I've had the pleasure of taking several Adventure Out classes over the past year--Rock Climbing,…read moreMountain Biking, and most recently the Wilderness Survival Clinic--and every single experience has exceeded my expectations. The wilderness survival clinic with Jack was transformative. I initially signed up simply to spend more time outdoors and pick up practical skills, but what I found was something much deeper. Adventure Out's classes don't just teach--you're invited to truly interact with nature and form a real relationship with it. One of the unexpected highlights of the clinic was how naturally it became a team-building experience. Even though almost everyone in our group had just met for the first time, we quickly found ourselves collaborating, communicating, and problem-solving together. Building an emergency shelter as a group--choosing the right location, dividing tasks, and working within a limited time--was incredibly fun and surprisingly connecting. It added a whole new dimension to the experience and showed how nature can bring strangers together in meaningful ways. Our instructor, Jack, has a remarkable ability to make every person feel seen and included. Watching how he engaged with adults and kids alike--especially the two young children (ages 6 and 4!) in our group--was inspiring. His presence, awareness, and ability to track the energy of the group is unlike anything I've seen. The way he integrated the little ones actually inspired me to bring my 10-year-old daughter next year. And speaking of unforgettable moments--seeing fire by friction created before my eyes was one of the most beautiful outdoor experiences I've had. Learning how to carve my spindle, and progressing much farther than I expected, was empowering. Two folks in our group were able to start fire for the first time ever, based on Jack's instruction! I found Jack's YouTube tutorial afterward, which has been incredibly helpful for practicing at home. I'm already signed up for the wilderness survival overnight immersion next June. A huge shoutout as well to Dan, who taught my rock climbing class. The first session was so fun, motivating, and perfectly paced, and I enjoyed it so much that I later took a private rock climbing class with my daughter. I got hands-on practice with belaying, and she had an absolute blast climbing outdoors for the first time. It was an unforgettable experience for both of us. I'm planning to take more classes with my daughter, as well as take the rock climbing anchors class. Another big thank-you to Eli, who taught my mountain biking class. The class was tailored to my request for hands-on experience fixing common bike issues on the trail. We also covered MTB riding techniques, which were super fun--and as a bonus, we ran into pro cyclist Kate Courtney, which added an exciting surprise to the day! Adventure Out consistently delivers exceptional instruction, meaningful experiences, and a culture that supports learning, curiosity, and personal growth. I'm deeply grateful for the community they've built.

Beautiful, I don't like to walk but I do and my god the beautiful landscape, bring fish food, the…read moreducks and fish will follow you a great deal around the lake, delightful! There are nice bathrooms inside the large beautiful office bldg, a small coffee stand and indoor seating... What a find!

I have been wanting to try surfing for the longest time and finally gathered up my courage to do it…read moreyesterday. Richie was so awesome, assured me that I could do it and kept encouraging and helping me to catch the waves. I was about to give up after a few tries when I rode my first one. I didn't expect that on my first lesson, as I never swim in the ocean before so it has been a euphoric experience. Still smiling when I think about it. Thank you Richie for making my dream come true! Definitely will get a lesson from Richie again if I'm in the area again.

Second time ever on a board and caught waves!! Richie, our instructor was great, safe and soft…read morespoken with a gentle footprint . He had 100 percent control the entire time. I absolutely loved it and hope to be back next weekend! What an epic experience!!!

Great experience, at 40 years old and never surfing these guys got me going. Great personality,…read moregreat coaching and fantastic atmosphere. These guys are professionals, and actual movie stars

I recently visited my best friend in California, traveling all the way from New Jersey. It was my…read morefirst time in Cali, and since I've always wanted to learn how to surf--especially living near the water at the Jersey Shore--I knew this was the perfect opportunity. While visiting, we booked a lesson with Surf School Santa Cruz, and I'm so glad we did. From the moment we met our instructor, Ryan, he made us feel comfortable and excited to get out on the water. He stayed right by our side the entire time, offering encouragement and guidance that kept us motivated. Learning to surf with Ryan was such an incredible experience--he's not only an amazing teacher but also truly one of the best surfers out there. If you've ever thought about trying surfing, I can't recommend Surf School Santa Cruz (and Ryan!) enough.

I don't surf! But I come out here a lot to birdwatch, and watch people surf since it's so cool (and…read moreI want to learn lol). But there are many birds here, and many nest right above the lookout spot in the trees. I've seen otters amongst the surfers here as well. And the waves are awesome. It looks to be a more intermediate spot for surfing. As the waves here get pretty large. It gets very packed on weekends and throughout the day. I recommend if you can going on weekday mornings, or parking down in one of the neighborhoods if the lots are still full and walking a little bit. Awesome place! Not really for swimming though, only surfing. And there are some rocks you have to be wary of.

Good fun waves when the tide is right and sun is shining,(or not). Some days it's hitting just…read moreright. The place can get a little crowded but it's still fun to grab a couple regardless. Get Surfing. Good times and fun healthy days. https://www.theoutbound.com/california/surfing/surf-the-hook

So glad I stumbled upon this amazing gem several weeks ago while visiting Pacifica. I didn't…read morerealize until last week that they had a Santa Cruz location which is in my neck of the woods. Today I got the Day Pass which was perfect! I hung out on the patio and did some computer work while I waited for the tides to drop. They had wifi, lockers for my stuff and an outdoor shower to rinse off. The staff were rad; so helpful! My experience was so great that I bought the month membership! Driving an hour to surf, this is gonna be my home away from home. Thank you, friends for a great day!

Super friendly and professional service, A+++ highly recommend for all your surfing needs!read more

I wanted to get a local shirt for a friend's birthday and I seen these keep Capitola salty…read moreT-shirts, which I knew would be a big hit for my friend This is a charming little store in Capitola. The staff was super friendly and helpful and they also did gift wrapping for free! Total beach vibe, they live up to their name. If you haven't been down to the Capitola Beach company go check it out.

This place is amazing!!! I LOVE the selection of clothing, also because I love Roxy, but everything…read morein the store has been thoughtfully, hand picked. I believe it was the owners that helped me and they were both amazing! I came in for a travel bag and left with the most amazing bag ever! (aloha bag --go get one)! Highly highly recommend supporting this business and checking out what they have to offer. Thank you again for the amazing service . I can't wait to go back for more!

Making The Drop in one word - Awesome !! Barry and his team continue to deliver an amazing surfing…read moreexperience each and every time we hit the surf. The team at (MTD) Making the drop are true professionals that take the time needed regardless of your comfort level in the water to ensure you have the best surfing experience possible. With out fail the MTD team has been able to get even the most novice of my friends up on a wave their first time out !! The MTD team is amazing with kids !! From 4 yr to 14 yr the MTD team makes the ocean adventure a fun and educational event for the kids. If you are looking for a true surfing experience with real professionals you have to surf with Making the Drop !!

I was just thinking back to our California vacation that we did a short while back. One of the…read morebiggest highlights from our trip was our surf lessons. My son and I joined with some friends to get a group lesson from Barry at "Making the Drop". To help out, Barry brought his good friend Tyler Fox (pro surfer - how cool is that???). So, for a couple hours, these two guys helped us figure out the basics of surfing - paddling out, looking for the right wave, getting on the board, etc. They were both SUPER patient and some of the friendliest guys around. To this day, I'm still positively affected by Barry's laid-back take-it-as-it-comes attitude. I'll always remember him saying, as we're floating out in the water with dolphins watching for waves, "how can you hate your job when your office looks like this?". I can see how Barry is an effective life coach as well as top-notch surfing instructor. Whether you are a strong swimmer or not, love the ocean or not, I would highly recommend some lessons here. Learn something about yourself as well as life, in general, with just a few hours on the water with Barry. It'll change your life.

So much fun! Abraham was fun, patient, and so helpful! This was the kids first time surfing and…read morethey had a blast! They both were able to have a great time and enjoy the waves! I highly recommend booking with them! Thanks, Abraham!

Fantastic to work with! We rented boards and wet suits from them two days in a row and they were…read morefriendly, made the process really easy and efficient and were all around nice dudes. They even went above and beyond and offered us cookies, water, and Gatorade after we finished surfing. They operate out of the back of a van and had enough equipment for 15 of us to rent suits, surf boards, and boogie boards. Highly recommend!