As a long time wannabe surfer, iSurf was the perfect way to start my journey. Scheduling your lesson is super easy, and if the weather isn't cooperating, rescheduling is too. Thomas was our instructor and he helped us with everything from parking to properly putting on your wetsuit to surfing basic info to technique practice (on land) to helping us catch our first waves! I felt capable after the first lesson. Heading over to book the surf club membership now :) Thanks so much Thomas & iSurf team! read more

I was so happy.my first lesson. I caught my first wave at 46 years old. I was stoked and motivated. Then my second lesson at 9am at Mondos Thomas, my instructor met me with a couple other girls that seemed a little more experienced than me but I was willing to take notes. But then it got weird. Feeling out of place with the group, I must have said something awkward that was misunderstood by Tom. When I asked about switching days to make up my monthly classes and to credit that I had already paid for, he disqualified me and said he no longer wanted to work with me. I was genuinely hurt. I really wanted to learn and he made me feel like I was this terrible person for saying something that was misunderstood. I still remember how bad my experience was, that I'm afraid to go out and try again . Maybe I would have "clicked better with a women instructor, but Tom was mean and hurtful. read more

iSurf - North Shore!, Aloha Restaurant Ventura, Ca. - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I can't say enough good things about our two-hour Electric Foil (E-Foil) Surfing Lesson with Wyatt at iSurf in Santa Barbara. From the moment we arrived, Wyatt made us feel comfortable, excited, and ready to learn something totally new. He explained the equipment clearly, gave great safety tips, and had an easygoing yet encouraging teaching style that made a huge difference. Whether you're brand new to water sports or looking to try something different and thrilling, I highly recommend booking with iSurf. Thanks, Wyatt, for a great experience! read more

iSurf - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great way to learn surfing in a fun relaxed environment. My daughter loved it and was all smiles after! read more

iSurf - Starting the lesson - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

If you can only afford lessons for one activity for yourself or your kid(s), look no further than iSurf. Surf lessons connect us with nature, relax our bodies, and aid in our mental health. We were at the Campus Point location with Zack and we're still thrilled at just how amazing it was. My daughter went from nervous to standing up on the board to asking to go out by herself all in her first and only lesson so far. Even for me as a parent, I was so happy and calm after. This is the best activity, swim school, and coach! They offer weekly lessons or drop-ins. A definite must for any local or tourist!!! read more

iSurf - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Josh was our instructor. My friend and I were both new to surfing, but he was very kind and gentle. We had a great time and were both able to stand up without falling a couple of times. Couldn't have asked for a better instructor. read more

I could not ask for a better experience. We had a blast and walked away with to tools we need to continue our journey as surfers.

For my boyfriend's birthday we were visiting Santa Barbara and I got him an E-Foil lesson at iSurf. Thomas texted us the night before to let us know where to meet him. When we arrived, he had all the gear that was needed: wetsuit, helmet, safety vest and the E-Foil. Thomas was super engaging and friendly from beginning to end. He provided an overview on the sand before hitting the water and then provided tips and advice while out on the water to help correct technique. My boyfriend said it was an amazing experience being able to fly across the water. Highly recommend iSurf for all your surf lessons. Thomas was the absolute best!! If we lived closer, we'd both want to take surf lessons with Thomas! Keep in mind that the E-Foil lesson is a physical activity with a lot of swimming and being able to stand up on the board. You will be tired and possibly sore after the lesson! But as my boyfriend said "it was worth it!" read more

iSurf - My boyfriend on the E-Foil. - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Booked a last minute private lesson while visiting Santa Barbara - the ocean looked too inviting! Thomas confirmed the booking details by text and we met up at Campus Point. There were a couple of other lessons going on but Thomas had us positioned so the other surfers weren't a problem. The private lesson was great in allowing my teacher to focus on my technique and picking the best waves for me. I felt like I got a decent introduction, was able to ask lots of questions and now know what to focus on as I keep practicing. I'd take lessons with iSurf again as I continue to improve. read more

Had a great efoil session with Thomas that took me from not even being able to pop up, to standing confidently and foiling intermittently. It was a great and informative lesson. read more

Thomas is experienced, knowledgeable, patient and so much fun to surf with and learn from. He encouraged and challenged me as our session progressed, gave me feedback which yielded some solid improvements. Highly recommend! read more

Great experience. Thomas had my girls, 7 & 9, up and surfing right away. Highly recommend. read more

iSurf - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great experience. My kids were nervous and tentative. Thomas was amazing with them. He had then both out there riding waves in no time. Highly recommend for beginners. read more

My girls had an *amazing* experience at their lesson. Zach is really good at teaching kids to surf, knowing what to teach according to the person's skill level and explaining surfing techniques. He is very good at pushing people into waves (which I have learned since trying to teach my kids myself that there is definitely an art to pushing kids into waves!) and Zach is very good at what he does. (I'm sure it helps that he's a great surfer himself as I've seen him in the water...so he knows what he's talking about.) He was able to give my kids super helpful tips on their pop-up and different techniques they can work on. They loved their lesson!! I love that they loved it so much! Thank you!! read more

Three days before Christmas 2021 our family took surf lessons, most of us first timers, with Zac and Thomas. They were so helpful and good instructors. I was the most questionable being 65 years old, but I have been around the ocean my whole life and swim a lot. Zac helped me to get up on the board first time! It was thrilling to ride a wave and especially be out on the water with my son, his girlfriend and my two nephews. We had a great day!! Thank you! read more

iSurf - Zac - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Good times! Thomas of iSurf communicated promptly and clearly before the morning on the water. He let me know what to expect, answered my questions, and learned what I was looking for. Once we met at the shore, he set me up with the gear I needed to stay warm and safe and taught me what I would need to know on the water. Out on the water, Thomas was super helpful and had an excellent eye for what I was doing right and wrong... and a fun demeanor I could match. Heck, I am good with falling into the ocean a lot and calling it fun! I did fall, but I also surfed a wave many times and rode a few right into the beach. Super fun, safe, and I learned a ton. read more

We wanted our 16 year old to learn to surf while we were in CA from the east coast. After booking online, Thomas texted the evening before our lesson to arrange a time and place that was both convenient for our touring schedule as well as ideal for surfing. We ended up not being able to go at the ideal time, but Thomas made sure it still worked. Thomas started the lesson with lots of verbal explanation on the beach, which we weren't sure would work for our son, but once in the water, Thomas had our son up on a wave by the third attempt! Our son said his instruction in the water was clear and helpful, and he had a total blast for the full 90 minute lesson. I would highly recommend iSurf and Thomas to any beginner! read more

iSurf was a fantastic experience! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an easy and effective lesson!

My husband and I had a BLAST learning how to surf with Thomas. It was our first time surfing and we couldn't have been more lucky to have Thomas as our instructor! He is funny, charismatic, super patient, and encouraging. Thomas provided all the education we needed before getting into the water and we had LOTS of time in the water catching waves! We're still in awe of the magical experience of actually catching and riding waves within our very first lesson! Hands down thanks to Thomas!! We cannot wait to be back for our next lesson. And you cannot beat the price - $95/person for a a two-hour semi-private lesson (includes surf board and full body wetsuit). It's a steal! read more

Really great operation -- communicative and well organized. Kids did a summer camp and really enjoyed it. Safe and friendly.

Where to even begin! I feel like I'm still riding the high that I had after my first lesson today with Thomas. First thing, to anyone​ reading this review, do it. Just simply schedule a lesson and get out there. You won't​ regret for a single moment doing something outside your comfort zone and yet being so amazed at what your body can accomplish. In regards to the lesson, Thomas was so professional, nice, funny, laid back and really gives you the confidence that people like me (totally new to surfing) need. I never for a minute felt out of place and really appreciated​d all that he did to make me feel welcome both at iSurf and in general in the surfing community. You could tell right off the bat that Thomas and iSurf as a whole were really well respected in Santa Barbara's little surfing world. I met a few of his students (who were all awesome and really nice) who seemed to be out there putting his advice to work and practing what they learned. The lesson it's self was wonderful. Starts on the beach with some basics that he goes over, and then you put them to use! Safety is key which I really appreicate, but dont let that fool you into thinking that it's easy or lackluster! You will get your adrenaline and blood flowing yet feel like your well taken care of and safe in this environment. I must have cought at least 10 waves my frist time (and was exhausted, surfing is hard work!) and am already itching for more. iSurf offer's a little something for everyone, from private to group lessons to surfing trips to some amazing places around the world (think Baja, Costa Rica, and even New Zealand!) Overall the only thing I wasn't​ happy about was that I didnt start doing this sooner and found iSurf earlier. Would recommend to anyone and everyone, you never know if you'll discover your happy place like I did today. read more

My kids LOVE isurf camp!! I have my daughter signed up for three different camps this summer and she has informed me that next summer she just wants to do isurf all summer instead. read more

I stood on the board for the first time! I had taken a surf lesson two years ago and wasn't able to stand but because Thomas explained everything so well I got it super fast. He made sure to watch each time and give me feedback on what I did right and what I did wrong so I could correct for next time. Highly recommend taking a lesson from him! read more

Thomas is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Such a great lesson, tons of fun and learned a lot! I was able to stand up and surf multiple times, which is a huge deal. I had an absolute blast. Highly recommend! read more

My girls (ages 7 & 10) had an amazing time! We signed up for drop-in day of surf camp, and they pleaded to go back the next day. They were nervous to surf, and they ended up surfing and playing in the water the whole day, even catching waves and standing up. The instructors were great, and nice to communicate with. Most of all, my kids had so much fun. I'm so glad we found iSurf! Plus, they got cool hats to bring home. :) read more

Had a great lesson today with Zach and Perry. There was a ton of good waves today at Mondo's beach and they were able to safely instruct us how to get the mechanics down behind surfing. They were both pretty observant throughout the entire lesson and gave me pointers after every attempt of me popping up and riding the wave. They were funny and kept the entire lesson fun and enjoyable. I'm not the strongest swimmer and surfing out here was a good starting point. The water was up to my upper chest where we were standing (I'm 5'8"). Definitely recommend starting off with some lessons and getting them from iSurf! The groupon deal made it even sweeter :) read more

My friend and I took a surf lesson with Zach this past week and it was awesome. We both had been out before but were really looking for some direction and help on improving (and learning to stand!). We worked with Thomas, who was responsive and easy to communicate with, on finding a time to go out. The lesson itself was wonderful, super helpful and Zach was awesome. Would recommend to anyone looking to begin or improve at surfing. read more

Thomas was a fantastic stand up paddle board instructor! As first timers, Thomas brought the perfect balance of helpful tips and relaxed enjoyment. We made it all the way around the bay and even got to see some seals! I would recommend it to anyone. read more

Hands down best Summer camp experience my kids have had the privilege of participating in...and they've participated in many! This is our second year of iSurf camp and it's even better than the last. Thomas, Zach and all the counselors are so skilled at teaching these kids the fundamentals of surfing, building their confidence and instilling a love of / respect for the ocean. Our girls have picked up surfing and developed such excitement for the sport in a way we always hoped they would (we've tried... they don't listen to us :)They come home happy, exhausted and looking forward to the next day. Wish this could go on forever! We're so fortunate to have an option like iSurf in Santa Barbara. Thank you! read more

Zach was super rad and helped me practice my skills in the water!! Such a fun experience and great energy. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to get into surfing. They make the experience very comfortable and I will definitely come back again to this company! read more

Exactly what I was going for when I signed up for the lessons. Thomas is a really cool guy, the private lesson is really great for learning a ton about positioning on the board, paddling, standing up on the board, and maintaining balance. I was standing on the board on the first day, and hopped into group lessons the next day. It was super easy to coordinate, and Thomas even recommended the Airbnb place I ended up staying at in Summerland, which turned out great. Definitely was a major highlight on my trip to Santa Barbara. Would recommend iSurf to anyone wanting to learn how to surf. read more

Thomas, Thank you so much for our lesson on Saturday. Kathryn and Hannah couldn't stop talking about it and I scored a "coolest Aunt" comment on the way home:). Have a good day and maybe I'll sign-up again. I really enjoyed it too! Karen read more

iSurf is amazing! If you want to learn to surf the right way with an instructor who is knowledgeable, encouraging and has a ton of patience then iSurf is for you!! I have had lessons with other surf schools but nothing compares to iSurf!!! I am actually surfing now! We go to different surf spots and experience different surf breaks!! ISurf is awesome and I recommend any woman who wants to learn to surf go here! read more

Knowledgeable instructors and flexible schedules. They were very understanding when we had delays to our schedule while on vacation. We had a great time and would definitely go back again. read more

My first lesson I booked by my friend's recommendation, now I'm recommending Isurf to my friends! Thomas has different options, I tried few and they all were very beneficial for me. Learning surfing is fun, specially if you have professionals next to you who make you feel safe in a water!! read more

We signed up our 8 year old girls for a Saturday session at the last minute and they were able to accommodate us without issue. The girls went out with Zach and had a great time. Both wanted to go back. On Monday we called to get all 4 kids in and were initially were told that there was no way that they would be able to accommodate us on that short of a notice. Thomas called back and was able to work us into a lesson that day. When we finally met him to thank him he told us that he just couldn't disappoint the kids. Great experience all around! read more

Best Surf Instructor Ever!! I found iSurf through Yelp while I was in Santa Barbara for a few days. I've had a lot of lessons in the past and Thomas is hands down the best instructor. He broke me of some bad habits and taught me lots of little maneuvers that helped me tremendously to be more efficient with my energy in the water. I am not a beginner, but I had to go back to the basics to reprogram my muscle memory. Thomas was great about taking me out during the right conditions and to the ideal spot for the type of lesson I wanted. He is really good at reading the waves and where to position yourself in the water for optimal rides. If you're a beginner, start with Thomas so you learn the techniques correctly. If you're a frustrated surfer like I was, take a lesson with Thomas to get dialed in correctly. I absolutely plan on getting more lessons from iSurf. Worth every penny!! And the service is great too! On time and convenient. You just show up and he has everything ready for you. read more

Five stars for our instructor -- but two stars for the idea of "group" surfing classes. iSurf's group class is a great way to get a taste of whether you'd like to surf, but not an ideal way to actually learn to surf. That's what I concluded after my 12-year-old daughter and I used iSurf's Groupon offer to try surfing for the first time. That Groupon is a *fantastic* deal, and I'm really glad we were able to try surfing for $30/person rather than $100/person, as with just about every other option I looked at. That class was enough for me to realize five things: 1. You can't learn to surf alongside your kid -- at least, not if you are the kind of parent who worries about their kid drowning. I realized I was too nervous to take my eyes off my daughter while she was on a board, so I waited on the shore until she tired. HUGE kudos to our instructor for the attention he paid to her -- he stayed so close by that I wasn't concerned for my daughter's safety at all, and she actually did get a chance to try (but fail at) standing up. 2. Surfing involves getting a LOT of water in your face. Honestly, I felt like I was being waterboarded. If I were serious about trying, I'd spend a few days in the heavy surf, wearing a wetsuit, so that I could get used to being whacked in the face by waves before I tried getting on a board. 3. Surfing is HARD and scary. I couldn't figure out how our instructor came by his crazy intense upper body musculature -- until we started paddling out into the waves. It is WORK. I love swimming, so that wasn't too daunting, but it *was* daunting to swim right into massive waves. This is why I think I'd do better one on one: the only time I got far enough out to try surfing back in, I'd accidentally ended up far from the rest of the group, and I had no idea how to get back to them without getting slammed by a wave from behind, so I didn't even try. One-to-one instruction would be worth the investment, particularly if I did the work of getting used to big waves in advance. That said, two of our fellow classmates did great and were up and surfing by the end of the class. 4. The instructor REALLY matters. Ours was terrific (I'm so sorry I've forgotten his name!) and made a real effort to get both of us in the water. I particularly appreciated his gentle, confident approach to encouraging my daughter to keep going even after she got whacked by a few waves -- even though she didn't end up actually getting up on her board, she felt great about her efforts, and loved the class. 5. The day REALLY matters. To keep our spirits up, our instructor didn't tell me until *after* class that the waves that day were exceptionally strong -- and he offered us a make-up class so we'd have a chance to try again. We weren't able to take him up on that, but if I were trying again, I'd be sure to book a class with the proviso that we could check in that day and rebook if the waves were too rough for beginners. The two things I think iSurf could do to improve the experience are (1) setup their online registration with clearer instructions on how to use a Groupon, if you have one -- I had to get Groupon's help in order to get in touch with with iSurf and actually book our class, and (2) provide more info on where to park and meet up at the beach. My daughter and I spend fifteen minutes looking for parking and twenty minutes walking the beach to find the group -- only to discover them in a van by the side of the road. Someone else in the class was even later, for the same reason. It would be wise to tell students to look for the group in a van on the street, and not on the beach itself. All in all, it was a great experience, and I'm glad we gave it a shot. read more

I have been with iSurf for almost 2 years now. I'm turning 60 this year, and have done the membership package and what a great value!! I did the annual membership, so for $100 a month I can sign up for a lesson 7 days a week if I want. I usually go 3-4 times a week, great group of people, super fun, my surfing has improved, I've made great friends, what a fantastic way to learn this sport, and what a fantastic value. Couldn't give a higher review!!! read more

My kids did the iSurf summer camp this summer (through Parks and Rec) and absolutely LOVED it! I particularly loved the convenience of the downtown pick up and drop off location and my kids really liked that it was a "travel" camp so they got to check out different beaches and surf spots. The kids raved about all of the instructors and are already begging to go back next summer. I loved the responsiveness of the iSurf staff whenever I had questions...seriously a great experience. read more