I took all of my family to Banzai Surf School after I read the reviews in a recent vacation to HB. Being land locked here in Colorado, surfing is something I've always wanted to try. Jaz and his crew were excellent surf instructors to my two daughters and wife! Even though we won't be ready for the waves of the North Shore anytime soon, these guys are an excellent school! We had Dave and Bryce as our instructors and these guys knew how to teach some rookies from Colorado. The experience with Banzai was one of the biggest highlights of our vacation! Thanks guys for making this experience special! read more

Banzai Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

What a great experience! I booked a January class expecting the cold and wind yet Justin made it such 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 ! read more

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

We had the best time trying surfing for the first time with Justin at Bonsai Surf School! From the get go we knew we were in great hands - Justin checked the currents to ensure we were going out in a safe spot, was patient and reassuring, and even made sure we both successfully stood up on the board catching a wave more than once, which we weren't expecting to be able to do on our first time surfing! All was thanks to his great instruction and expertise. Bonsai provides everything you need (wetsuit, a few different sizes of boards, they even had some sunscreen for us) for an awesome experience on the water. We can't wait until we can take another lesson through Bonsai Surf School when we're back in Huntington Beach! read more

Professionally managed and good staff. Conveniently located of PCH. Grandson went 3 consecutive summers. Suggest after 2 summers convert to one on one training. read more

Banzai was fantastic, accommodating us with a lesson on short notice. Marc was a great instructor, we learned all the basics and had a great time. read more

Banzai Surf School - Marc is in the blue instructor shirt. He's very knowledgeable and easy going in his lessons. - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

I got a private lesson with Mark. I already had taken lessons before, but I wanted a refresher. The waves looked huge but he assured me there were ones we could ride. He gave me a breakdown of how they come around and the currents. Obviously, the basics like popping up and such too. We went out and I was standing in no time. Certainly enjoyed the experience. read more

My visiting niece and I took lessons from Mike who was terrific. We're pretty much new to surfing and he was patient and got us both up on our boards. Well, toward the end at least! Everyone was very friendly and service was terrific. We had a great time. Highly recommend. read more

We got there for a family surf lesson and everyone was so welcoming. I loved our instructors, Breezy and Ellie. They made the kids feel comfortable and excited. I have literally never felt comfortable in the ocean but I felt relaxed the entire time in the water today. Breezy's instructions were so much easier to follow than trying with a friend (years ago). Easy. Sooo much fun. We'll be going again with Bonzai surf soon and asking for the same instructors. Thanks Bonzai! Best day of summer. Kids are so stoked to return. read more

My daughter has always wanted to surf and at 9 years old we decided she was ok to go! She was a little nervous the night before surf camp started but her instructor Alexis immediately put her at ease! Alexis was so positive and upbeat and put my nervous mama heart to rest knowing Mallory was in good hands! Everyone we had contact with at this school was phenomenal! We are extremely satisfied with our experience and will be back soon! read more

Banzai Surf School - Mallory surfing - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

1st time surfing was fun and we decided to go again today. Instructor Mark was assigned to us and he just brought our experience to another level. I am petite, often time I got knock down by the wave when walking out, Mark always asked me to hop on the board to relax so he can pull me far out to wait for the wave. Besides that he is fun to talk to and he had huge passion about surfing and helping others to teach. A great instructor and we will ask for him when we go next time! read more

Phil was an excellent instructor. He was patient and determined to ensure I'd leave knowing the basics for fun and safety. I highly recomm6this crew! read more

Banzai Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Great experience for my 11 year old..she was very nervous but her surf coach breezy was amazing! read more

Banzai Surf School - Surfing class day 1. Great staff!! - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

All the instructors were very friendly, accommodating,and caring. It was my first time that I have tried surfing. I struggled to balance on the board and all the instructors were trying to help. I had fun and I will come back next time with my friends again!!! read more

This camp is awesome. My kids 11&13 loved it and went with no experience, on day 1 they were surfing. The instructors are great. Shout out to David who worked with my kids the most. They really liked him, he was attentive and got them going really well. We loved it so much we did 2 camps. It's well worth the money! read more

This place was great at teaching us beginners and encouraging us to try things we hadn't before. We learned basic on the sand and then moved to the water. We were getting up on our boards within an hour and a half! And now its one of my favorite past times. read more

Great day today for all of my kids and extended family on Huntington Beach with the Bazai team. They were great with my newbie kids on the board right away and spend a lot of time with them. Had an absolute fantastic time and so much fun. I would highly recommend these guys to anyone with a family. read more

Banzai Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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Phil was an amazing instructor! He taught by example. He would explain and then show me. I got up on my first wave and learned some great techniques. I've taken a couple other lessons, but they didn't get me surfing independently. Today, I gained confidence in doing so! I would definitely recommend Banzai and Phil to beginners or anyone trying to improve their skills. read more

Jonny did a fantastic job leading a 2 hour lesson for my friend and I! Both of us had never surfed before and he gave us lots of great tips and guidance. Would definitely sign up for another lesson. read more

It is a dream surfing school for kids. Even just a week, both my kids are able to do simple surfing movement by themselves. Although my son Steve is only 7 yrs old. He's almost the youngest one in the group. Every morning, he's looking forward to being there. It seems they have so much fun and caring there. He promised he would return next summer. Highly recommend!!! read more

My 3 sons, ages 13, 11 and almost 8, participated in surf camp and it was the highlight of their summer! Everything was organized so well and set up my boys for success. Instructors Ethan, Patrick, Cameron, and Kyle were all awesome and great at teaching our kids. Great first time surfing experience for our family! read more

Just took a 2 hour private lesson with my wife, Constance. We were looking give us a clue of what to do (including surfing etiquette) and build up our confidence. Both worked! She had us up on the first try. She was also super friendly, personable, and understood that half of the job was to hold our hands. We had a great time and plan to do follow-up lessons. They cater to all types, from newbs to athletes and were perfect for us. read more

We took 3 kids (11,14, and 15) here for their first surfing lessons. It was a really windy day. The kids had a terrific time and all of them were able to get up. I would recommend this place to anyone that is looking for instruction. Thanks to Mark and Nathaniel for making our kids feel at ease and being patient. read more

Great first lesson! Patient and had all the required gear. Got up on my second wave! Now looking to do this long term.

Best experience ever. Brought our 12 year old for her birthday today. The two-hour private lesson was totally worth it. The instructor was a perfect match and our daughter really loved hanging out with her and learning something new. Will definitely be back! read more

Banzai Surf School - Our daughter with her instructor!!!! Awesome - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Banzai is a GREAT surf school! If you're looking for a great surf instructor you should request Frank! He's super helpful and makes you feel really safe. Awesome experience! read more

We took our 6 year old son for a surf lesson in August. This was his 2nd lesson over the past year, but first one with Banzai. I can't brag enough about Kai and Jaz at Banzai! Kai got him to stand within the first 10-15 minutes something another school in La Jolla could not get him to do the year before. They took the best care of us! Jaz was awesome making sure we were happy with our lesson and photos. I highly recommend Banzai and will be back once we are in Huntington Beach again! read more

I came to Huntington Beach for work so my schedule was pretty tight, but Jaz and his team were some accommodating. My instructor Tori was absolutely the best and I would highly suggest to recommend her if you are a female learning to surf. She made me feel so comfortable in the water and I was up and surfing in no time. I even surprisingly was able to paddle and get up all by myself by the end of our lesson! It was an incredible experience and I highly recommend Jaz and his team! read more

Banzai Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

The most amazing staff and owner! Everyone here is so thoughtful and understanding, making my son and his 2 friends last day @ Newport well worth it. We didn't make the reservation time for surf lessons but the staff went out of there way to help us squeeze in a small session before they headed out of town. Thank you all so much! read more

Fantastic class! Did a private lesson with my friend and we had Bryan teaching us who's the BEST. It was 2 hrs of absolute fun! Learned a lot and totally excited for a lesson again over the summer sometime read more

Banzai Surf School - Ey Pono, the ex-presidents are back in town! Little hand says it time to rock n' roll, rocket power style! Wuggy Wuggy Wuggy! - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

I can't say enough good things about Banzai. If you're looking for a one-time experience or learning the sport for lifelong enjoyment, I recommend this school. To start, I was terrified of the waves and hadn't gone deeper than knee high in the water prior to my first lesson. But I've always wanted to learn how to surf. Fast forward 2-3 months later, I bought my first board and get up before dawn to surf before work. Jaz, the owner of the school, has always been incredibly supportive and put me with an experienced instructor that could not only understand my skill level, but my mindset. Phil, my instructor, is amazing! He pushes me just the right amount and is genuinely excited to share my victories with me. I've had other instructors that are fantastic as well and I VERY highly recommend this school. read more

What a great experience our boys had! We had 4 boys enrolled in private lessons for 3 days and they had a great time. The team at Banzai had them up in their first lesson, they got plenty of time in the water, learned ocean safety, water currents, body surfing and had a great time! What impressed me was the communication between the instructors and Jaz the owner, if we had different instructors they knew how our boys were doing and what the next steps for them would be. I am thrilled we chose Banzai and will be back before summer draws to a close. Thanks Jaz and Team!!! read more

Stepson and his cousin did two weeks at surf camp in July. They loved it. Had fun. Staff is great.

I couldn't be more happy with my daughters experience at Banzi surf camp. She did two weeks, and loved every day. I was able to watch her one day, and I was so impressed with all of the instructors, They paid such great attention to each surfer. We will definitely be back! read more

My son did 3 private surf lessons over Thanksgiving break he had a blast. He will definitely taking more lessons during winter break. Thanks to all the guys who helped him Frank, Dave and Jaz! read more

As a soccer coach for girls in La Puente, the other coach and I decided it would be great to take the girls on a retreat to HB and as a team building exercise we signed them up for surf lessons. The other coach and I joined the girls and it was truly the best experience! I have lived in HB and NEVER surfed until the surf lesson and it was amazing! Jaz and Kai were our instructors and they first had us work on getting ourselves on the board, while on the sand. This was very wise, since again none of us had ever surfed. Once we were in the water they would assist us whenever we needed, and even helped us catch our first wave! Overall my girls would've never done this had it not been for our retreat and they really enjoyed the experience! Some of the girls chickened out and they can't wait for our retreat later in the fall to surf! I would highly recommend this for a person of any age! I personally had a blast and would do it again in a heart beat and I know my soccer girls had a great time too! read more

On Friday night, 5/30/14, I used Banzai's website to sign-up for a private lesson on 6/1/14. The school sent a prompt letter to confirm the appointment, and included a few helpful details like directions to the beach, where to enter the parking lot, what the parking fee was, etc. On Sunday morning, I met the Banzai crew at their trailer near guard tower three. The trailer was hard to miss because it was fully wrapped in graphics, and the crew was getting ready for the day beneath an easy-up tent. I told them that I had an appointment for 9:00 and the owner, Jaz, immediately said, "You must be Josh!" Everybody was very friendly and we got right to it. My trainer - a very cool guy named Reggie - quickly figured out what size wetsuit would work for me, then pointed me to the restrooms where I could change. After I changed, I stowed my car key in their trailer, then we unloaded a ten-foot longboard and walked out toward the surf. Reggie spent a few minutes talking to me about safety while we were still on the sand. He also demonstrated the pop-up, which is basically an explosive push-up that a surfer uses to rise from their belly up to the surfing position. After a few reps, we went into the water. The water temperature was about 68 degrees and the full wetsuit kept me plenty warm. We went as far as the first break and then began to practice, while more experienced surfers were catching waves about 20 yards ahead of us. We began with me climbing on to the surfboard, Reggie swinging it around to point the right direction, then he would give it a push at the right moment to help me catch a wave. After the wave took me, it was up to me to try and pop-up. The first several tries were challenging, but pretty soon as I was able to get the hang of it. After every round, Reggie would really boost me up by saying positive things; things about improvements he saw me making, how well I was performing, and then he would make a couple observations on what I could do better on the next wave. I'm a little out of shape, so when I started to get winded, we'd take it easy for a while. During these down times, I asked a whole bunch of questions like - where are the good spots for newbies (Huntington, Bolsa Chica), What board would he recommend for a beginner (The 8' Wavestorm that goes for about $100 at Costco), and so on. Reggie answered all my questions easily, then it was time to catch a few other waves. Toward the end of my two hours, Reggie had me start catching waves on my own. He stood off to the side and helped me pick which ones to catch, then gave me little pointers as he saw fit. When it was time to head back toward the parking lot, I was already feeling pretty confident about my ability to practice the fundamentals on my own. Back at the trailer, I shot the breeze with Jaz and Reggie for a little while, talking about writing and stand-up comedy. Then I changed back into my clothes and headed home, already making plans to get my own surfboard and wetsuit. In all, I heartily recommend Banzai surf school to anybody and everybody that wants to learn how to surf. My plan is to spend the next month or so practicing what I learned, then return to Banzai when I'm ready to get to the next level. read more

Love the instructors. Daughter did 3 private lessons. Well worth the money. Location easy to find. There spot on the beach is not populated so not dealing with tons of people is nice read more

Banzai Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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Howdy Doodys, as a native Californian and former HS Wrestling Coach I wonder why I waited so long to try Surfing. So I asked around and did my homework and Banzai seemed like a good choice...I was wrong...it was a GREAT CHOICE!!! The Instructors Jeff Wilson and Ryan Rowe were patient with this landlover. They provided nice wetsuits and beginner surfboards with the perfect amount of coaching. My standards are very high for customer service and Banzai delivered. From the on shore lesson to the actual in water instruction it was exciting and fun. I actually stood up on my very first try...who knew I could surf?...It's like your flying more than skateboarding. I can't wait to go back next week. Be aware that Huntington Beach charges 15.00 bucks for parking. Sure glad I had my backup twenty in my wallet. I'm in my mid 40's and my buddy is 60 and we had a blast. Life is short...take time to smell the roses. Coach Dave read more

I had to go to Anaheim for work so I stayed an extra day to visit Huntington Beach and take a surf lesson with Banzai. I was a total beginner and was dying to try surfing but was a little scared. It was an amazing experience! Bryan was a wonderful instructor--so patient, helpful, friendly, encouraging, and fun. He taught me so much. And Tim was an excellent photographer--the pics are wonderful and I love having memories of that great day. Also, Jaz was so great about answering all my questions before the lesson. Unfortunately, I was in HB for only one day... if I had been there longer, I would have gone back every morning for more lessons! I highly recommend Banzai. read more