My fiancé and I signed up for the 8am class with hopes of having calmer waves for his first time surfing. When we got there we didn't see the truck, so that was a little bit concerning, but shortly after 8am the bus arrived and the staff started setting up and getting us ready for the lesson. Our instructor was Cat and we were in a group with just one other person. Cat was great at explaining the steps and giving us tips to improve. We got in the water shortly after and Cat started pushing us into our waves. After a few waves, I started getting my own waves and Cat provided a few suggestions for what to do the next time. The only weird thing was that Cat got out of the water with the other guy in the group to show him stuff and was out for longer than I expected. My fiancé definitely needed more assistance than doing it on his own, but he kept trying. When Cat finally did get back in the water, she didn't really start pushing either of us. Despite that, I still thought she was good and thought the value was worth it. read more

This review is for Fun Surf LA. A horrible experience and was shocked at the lack of concern and organization. We booked a surf lesson for Thursday at 12pm. A decent time and thought they would definitely have an instructor. We booked it the night before and they accepted the booking and sent us all the confirmation information. I thought this was a surf school and thus instructors would be available at the times they listed to book. Well the day of the lesson, I get a call an hour and 30min before it was time to start that they did not have an instructor and would have to cancel. I purchased this surf lesson as a gift for my friends who had just arrived and were visiting out of the country. They were already on their way to Santa Monica and I had no way to communicate with them that the lesson was canceled. Upon talking to the woman and pleading with her to have an instructor there for my friends since the lesson was booked she said "sorry, there was no instructor available." She at first told me that they then could go to the 2:00pm slot but then later after I asked about it again she said that the instructor for the 2:00pm had a private so was now not available then. I was freaking out as I would not be able to tell my friends and they would be waiting at the meeting point. I asked if at least someone could go meet them to tell them that it had been canceled and she said "sorry there would be no one there to meet them". What a bad look! I was thoroughly disappointed. They should not allow someone to book a date and time if they don't have an instructor committed to be there. I think they just wing it and if enough people sign up for the lesson and it's worth their time then they'll get an instructor. However, if not enough people sign up for your time slot then they won't have anybody there for you. I did get a refund thank goodness but what poor customer service. I will never be using them again. Thoroughly disappointed at this experience. What should've been a fun surf day turned into a disappointment. read more

We booked a 2 hours lesson with John on our vacation. We booked three spots and 3 others joined us during the lesson. The surfing itself is super fun and John is really great instructor and person. Highly recommended. read more

Fun Surf - Surf Schools Near Me - Venice, California

So much fun Valentine was my instructor we had a great day great ways it was very encouraging the group wasn't too big just went plenty of time in the water and On shore, Valentine took time with each participant to give specific instructions and make them confident enough to continue to improve throughout the lesson I would definitely go back to this company read more

Fun Surf - Their bus that meets u at the pier. - Surf Schools Near Me - Venice, California

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Was recommended by someone but honestly had a SUPER UNPLEASANT time there. The instructor taught us "NOTHING". Waited over 20 mins for other people coming and took about 10 mins max for the right posture; two hour lesson but was in water one hour max. My friends and I got rescheduled twice already and for our lesson, the one and only instructor was literally teaching 7 ppl at a time. He didn't even share anything about how to get over the wave, how to paddle, when to stand up and etc. He complained everyone was far from him but he only spent time on those who could stand up on their own and didn't care about us at all. And I believe everyone knows staying too close is extremely dangerous. My friend even got hit by another participant's board. The instructor sucks and we had such a bad time there. read more

My main gripe about this activity was that Alexi the instructor only had a small bus of substandard equipment. All the surfboards are the same standard size (so you better hope it's not too big or too small for your respective size) and all the rental wetsuits are ragged with holes in them. I raised that question to him but he insisted that since the holes were in the knee cap area and in only certain parts of the body that water would not leak through. Well, Lo and behold, as soon as I got into the water, the ice cold Venice beach water seeped into my entire wetsuit giving me a blanket of cold water sloshing inside of my wetsuit. Another issue I had was that In the briefing email that he sent to us literally the day before the surfing event, He reminded us to bring cash so we could tip him. He has a plastic see-through tip jar taped onto the back of his bus door in plain view. Personally it just felt a bit pushy considering that the experience and his overall effort was mediocre to sub par. read more

Amazing Surfing experience. I've had 3 prior lessons over the years in Hawaii. I had a group lesson at 8am with two others. Anto was our young but experienced instructor (years hitting the Argentinian waves). Communication was just the right level from the land instructions and out in the water. The waves were strong and more than what I've had in the past. Was great place to surf for a beginner - intermediate (I can't speak for advanced people who I'm sure have their spots they love that is beyond my ability). Definitely worth doing it again with Fun Surf LA. FYI - I do read other reviews (mostly before I select a place) and in cases like there were there are a bunch of very negative reviews/comments about the owner/Stephen, I want to add my corresponding experience. My only experience with him was his thoughtful email the night before on what to expect and bring. Of course, this is just 1 person's experience. read more

This place is the best! I had the best time learning from Fun Surf LA. Couple of helpful tips: You want to book the 8am class. Better parking choices (on Pacific), less people on the beach and in the water. You probably want to book Sunday 8am as opposed to Saturday 8am. We surfed to the right of the pier, the water was better. This may change. The van that you meet up at is white, not the blue one in the pictures. KAT IS THE BEST INSTRUCTOR!!! Clear cut, informative, super supportive! I was up on the board, catching my own waves and I could hear her cheering me on. Tip your teachers! They work really hard and they deserve every penny. read more

Stephen is awesome! A great instructor and after having taking many lessons in my life, I was surprised to learn some very helpful insights he had with balance, positioning and most important, how to correct! Really so surprised that no other structor in HI, Mexico or Malibu ever bothered to share those observations! It instantly made a difference. I also like how he gave space to go at your own pace-take a break without pressure. Just super chill and...rode a wave! Be careful with non certified instructors (have to admit i never thought about it) but in Venice Beach there are several folks operating without a license and while we were out in the water, one of those clients got taken away by lifeguard and looked pretty insured! Stephen was on top of all the details snd kept us safely away from rogue operators. Great job Stephen! read more

Fun Surf - Surf Schools Near Me - Venice, California

Frank and Jorge were awesome instructors! Even with some crazy waves I learned a lot. They were super professional and helpful. Definitely a must-go for first time surfers! read more

I had a blast. I took a group lesson on a random Friday when the water is super cold. This is probably my 3rd time taking surfing class, and this is by far the best. I was able to get a hang of how to surf and learn to independently catch the waves. Shout out to Pacho for being such a patient instructor. Looking forward to more lessons to come. read more

eden is a great teacher, he deserves all the tips! i had a great time learning how to surf, he really cares about his students and a great person to be around. have fun learning how to surf everyone~ read more

We had an awesome experience with Jonathan! The company was easy to work with as I had to reschedule a few times. Would highly recommend especially for beginners. read more

Some friends and I took a surf lesson with Anto through Fun Surf LA (booked on Air BnB) and it was the best experience. Things were organized when we arrived and they were able to be extremely attentive to a large group. Anto was our instructor and she was so friendly and helpful. She made it easy to keep wanting to try again with how motivating and sweet she was. read more

Highly recommend kapowui in Ocean Park over fun surf LA. Fun surf LA did not review safety at all - no directions on what to do when you fall, protecting your head, what to do with your board when a wave comes, etc. There was also no technique given on how to stand up, the directions I was given was to "just stand up". Much prefer kapawui where they reviewed safety thoroughly and gave you a four step system to standing up on the board. I've noticed the also give lessons when there are severe riptide warnings and you will notice none of the regular surfers are in water but Fun Surf chooses to take out the paying beginners in such conditions. I even complained about the lesson and they initially said they would refund me and then they never did. I complained multiple times, the issue being they have not properly trained the instructors to gives lessons. read more

I've done 2 lessons with Fun Surf LA now and recommend them (obviously, since I went back... lol). Professional operation that had a bigger focus on safety than another surf lesson I took, which I appreciated. First time I went there was a bigger group and they made sure to have extra instructors present. They gave really good feedback to help me improve at surfing. I don't know if they pick the same meeting spot every time, but the location where we surfed in Venice was really convenient to parking, public restrooms, etc. which was also a nice plus. Parking in the lot cost $9 all day (worth it if you want to hang out on the beach after) but there's also 2-hour and street parking nearby. read more

I had a weird experience with this company. The instructor kept saying sexist remarks about "now all you ladies look good, don't worry,but you have to paddle" "all you ladies wanna do the pretty flapping around arm things, but you have to dig into the water and paddle properly".... kept saying you ladies.... what about the men....and when I put the wrong foot on the board he said "do you know where your ankle is? As if I'm stupid. We had a lot of strong females in the class and we actually stayed in longer in the water than the men in our group. We were the ones who were standing up on the boards and were not obsessing about how we looked or flailing around looking for men to help us out. Let's just keep it equal for everyone please. read more

Booked private lessons for my two younger children, and Stephen was great with providing info on how the lesson for them would go. Nicholas was a superb instructor!! The waves were pretty strong on the first day, so he suggested the kids go in separately, one at a time. This was perfect as the ocean was powerful on them. His constant encouragement, positive demeanour and radiating happiness while working with them, helped them learn and start to love the sport; so much so that they requested another lesson, and we came back two days later. Both kids were able to stand up, and my son was catching wave after wave!! Thank you, Fun Surf LA!! :) read more

The best surf school there is. They provide you with surfboard and a wetsuit. The instructors are knowledgeable and helpful. They helped me to stand up on the board for the first time, explained proper technique, and pointed out mistakes I was doing. Most importantly it was a very fun lesson. read more

I was looking for an extraordinary hobby .And I found "Fun surf LA" .Before meeting with them I was so scared about surfing and I have never done something like this before.But after first lesson I admit that that are professional,and I feel calm!Really,they are so helpful and patient. I will go on taking lessons from them because they are the best! read more

We had a terrible time at Fun surf LA, we booked our trip through Viator. We were 7 people, 6 Females and I was the only Male in the group. We had Eden and Josh as our instructors. Josh decided to flirt with other females in the group and focus on one woman in the group for the entire time and basically gave her a private lesson while he ignored the rest of us. Eden was devived among other people but I hardly got 2 minutes of our time. I am not sure about other instructors but DO NOT take lessons from Josh or Eden. read more

I originally found this business via airbnb (experiences), then decided to check their website and booked there after a quick check on yelp of course! I was confirmed via email with instructions on where to meet. We booked a 2pm session on a Saturday. Warning! Give yourself a minimum of 1.5 hours travel time if you're within a 12 mile radius because traffic is bad and parking is worse. I'd recommend arriving super early, parking, and grabbing a bite to eat while you wait for your session. Once you get past the traffic, parking, parking expense (we paid $25 at a public parking lot), and actually make it to the beach, the rest will go smoothly. The instructors were awesome but more importantly, they were patient. The hubby and I were part of a group of 7 people and had 2 instructors initially. Another instructor joined to help at some point. It seemed they spent time with everyone and one of the instructors helped me to stand on my board by the end of the session. Yay!! I had so much fun in the water. sand was soft but I have delicate feet so I tore up my big toes. Next time I'd bring a pair of surf socks or try water shoes. I'd come back, hopefully soon. read more

I was so excited for my lesson. I booked a private lesson for 2... We got there a few minutes before, the previous group was finishing up. Everything started great, the instructor introduced him self, we got ready (wetsuits) and then we walked to the beach. I told the instructor twice that it was my first time ever, and that I had no clue of what to do. He didn't seem to care much, and just said that we were there to have fun. That's great but I paid $182, and wanted to learn at least the basic. We got into the water, let some waves go and then he told me get ready for this one, stand up when I say so. Obviously it did go great but I kept trying and trying - I am no quitter. But after so many waves dragging me and him not telling me what to do there was not much of a point. My cousin had some experience surfing and he told me, that the instructor did not teach me or even try. Then I got disappointed and just let my cousin keep going. the instructor instead of coming to me and at least asking if he could help went out the catch waves, like wtf! We ended the lesson earlier , and he even said "that means I get to go home early" Basically I could of just rented a board and done that on my own instead of paying for what is supposed to be a private LESSSON... I hope this is helpful for anyone! read more

I think this is one of the best school for surfing especially for beginners. Very well show and explain the theory that is very important when you don't know anything about it In particular, I liked the practice when you can feel the board, the waves and start to control your body. Instructors are always there and ready to help you. I recommend this school! read more

This was the cheapest school I found in LA area. I was expecting hidden stones as the price is way lower than in other places, but since I haven't seen any negative reviews I decided to give it a try. So, what can I tell... That was absolutely amazing! Instructor Stephen was very friendly and his explanation was knowledgeable and helpful. All the equipment is new, including wetsuits by top brands. Overall that was a wonderful experience. Highly recommended! read more

Fun Surf - Evening surf at Venice beach with FunSurfLA! Thank you Stephen for the lessons :) - Surf Schools Near Me - Venice, California

This was such a fun and great experience! The group lessons were great - the instructors made sure to help each person out individually. Learned a lot on land and majority of the class was in the water which was great! Very affordable as well for a surf lesson that provides wet suites and boards. Very easy to get to and overall a great experience - I would definitely come back for another lesson here read more

Great surf school, Etan is a surf guru. Ask for him, knows all the aspects of surfing and really tries his best so you can handle multiple waves on your very first class. Def my #1 spot for anything surf related. Will be back soon. Thank you Etan! read more

Really laid back surfing experience at Venice beach! My boyfriend and I booked a session from 10am to 12pm and we really enjoyed it! Stephen and his wife were really nice and helpful the whole time. If you prefer to practice on your own, this class is perfect for you. Stephen gave us time to get used to the waves and learn how to spot the good ones. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a laid back surfing class! read more

Great time!!! Highly recommended!! I was a little nervous to try at first since I had never surfed before, but Stephen took his time and made it easy and fun. I surfed for a little while on my knees and actually stood up at the end. read more

Stephen's lesson was very helpful and fun! For the first 30 min he goes over basics and then in the water he helps to catch the wave. His assistant, Marina, is very nice too! read more

I took my daughter for her 21st birthday at her request. No complaints. Justin has good tips and was encouraging, i.e. kept saying, "You can do it." We were successful quite a bit for our first lesson. Everything was perfect. I recommend you give yourself at least 20 minutes just to enter the parking lot since it's a popular spot, understandably. read more

Really loved my first experience surfing with Stephen. Even though I was in a group lesson Stephen was attentive, educational, and encouraging to every individual. Highly recommend to anyone interested in learning how to surf! read more

We had never surfed before, Steven and his awesome team taught us how to enjoy surfing through simple steps, and helped us all along. Our group was made of all kinds of people, everyone seemed to have a blast. Stephen was very attentive and supportive, making sure we were always having fun. We had such a great time! Now we'll go buy our surf boards to practice again and again! read more

I've been surfing with the guys for over a month already. They are really great! I can feel how I'm getting better every time. Stephen is a cool dude and very professional instructor. Highly recommended! read more

Fun Surf - Surf Schools Near Me - Venice, California

I had such a great time in my surf class with our instructor Will! It was my first time so I was a little nervous, but Will took his time instructing everyone before we even got in the water. He was very thorough and you could definitely tell he's had many years of experience under his belt. He didn't rush through anything and was genuine and passionate about teaching surfing. Perfect class for beginners! read more

Great way to learn to surf! Stephen's love for surfing shows through his teaching. This was my first time to surf and he made it easy by helping coach me throughout the session. Whenever someone caught a wave, Stephen was the first to shout in joy! Thanks again! read more

Stephen and friends were truly great, and this was an awesome experience and lesson. Definitely recommend this group of folks! Stephen and Eugene were clearly lovers of the sport and want to see others love it too. They get in the water with you, and offer 1:1, or also they give you space if you want to try it more on your own first. I saw a bit of another place/business doing lessons and it seemed less organized and less helpful, which really made me appreciate all the effort Stephen and his people do! If you're looking for a good two hour surf lesson/rental this is it, they have all you need! read more

This was the best experience I had in LA so far and I make regular trips down to SoCal regularly from the bay. Stephen provided my group with wetsuits fitted to our size and surfboards. The on land lesson was really effective in preparing us for the open water. A couple of my friends didn't know how to swim, but they managed to catch a few good waves. The couple seconds of being able to stand upright on the board is one of the best feelings. Definitely learn to surf when your in the area. SoCal beaches are beautiful. Thanks Stephen and Marina! read more

OMG. I always afraid to try! My friends pushed me to be part of serfteam! And now I would never forget my first experience. I'm waiting every next class and really enjoy it!!! Very professional team! Great coach Steven! Guys you're awesome!!! Thank you for making me and other students happy every class!!! read more

It was my first time surfing but I've always wanted to try. I even stood up for a few seconds and they were nice enough to give me a picture of it! Steven is a great instructor, I had a blast! read more