Such an AMAZING week for my grandkids (8 &10). They learned and laughed and felt accomplished surfing. Kind, strong and gentle instructors. They were in a group of students who returned for a third year. Thank you for the memories! read more

Had a great time with Jaden this morning. We've only been surfing a couple times and were a little nervous but he was calm, friendly, supportive, and a great teacher. We really enjoyed the day. We also had to rearrange our schedule a couple times and Van was very understanding and easy to get a hold of. We will definitely be back! read more

My nephew is in surf camp here and is having a blast. My sincere gratitude for this business is the customer service. Jada helped me twice with questions I had and she went above and beyond to help. Not to mention she is very kind and respectful. Thank you, Jada! read more

I can't begin to express how wonderful Van is along with his other instructor Justin. I usually don't write reviews but this deserved one! Firstly, van responds right away and made accommodations for my daughter to have private lessons. We called back as my niece was also interested and he squeezed her in as well with another instructor with no problem. They were early and awaited for our arrival easy to find amongst the crowds of Avila Beach. It was both my nieces and daughter first time surfing, and they made them feel the upmost safe and comfortable out in the water. In the entire private lessons the kids learned so much in that amount of time which was definitely mind blowing! They learned so much that they wanted to take another private lesson from both Van and Justin the following day in which Van was able to squeeze them in last minute and once again it was so appreciated. I've never ran into anyone more professional and communicative than Van. In the second private lesson with van and Justin the girls learned so much they were able to surf and hold hands and for fun Van even rode a great wave with my niece who is 5 years old and absolutely made her entire year! She was on cloud 9! I can't express how amazing this experience was! I have to add, he also works with our veterans! He has an organization called operation surf that helps and gathers veterans together. This brought tears to my eyes. What an amazing man of many talents! We will definitely be back once we are in town! read more

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Best place to bring your kids for surfing lessons , Van is great with the kids and so patient . We are definitely coming back ! He's so thorough with his instruction and we had so much fun watching our kids learn a new sport it was so awesome watching them catch a wave for the first time . read more

Van Curaza Surf School - Learning to surf - Beaches Near Me - Avila Beach, California

Van knows people and is a kid magnet. What an awesome experience - well worth every penny. We came from Texas and learned how to surf from the Master. Take your kids surfing! read more

I have always wanted to learn how to surf so during Spring Break, my girlfriend and friends went down to San Luis Obispo. This is where we found Van Curaza Surf School. Van is a very knowledgeable/experienced surfer (40+ years), and an excellent teacher. He has an ocean eye; By this, I mean that he knows when a perfect wave is going to break before it even starts to form. While listening to his instructions on when to paddle and pop, I was able to get up on my first try. I owe this all to Van! With his help, i was even able to ride a couple of larger waves. Van is a wonderful teacher, and a dedicated surfer. He even runs camps for those with disabilities. You are a wonderful person Van, and I will happily recommend you to anyone I know that wants to learn how to surf. This rating doesn't do you justice because on a scale from 1 to 5, your are a 7! Thank you again for such an amazing experience. read more

Van Curaza Surf School - Van THE Man!!! - Beaches Near Me - Avila Beach, California

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Love this school and refer all my friends when people come into town. Van has a great curriculum focused on safety.

Van. What can I say. My nephew from Wisconsin graduated from high school this summer, and his generous, cool aunt (me) offered to buy him surfing lessons in California if he saved his money for airfare. He showed up and, after two days of lessons elsewhere, we got some time with Van. Van was not only a very interesting person to meet, he was the best instructor by far of the whole week. Jacob was up on the board in no time, and got the California trip to remember. Cost was fair, and Van assessed Jacob's skills and abilities spot on and was able to take him where he was at, physically, and make it all a very, very special event. I will never forget it, and I am sure that my nephew won't, either. Just the thing to think back on when it is 40 below in Wisconsin, just sayin'. Thanks again. See the Netflix video, 'Resurface,' for Van's other passion, surf therapy for veterans. read more

As an older person just getting in to the sport, i was very nervous about whether or not I could pull it off! lol I did and had a blast! Van and Amanda are the sweetest and most welcoming people I could have hoped for to help me learn this sport! They are good christian folks with big hearts and i would recommend them for anyone of any age! read more

Van Curaza Surf School - Look! Standing at my first lesson!! - Beaches Near Me - Avila Beach, California

This surf school is a very special place. Our son has just finished two weeks of camp..... his third summer with Van and his truly amazing, caring staff....and he still talks about it and misses it every day. Every kid at VC Surf School is treated with respect, as an individual with unique strengths and needs and talents. The staff are knowledgable about surfing of course and teach the skills needed but they also teach life skills. Tenacity. Patience. Kindness. Love of nature. Finding ones's strengths. And our son has really found his "quiet place" out on those waves. It has really become part of his life. Huuuuge heartfelt thanks to Van, Amanda, Sydney, Blaine, Jim, and Meagan. You all are stars. It goes without saying that we highly recommend this school. read more

Amazing first surf experience. Van and Dan are truly skilled, patient, kind, and fun! My daughter will be back next time we are in the area.

I have never surfed in my life and never thought I'd be able to. Van and Amanda helped me up and I was able to ride a wave. I can't even describe how cool of a feeling it was. They taught me what I needed to know and made me feel safe and secure. I will definitely be going back there next time I go to the coast to do it again! read more

A GREAT experience! Scheduled surf lessons for my grandsons (9 and 7) and it could not have been more successful. Instructor was wonderful. The kids had so much fun and quickly were surfing! Cost was fair and the equipment appropriate. read more

Seriously cannot say enough about Van, Amanda and their team! My husband and I have only taken a few lessons, and we have already learned so much and after only 3 lessons, we're riding waves together! We went out with Van, an incredibly BA, and very experienced surfer. He was so fun, patient, and very helpful! We highly recommend this spot for any surf lessons of ALL levels. We can't wait for our next lesson! Thanks again Van and Amanda! read more

Bingo was our instructor and he was patient, funny and helpful. He teaches clearly and is always thinking of safety. Van was also there giving a lesson and took the time to cheer us on as well. The waves were just right for beginners and the wet suits and boards were included in our private lesson. I am 40 and my son is 14 and our lesson was great fun for the both of us. We hope to do this again when we go back to SLO next summer. read more

Van runs and operates an amazing surf camp with incredible surf instructors, especially Matt. As a protective mother of 3, I am very careful of who I leave my children with - I always feel that they are safe and happy at Van's camp. I am also a professor of child development at a local college and have regularly observed how child friendly Van's camp is. The surf instructors do a great job of making every child feel welcome and feel like they belong. Matt seems to magically boost children's self-esteem and confidence in and out of the water. Each one of my 3 children love Van's camps. If you add the fact that EVERY child and teen I have observed at camp actually learns to surf and has fun doing it -- you should look no further. It is worth every penny! I will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

I have never surfed before today. Dan gave me good hands-on instructions on the beach before we hit the water and lots of great suggestions after we were in the water. Before the lesson was over I was able to get up on the board. read more

I had heard of Van Curaza through his work with wounded soldiers and marines from Iraq and Afghanistan, and as a vet myself knew I wanted him to have my business. I took my two little cousins from Boston, who had never seen the Pacific Ocean before, much less surfed it, to Van along with my son. After a quick session on land they were in the water and up surfing almost immediately. Since then I have been watching Van, Amanda, Bingo, Dave, Lyn, and the other instructors work with children and adults you know they really love teaching people how to surf. In addition, they teach about the ocean and her creatures and how we can be good stewards of the sea. I've sent my son back a few times since that first lesson and he loves it. In fact, he wants to teach surfing with Van someday. As for my cousins from Boston, they haven't stopped talking about surfing with Van and Amanda. I highly recommend the Van Curaza Surf School! read more

I met the owner Van, last week when I biked into Avila beach to get a new bike tire for my wife's bike. I saw the surf school sign and I thought I would stop in just to ask about some local surf spots and a good place for parking an RV with beach access. Van pointed me in the right direction and later that day I had a great surf session. More importantly, I found out that Van runs a program that takes injured military vets (some paraplegic) and teaches them to surf. He explained how the tranquility of the ocean and the sport of surfing is therapeutic to the vets. CrossFit is a big sponsor and there are other events that raise money that allows British and US veteran soldiers to participate. What a great program! Van is a very nice guy and very laid-back. I asked him about his hat that said Mavericks, and he replied, yeah I use to surf Mavericks. He is very humble and modest. read more

I have taken surf lessons from instructors on both the west and east coast and Van is clearly the best in the biz. I attended the school by myself but met a family of 4 who was surfing with another instructor from the Van's school. They had the time of their lives, as did I. Van is one of a kind. Don't go anywhere else if you're looking for a fun day and some surf lessons and memories that will last a lifetime! read more

Our Grandson took lessons last year from Van. He came back to our home this year for a week of private lessons from Van and Bingo. Loved it all. Great school. Great staff and wonderful instructions. Our young Grand Daughters are looking forward to surf camp in a couple weeks. They have all ready had a few lessons thanks to the great instructors. Thanks for giving our Grandchildren a summer of memories they will not forget. And also for making us the coolest Grandparents ever according to our Grandchildren! read more