Heart and soul of Skateboarding & Surfing. ONE: This place is owned and operated by people who have been and will surf/skate their whole lives. TWO: Great selection of hardgoods, clothing, hats, sunglasses, pads/helmets, wetsuits, shoes, sandals, stickers, magazines dvds and more. THREE: They support a team of riders keeping the sport alive and giving back to the community with contests and demos and bbqs and art shows featuring prizes: cash and product. FOUR: They have a freakin halfpipe. You have to support a shop with a halfpipe.. who else has the balls to do that? Go skate, break your board, kill your shoes, rip your shirt. Then go inside and buy new gear. FIVE: They always have rad art on display from artist who ride themselves. Rotating frequently many of the peices are for sale. read more

The perfect surf shop, in the perfect place, in a perfect town. Hit it on your way to the beach for the surfing/sunning necessaries. Check out the amazing artwork for sale on the graffiti covered walls... or, get your skate out, and hit the ramp in back. Be the bro or betty you've always thought might be in there. Ask for Nate. He hooks it up real nice. read more

I went here for a fundraiser that my friend, Cosmic John, hosted. Their shop is huge. They got a little skate-pool set up in the back. A lot of variety for men and women, including skate and surf equipment. I bought a pair of reef sandals and some wax, they guy behind the counter was kind of rude; I even tried a little small-talk seeing as how I was stoked be there. I guess it helps to be local. It's a big shop with a lot of stuff, I'd be surprised if there's something you need that you can't find in there. read more

Proof Lab Surf Shop - Sporting Goods Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Its like the most gnarly surf shop ever, dude. Recently overheard: "There I was at the point, and like this monster wave, I mean it was killer dude, and all I could do man, was like see my life pass before my eyes, and like hop on it man. It was sooo wet. I almost died." 5 stars would be too commercial, and Nathan might get pissed. So, I will go with 4 out of respect. read more

I need to reiterate Bellini B's sentiment that the guys that hang out and work here are both super nice and cute!! Also helpful. They have a decent selection of NorCal apparel and accessories, super cute beachy-surfer-skater women's clothes, RAINBOWS (love them!), nearly-constant-sales (woot woot) and oh yeah, some surf boards and wetsuits and other gear that I have no clue about but surfer dudes are hot so I'm all for Proof Lab :) read more

Great customer service and terrific selection of wet suits. Cutest restaurant called Hook Fish and an awesome coffee bar right next door.

One of the best places to get a skateboard in Mill Valley. They had a large selection of brands and some small local ones too, overall very good selection of boards and wheels. Very helpful assistants and very kind. They also have a bowl in the back that you can go and skate on for 3 dollars. read more

Just had a very unpleasant interaction with one of their staff. I was as friendly as could be and excited to buy a board from them and he 1) spoke over me, 2) spoke to me with barely veiled condescension, and 3) mocked my questions. I felt like my business was unwelcome and he pretty much fulfilled every stereotype of this being a white-male-only space/sport. Will be buying a board elsewhere. read more

After Muir Woods, we decided to check this place out. Great customer service. They have great brands like Poler, Sunski, etc As well as local SF brand. Huge selection, great for surf/skate, other gears and cool apparels! read more

I planned on doing my first 1/2-mile open water swim and I wanted a wetsuit to keep me warm. I tried REI, but the one in Corte Madera didn't have that type of equipment and the salesperson recommended I try a surf shop. So I Yelped surf shops in the area and this one popped up with a 5 star rating. I stopped in and headed straight to the wetsuit section...but I didn't know about the sizing. So I told a staff member my situation and what I was looking for. He browsed in the women's section for less than a minute and gave me a suit (size 10s) to try. Gave it a go in the dressing room and walked out. He asked me to do a squat - I did. He asked me to raise my arms above my head - I did. So the suit apparently passed the test for fit and flexibility. For someone that knows little about surfing, wetsuits, and the like, I really appreciated that someone could help me out in a timely manner and size a wetsuit for me correctly. Also, the store carries items from The Herschel Supply Co., which is awesome! read more

Besides having an awesome surf shop, awesome staff, and awesome skatepark this has got to be the best Surf/Skate shop in Norcal (arguable all of CA). The location is epic, only a couple of minutes from a great few breaks, and outside the city so they can afford to build a great indoor park. I skated it with a few of the guys who work here and they are all really friendly guys (although they kill it in the park and I don't usually see those two things going hand in hand at good skate parks). Anyone who goes to Proof Lab will have a good experience if they're excited about skating and surfing. read more

Nate is such a helpful, nice guy. He helped me buy a watch for my husband and since it ended up not being the right fit, we were able to exchange it with no problems. I really like their coffee shop featuring Equator. Great tasting coffee and tea and a relaxed atmosphere. My sister and husband were visiting last week, so I took them to pick up a few t-shirts. Nice selection! They were happy with their purchase and will be back for sure! read more

I recently picked up a Sector 9 carving skateboard at Proof Lab. The service was impeccable, and I received some very smart advice and cordial assistance from "Wolf", one of their younger sale persons. Clearly, he had a deep understanding of his craft, and was very helpful to--and patient with-- an older beginner like myself. In Marin it's hard to find A) people in outdoors retail who really know their sport and B) people who are polite and friendly. This place gets 5 stars for both aspects. Thanks Wolf, and thank you Proof Lab. read more

Great guys, super helpful I got used surf board over a year ago that wasn't a good fit for me. I got back to their shop and everyone was happy to help. I met with Tim(I think is the owner) that was so friendly ,knowledgeable and spent 25 minutes of his time to search for the right board that would fit my needs. In the end, I got a great board and needed to pay only $50 more than what I paid last year. I was very impressed by the size of the place, the variety of equipment and more than anything, about the people that are working there. They got my trust and I will be happy to shop there again. read more

Great shop with very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Jack and Joe went above and beyond to help me and my wife get dialed with boards, wetsuits and cloths. All of their Proof Lab apparel is great! Grab a ton of their shirts. Thanks - highly recommend this to anyone in San Fran for a day trip! read more

Great place for suits, hoodies flip flops and a ton of other stuff. The boys who work/own the place/hang out here are all super nice and cute too. I will be back soon for my never ending collection of flip flops. read more

Amazing friendly staff. Great selection of gear and shopping here is an overall awesome experience. Im very glad I stopped by here the other day. read more

I like this surf shop; they have everything. Especially with their recent expansion, the place is huge! Their prices are what one would expect for this equipment, which is good, because other places are through the roof with prices. I've brought a variety of people her to buy stuff and to rent stuff. Nice and helpful staff. read more

I love Proof Lab. They have everything, from water bottles, to surf boards, to shirt-jackets, to ball caps, to dog water bowls. I love the brands and the quality of the items. Made to last! This place is the greatest, and the staff is welcoming and friendly. Don't ever change, Proof Lab Station! read more

Every time I've been here staff are nice and helpful. Very good selection of clothing etc. for everyone.

The ultimate surf, skate, lifestyle shop with both high end and less expensive items. They have everything. No other spot like it.

My favorite surf shop in the entire world. Everyone is so sweet there and loves working there. They have a skateboard park in the back along with a clothing store in the front. Their back room has so many boards and wetsuits even I can't decide one! Highly recommend for anyone to stop by! read more

These guys know their stuff. They know their gear. They know their customers. And they're completely on top of things even when the store is packed. I've never had to wait more than a minute or two to ask a question. Great selection and a local, noncorporate, chill atmosphere. Plus the service is right on target, if you're into that sort of thing. Hang out, bring coffee from next door, buy some stuff, and then take the kids to the indoor skate ramp. read more

I came to proof lab to purchase a skateboard with coworkers and we had the best customer service! Cody and Garrett we're extremely helpful and patient! I really enjoyed the experience and recommend any first timers to go! Thank you again!! read more

The ultimate, quintessential surfer dude shop. Great gear, cool T-shirts, helpful staff. Vast selection of water sports stuff, a go-to outfitter. Up your coolness factor by hanging out afterwards at the chill Equator Coffee (great outdoor patio) next door. read more

sweet little shop without the attitude , all the essentials, fair prices , lots of equipment........................the place is packed with gear Also a good place to sell used boards , I've sold a couple boards quickly thru them Skate Ramp out back , but I think you need clearance from the shop read more

The guys who run this place are super helpful and are guaranteed to give you good information and a good price. Sometimes the staff is a little slow on understanding what you need, but everyone is attentive and the owners really know what is what with the local surf. I don't go anywhere else for surf gear not including the used boards I get off Craigslist. read more

Been surfing all over California and inside too many shops to count. I happily spend my $ here. Every time I'm checking the boards here someone jumps in to give me their 2cents, compare/contrast, bring dif sizes out of storage. Best shop in NorCal, no question about it read more

Wow! This place is the best. The staff is fun, helpful and non-pressurizing. The products are great and varied. I am not a surfer and I love this place. read more

My son loves Proof Lab for the skateboarding - especially on a rainy day! - & for all the equipment her can buy there, & my daughter & I love to shop there for clothing! The women's clothing is not the kind I would expect at a surf shop, but we have had so many good finds... great buyer!! We love that Proof Lab is in our neighborhood. read more

This place gets 5 stars because is is owned by people who love what they do, not just someone to make a buck. The guys who bought it are local surfers that use the merchandise they sell not just ordinary Joes who want to rip off Marin folk or tourists who want to rent surfboards. They are people i grew up with or know people i grew up with who have been around trying to make it happen and finally did. There is an inside half pipe and an outside large skate ramp. On the weekends there is a large crowd watching the local talent and sharing the good surf vibe that goes around this local loved shop. read more

This place is AWESOME and a tat pricely on few things but It did took over the shop before and big improvement I say! The parking on the other handy not so great! My 2- ex-bf's LOVE this store! read more

These guys are awesome. I'm not a surfer, but I know they're great dudes because they went out of their way to help me out. Let me explain: I got rear-ended in the intersection directly in front of their store, and I pulled into their lot to check out the damage. One of the guys who works there came out to see if everything was okay. Turns out my trunk wouldn't close, and I had nothing to tie it down with. The guy from the store got down on the ground, looked under my car and found a place to attach a tie-down. Then he went into the store, found a two-pack of surfboard tie-downs, broke it open and sold me one of them for half the price (a mere $5 that I gave him in cash). Then he and another guy came out and helped me tie my trunk closed. And during the whole thing, they were super cool and thoughtful after a shitty little experience. Thanks, guys! read more

2 dollars and 16 cents for a cake of wax? There is a surf shop in west marin that makes far less money than PL selling them for a dollar. At least lose the cents and charge 2 dollars, or only charge the change to people paying with cards. Also hired some kid who is notoriously famous for being the biggest jerk in any line up you will find in the bay area. He dropped in on someone who was completely capable of making the shoulder, and almost caused a collision. After the wave past the guy went up to him and asked why he did that. This D-bag said "Its gonna be like this all day you aren't going to catch one clean wave." His sense of entitlement is probably due to poor parenting. The kid cant be much older than 18 and speeds around in a beamer or auti in classic spoiled marin kid fashion. Doubt he bought that car selling boardies and flipflops. Is this the type of person you want representing your company? You guys built such a great store. I especially like your play it again proof lab section. No doubt you guys are the best surf shop in marin. Lose the change on wax and the DBAG from behind the counter and it would be 5 stars most definitely. read more

Six words for Proof Lab: Friendly folks, rad apparel and gear.

I honestly do not understand all of these 5 star reviews. Sure they have everything...Except for something of huge value - Customer service. The guys working there are horribly rude and to be blunt, total douchebags. I don't care what you look like, nothing excuses the cockiness and unfriendly manner. Mind you, I am not some 40 year old woman complaining about rude teenagers. I'm a college student, looking for some help without having to accentuate my cleavage. The owners appear to be friendly in the shop, but I've met them in outside circumstances and they are almost WORSE than their employees. As they talked to a friend of mine, I realized I have never met anyone so disinterested in what was meant to be a friendly conversation. I was actually disgusted. This place could be rad, but the cockiness needs to go. Not many surf shops in Marin have all of the merchandise that Proof Lab has, but I sure as hell would rather go to a place where I am respected and can have a friendly conversation. If you like douchey bros, then definitely check out Proof Lab. But if you want a cool, friendly atmosphere where the employees make an effort to converse with you, I would suggest the surf shop in Stinson Beach, or their sister store in Fairfax. That's what surf shops are about. read more

Great clothing, it's obvious that a lot of planning has gone into what is being sold here plus you can actually buy stuff made in the USA. Em-J Staples told me to check out Stinson Beach - amazing beach!! Being from the East Coast wandering on the PCH this shop and that beach were awesome finds! read more

the lab is my local surf shop. i know all the peeps who work in there and will happily swing by to shoot the shit while i'm waiting for my cat's teeth to be cleaned down the street. i get all my boards/wetsuits/ colored zinka there whether i think i should or not, cause i'm loyal to my surf shop, that's just me. i've plastered their shop stickers all over the world too, cause that's how i roll. but elizabeth, why only four stars?? have a fuckin sale already! and i'm not talking a rack of billabong clothes or $5 bucks off the 800.00 boards in the shop. i know this is mill valley, i live in mill valley but like, even pretend and make me think its a sale. secretly mark up a group of boards, put a big sign out and say like 20% of a bunch of boards! bring tears of joy to my face. you know this is all said with love. read more

Definitely one of the best customer experiences ever. Friendly, knowledgeable crew, so helpful. Above and beyond. Buying a board and wetsuit was one a great and fun experience. Incredible!!! read more

This shop is the best. Great selection of surf and skate gear. The people are friendly and knowledgable. I skate the in door ramp all the time and enjoy hanging out. The new coffee shop is also a nice bonus. If you are in the area you must stop in! read more