My boyfriend and I had a fantastic experience here! We both took paddle boarding lessons-- so much fun and our instructor made it really easy! The owner is so nice and brings a really great energy to her shop. We will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely love this place! The owner is extremely kind and accommodating. I had to cancel a big reservation last minute and she was so flexible and understanding. My father and I were able to make it out there today and we had a blast! I recommend this shop to anyone and I will most definitely be going back for more. Thanks Sup Shack!!!!! read more

Trudie and the team were great. We had a collection guys. 2 surfers, 2 Santa Cruz natives and 3 Swedish Companions. Everyone got a kick out the sea otters and harbor seals. read more

Friendly, courteous owner who is trying hard to grow her business. Flexible timing. Was able to return the paddleboards directly to her home (on the way back to our house) which was quite convenient. Hopefully, she'll get a little shop at the harbor which will make renting even easier! read more

My sister and I vacationed in the area and decided to try paddle boarding (despite the fact that we're BOTH afraid of the water lol). I'm so glad we went with SUP Shack! Trudie was great...fun, informative, and patient. I'm totally addicted now! read more

Got the Groupon for $35, super good deal for a night relaxing hour long paddle through the harbor.

Everything about this experience was easy and fun! Me and my best had a great time on the water and choose to spend most of our time paddle boarding with Trudie. She kept us laughing and gave us great info and pointers throughout or lesson. Can't wait to rent with her in the future! read more

Despite some of the negative reviews, my cousin (visiting from out of town) & I decided to try out this place because it's the best location for beginner SUP in Santa Cruz. Surprisingly, Trudie (the owner) was very pleasant and helpful. She carefully explained everything to us and suggested of available options that we can rent. The lesson was great, and the water was nice and cool. We opted to try the rental wet suits. But after one round, it was too hot. We returned the suits and Trudge didn't charge us. It was nice if her. Overall, it was a fun experience. Caution: watch out the boats zipping in & out, and also the waves created by these boats. read more

Sup Shack is special because they are right on the water. Same prices as everyone else but you don't have to deal with getting a board on your roof, then taking it off, carrying it to the water, then reversing the process when you're done. Restaurant right next door so after you cruise the harbor, you can walk 50 feet and grab a bite to eat. Super friendly staff too! read more

Trudie is wonderful!!! My boys and I love SUP and she has made it easy and wonderful to get in our fix!!!

Love this place and love Trudie's service at the shack. Took the SUP class and had a great experience. I had been looking for a hobby and thanks to Trudie didn't take long to love paddle boarding. She provided clear instructions and made the experience safe and fun. After the class she answered all my questions and since I can't stop going back. I bring my friends and they all love the shack and Trudie as much as I do. Everyone should try this place! read more

Always a good experience. Whenever i have guests in Santa Cruz I take them to SUP shack. Good rates and really helpful guidance. Love this place. read more

we were greeted very poorly by the owner or whoever who was immediately aggressive and defensive. we just wanted to get more information and didn't even get the chance to ask questions about the overall selections and she immediately seemed to assume that we were trying to break rules which we were not even aware of. kind of a psychopath lol. we were discouraged from renting the board because we had a dog but there are posts about people bringing their dogs on boards?? she even told us that our dog could come on the board but then was like actually no they're not allowed in the harbour. so weird. read more

This shop is small and local, and it provides many of the necessities for training and racing. Trudie and Johan are incredibly helpful and enthusiastic; you won't find any arrogance here! What you will find is great people (owners and customers/clients!), excellent service and a friendly, helpful environment. They have organized runs and rides; check their website. Trudie and Johan helped me out with a tri bike, and it was absolutely the perfect purchase for me. I'm stoked about the bike and the assistance I got in trying to choose. I am a huge fan of shopping local and helping small businesses. Trudie made it easy for me to do this. read more

I went for the first time ever tonight with Trudie, and she rocks! I was a little nervous while driving down to the harbor, but once I got there, my nervousness quickly went away and I began having a blast! It was an absolutely beautiful evening, amongst good company, and it was a lot of fun! It's great to be able to get out on the water, and Trudie is a joy to be around, not to mention the great pointers she gives. I can't wait to get back out there! Great experience, great prices, great fun, and great company! read more

Trudie was calm and reassuring for a newbie like me. The instruction was clear and there was enough time to practice and explore around. I loved Trudie's passion for the sport and I hope to sign up for a more advanced SUP lesson. read more

Just a few weeks back I was in CA visiting family. We all decided to give SUP'ing a try with the Sup Shack. Trudie was great, offering good service and a laid-back experience. Jay showed us the ropes and off we went. We all loved it and actually went back the next day for another hour of SUP'ing. Good stuff! A unique and different activity for a relaxing and enjoyable day on the water. read more

Super fun experience! I went with my uncle and my cousin. The instructor Chris was nice and accommodating and a great teacher. Paddle boarding was super easy and relaxing. We went through the harbor and had plenty of time to paddle. I would definitely go again! And I suggest renting a wet suit as it can be pretty cold :) read more

Used my Groupon g.c. yesterday at the SUP Shack. Trudie was there bright and early to start our lesson on time. Went over the basics on land and then hit the water. We practiced on the water and then had some time to paddle on our own. A very fun experience. I do recommend making your reservation by phone if you have a gift certificate. read more

Best place ever!!! Trudie was awesome and a great guide on our paddle board excursion!!! This is a MUST if you're in the area :) read more

Sup Shack - Out on the Pacific paddle boarding at the Sup Shack!!! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I went with my wife for our "date day" and had a great time! She had done it before, so she knew what she was doing. My lesson was brief, but very clear and helpful. The equipment was in great shape and everyone was really friendly. We'll definitely be back!! read more

My friend wanted to try SUP for first time so we headed down to SUP Shack. It's easy to get to and right on the harbor across from Crow's Nest. We were really pleased with how we were treated. Trudie took her time answering all our questions and making sure our boards were "just right' for us. She helped us with boards in hand and again took her time helping us launch safely. We had so much fun! Our equipment was great and we were blown away by all the wildlife that we saw and interacted with! Beautiful experience had by all! We're going back tomorrow and I would recommend this place to everyone! read more

Great place to rent a board..right by the harbo, so access is very simple. It was my first time and Truday was very helpful...i did not take a lesson, but the instructor was super nice and seemed to be doing a good job with his class.... read more

I first met Trudy a few years back when I was representing SLIDE Magazine. Since that time I have become an SUPer myself, after Surfing for 60 years. As part of my responsibilities for SLIDE Magazine, I decided to visit ALL the SUP shops in town & try to gather more information on this ancient Polynesian activity, which has become an extremely popular activity now, especially here in SANTA CRUZ, as well as the entire W. Coast. After visiting & inquiring at all the shops in the area over the past year, I can say this for certain---SUP SHACK is THE BEST, Period! Trudy is very polite, knowledgable, & her enthusiasm is infectious. She reminds me of ME in her unabashed joy & enthusiasm. She offers great deals on Classes, Boards & Paddles. LOOK NO FURTHER, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR ALL YOUR SUP NEEDS, REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE OR HEALTH CONDITION! read more

This was a really fun place to go paddle boarding and we had a very smooth check in and experience. Would definitely recommend it!

i guess this place must have moved because the new name and location is "the sup shack" in the harbor. anyways my girlfriend and i made an appointment to do some stand up paddling for sunday. no big deal. unfortunately my uncle had passed away on thursday so needless to say i didn't feel like going boarding.not only that but i had to fly to colorado to be with family. i tried to call and cancel but there was no one answering the phone all day friday. finally after calling about 8 times on saturday a girl answered, i told her the situation and she was very understandable, we canceled. no big deal right?! wrong! on sunday i checked my phone i had about 6 missed called from from the sup shack asking where i was. i called back and explained. she had the nerv to tell me i had to pay unless i brought in a death certificate! are you kidding me?! i was and still am so pissed off at that! how insensitive are you? i mean really, what am i supposed to do, ask my aunt for a death cerificate because the paddle boarding place wanted to charge me $160? this place must not like having repeat customers at all, and i really hope they fail miserably! take your boards and shove them up your @ss read more

I have been meaning to write this for awhile, so small caveat that this happened about a year ago. We live right next to the harbor and wanted to try out paddle-boarding as a family. My husband has been many times, my kids have been a few, and I was brand new. As others have mentioned, despite most of us not needing instruction, our rentals were all pushed to include a "lesson" which increased the cost significantly. I don't like to argue and went along with it. The instructor was just fine, but we really didn't need it and it ended up costing quite a lot more. Had that been the end of the problems, I wouldn't be writing this review. During our excursion, my son slipped off and scraped his ankle on a rock. It wasn't a terrible injury, but given the water quality in the harbor we decided to come back to clean up. We came in about 30 minutes early and asked if she had a first aid kit so we could put some anti-biotic cream on his ankle. Instead of being helpful, the owner started telling us we would have to pay to replace the leash because there was blood on it. First, he was barely bleeding, just scraped, and I couldn't see any blood on the actual leash. Second, I had assumed they cleaned the boards and leashes after every rental. After all, people are barefoot on the board. Wouldn't that be a standard business practice? After going around about the leash replacement, she then comprised and told us we would have to pay for cleaning supplies. Again, isn't that something they should have on hand? Not to be too gross, but lots of people have foot fungus and other problems and I would think they clean board between rentals anyway. Guess not. Not nice, not well-handled, not returning. Bad experience with the owner. We live locally and often recommend activities for visitors and I will NEVER recommend this place. We have since had really great experiences with the other rental place in the harbor. read more

Stand up paddleboarding was great but the women in the office were rude and acted like they wanted more money at the end of the session. They said the guide wasn't supposed to go with us. Huh?? That was their fault for not communicating properly. Instead they take it out on the customers? So make sure you know what you're getting before you go out and that the guide knows what you paid for. Also they told us instead to give the guide a tip as if we might not have done it. Makes you not want to. Tips are at the discretion of the customer not dictated by the business. They need to learn about treating their customers better or this business will fail. read more

Trudie's shop is a must if you're looking for a kayak or paddle board rental in Santa Cruz. She is a wealth of information for just about anything you need, whether that is the direction of the winds blowing on any given day, a perfect spot to stop in the water to get a great look at the sea otters and other wildlife, or a nice place to catch some lunch after you get off the water. I rented a kayak from Sup Shack and loved it, but I will definitely return to take a lesson in paddle boarding from Trudie because she knows what she's doing! read more

Limited experience with very strict repetitive rules repeated to us many times by the worker! Yelled at for crossing the harbor just a few feet too early, and your ride is limited to one side of a small channel and just going back and forth. Saw otters though! That was cool. Good equipment and fairly helpful staff besides that! read more

Great day in the harbor. Big thanks to Trudie for a fun afternoon. SUP shack is where it's at in SC.

Sup shack was very kind to our disastrous group. To the young blond man who laughed at our lack of basic skills and the time he spent making sure our fear of death would not become a reality, thanks for understanding our humor and making sure that we got okay and had a great time! read more

My husband and I used a Groupon for a beginning SUP paddleboard lesson with Trudie at the SUP Shack. I was nervous about balancing on a paddleboard as I've never been on one, wasn't able to get up on a surf board in a surfing lesson (somewhere else), and my husband had taken a SUP paddleboard lesson in Hawaii and couldn't stay on it without falling. I was also concerned about doing the lesson in the Feb wintertime as I figured the air temp and water temp would be cold. I emailed Trudie and set up the lesson at 10am on Sunday. Trudie explained that the lessons are at 10am because there is little wind in the morning versus the afternoon; she was right-on, as it was very windy later in the day. Although it was only 50 degrees or so, it was sunny and we had perfect conditions for paddleboarding. Trudie was very thorough with her instructions and was great about correcting our mistakes out on the water, especially when I'd forget what she'd told me at the start of the lesson. The harbor where we had the lessons was great for learning and practicing, and we had were surprised at how quickly we picked up the SUP skills. The boards are very stable and easy to learn on; we loved SUP'ing and are looking forward to returning soon. I was especially pleased that neither of us fell into the water; Trudie told us that 90% those she teaches don't fall off the boards, which was surprising to me. I'd highly recommend this place for a first-time lesson and rental. She and Jay were very nice and easy to talk to. My husband and I brought our own wetsuits; be aware that there is a $10 wetsuit rental fee from SUP Shack which doesn't seem unreasonable, but it would be good to know this ahead of time. I suppose you don't need a wetsuit, but we wanted one in case we fell, and it kept us nice and warm on the boards. SUP'ing is a blast! read more

Took our family of 6 out for the first time this week. Our rental process was easy and the owner was so friendly and helpful. She patiently taught us everything we needed to know and sent us out on the harbor. Considering we were managing 4 kids under the age of 14, she was especially encouraging to kids and parents alike! Equipment worked great, our ride out was lots of fun and she was ready to help us unload when we arrived back on shore. I felt like her price was fantastic for what she offered us and I feel confident to SUP again. We'll be back! read more

The lady that worked at this business was rude. I decided to go across the street to Kayak Connection where the girls were sweet and professional. They even gave us a discount... read more

First time paddle boarding and I was really nervous. Trudie made it so easy and calmed my fears immediately. Great service and great location. I would highly recommend the SUP Shack! read more

A wonderful shop that specializes in triathlon clothing, and equipment. I'm so glad that we now have a triathlon shop in Santa Cruz, and a place where I can find specialty products. Trudie and Johan will treat you right, and make you feel comfortable whether you are a beginner or seasoned veteran! Make sure you ask them for a sample of Fluid recovery drink! Its my favorite, and they are one of the only dealers in town! Go say hi, you will not regret it! read more

This was my 4th time renting paddle boards at surf shack! Every time has been an awesome experience. The staff is friendly, knowledgable, and accommodating. If you have a vehicle in which you can transport the paddle boards you can bring them back (obviously with this option I recommend two hours for $30). Otherwise your paddling in the harbor and need to stay to the right to mind the boaters going by. It is a very affordable price! They also give lessons (for the ladies-men are usually very attractive). :-) they also have a sup rewards card (many people don't know about). The owner will also take a few pictures as you set off and will email them to you! In addition they also sell a small collection of beautiful handmade local jewelry at a very affordable price! There are also beverages you can purchase if your thirsty, such as bottled water, coconut water, and vitamin water. I would completely recommend going to paddle board here, especially if it is your first time. The harbor water is still and a good opportunity to home your balance and maneuvering skills. There are also restaurants nearby and twins lake beach which is beautiful! :-) read more

Made reservation online because prices seemed competitive for the area. We got there and the apathetic employee seemed quite bothered to have to help us. Our rental was for 2pm but we didn't actually get into the water until 2.30 because the owner had to put fins on the boards. Eventually we were sized and carried our paddleboards down to the dock. Whoops, the owner forgot that we have to have life vests, asking us to go back to the shack and retrieve them. The paddle boarding itself was fine, but the dock is a pretty monotonous backdrop. After carrying our boards back, the owner asks us to help her with what seemed like everyday maintenance of the shack, a job that could easily be carried out by the employees there. A customer that was helping jokingly asked, 'am I going to get a discount for this?' The retort was 'its part of the experience'. Will rent from a different place next time. read more

I purchased the Groupon Mini lession for two .SUP made it extremely easy to schedule and she was very nice to us 1st timers. This was an awesome experience for us.We loved it so much that we purchased additional rentals before we left fornthe next time. See you soon SUP!! Thanks again for an amazing mom and daughter time! read more