also mentioned that they couldn't offer a complimentary lesson because they wanted to ensure their instructors were fairly compensated. As a customer, I believe it's just as important that clients receive the quality of service they paid for. We chose this school because of its great reputation, which made this experience even more disappointing. Hopefully this was an isolated incident, but I think future beginners should know that our experience was far from the comprehensive lesson that was advertised.

My daughter and I decided to try surfing for the first time, and we had an amazing experience with…read moreSoCal Surf Lessons! We had zero ocean experience, but our instructors, Rusty and Justin, were fantastic. They made us feel comfortable right away and did a great job teaching beginners. We were a little worried about getting cold, but Rusty set us up with extra thick wetsuits, which made a huge difference. After a quick practice on the beach, we headed straight into the water! It was an exhilarating experience! I even managed to get up a few times. We had an absolute blast and would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to try surfing!

These guys were great. Not only was Rusty communicative but he was also gracious and flexible to…read moreaccommodate us when I mixed up the booking date. Curan jumped right in and gave us a lesson and he was great. He made it super easy for us to be successful and had lots of patience. We are looking forward to our next surf lesson when we are in town. Thank you.

In early April 2026, we took a surf lesson with Steve and had SO much fun. He met us (ages 44, 44,…read moreand 15) at the top of the steps at Stonesteps Beach and helped us suit up in comfy wetsuits. We were all first-timers from a landlocked state. Steve's instructions out on the water were easy to follow and he helped steady the boards to ensure we all got up! The ocean temp was perfect for a 75 degree sunny day- we were super comfortable. The ocean floor is very flat with no rocks or seaweed. Honestly wouldn't change a darn thing, and huge shoutout to Steve who is very good at this! Would absolutely do this again.

Surfing has always been something that I was too afraid or intimidated to try. I've lived in SoCal…read moremy whole life and was kinda embarrassed that I never REALLY tried to surf. I decided to face my fears and sign up for a lesson. I'm so happy I did. I had an amazing private lesson with Steve who was very patient and encouraging. They provided the board and wetsuit so all I needed to do was show up. It was a perfect day and the waves weren't too scary. They picked a spot that wasn't crowded and we just kept trying to catch waves. Steve provided helpful tips each wave and I eventually was able to ride multiple waves which surprised me! I wasn't expecting to be able to be able to stay up on the board, but through minor adjustments from Steve I exceeded my expectations. Thank you Lynn for setting everything up and making it easy. Highly recommend!

I booked this for my kiddos for two of their birthday experiences when visiting from AZ. We had a…read moresmall issue with booking what were able to get it all figured out. Carlos was awesome with my 3 kids! He gave them great cues and was super patient and supportive. My kids had an absolute blast and just "going to the beach" will probably never cut it again!

I had a lesson with Alex, and he was really great with the stage I was at. I need some help with…read morewave selection, reading, timing, etc., and a lot of instructors just revert to working on the first-time beginner stuff. Alex helped me with what I was trying to work on and let me keep some stuff in his car, because I was traveling without one for part of my trip, which I really appreciated!

WARNING!!!! Took My Money, Canceled the Trip, Zero Accountability!!…read more Booking with Fulcrum Surf has been one of the worst customer experiences I've ever had. I paid several thousand dollars up front for a Kelly Slater Wave Ranch trip -- something special I had planned more than a year in advance as a Christmas gift for my fiancé. After the initial deposit, my card was hit with additional charges I did not authorize or approve beforehand. I assumed it was part of the package and kept going because I trusted the company and believed the trip was secured. Then they went silent. For months. When they finally resurfaced -- over a year after taking and holding my money -- it was to tell me the trip wasn't happening. No apology, no explanation, no alternative solution, and certainly no urgency. The trip that I had paid for in full simply did not exist anymore. Instead of refunding me, they offered store credit, as if I should be excited to keep gambling with a company that couldn't deliver the trip they already took my money for. I declined and asked for a refund back to my original form of payment, which is standard for any legitimate business. Since then? Radio silence. No refund. No acknowledgment. No accountability. Just a company sitting on my money, hoping I'll get tired and go away. In my opinion, this behavior is deeply unprofessional and completely unacceptable. A company that can quickly charge your card but disappears the moment they owe you money tells me everything I need to know. If you're considering booking with them, here's my honest advice: don't. There are plenty of surf travel companies out there that understand customer service, deliver what they sell, and don't leave customers chasing their own money for months. After everything I've experienced, I would never book with Fulcrum Surf again and would strongly warn others to think twice before handing over a single dollar.

Justin and Ari from Fulcrum might just be the best coaches in all of SoCal (and I've had a few!)…read more In a short time, they helped elevate my skills to a whole new level, transitioning me from a Wavestorm, to a mid-length, and now to a performance shortboard. Both place a big emphasis on form, incorporating both land and water exercises to strengthen the key muscle groups essential for shortboarding. In the water, they keep attention to the smallest details which is helping to fine-tune my technique - and the video analysis has been a game changer for my progress. Fulcrum sincerely cares about my progress and surf journey and I can't thank them enough.