We had an amazing surfing session with Nicky yesterday. He is a great instructor and after a minor accident he and his whole team took such good care of us. Highly recommend Kapowui!! read more

This place was a God send! Wells came to the Life Rolls On event and it was a gloomy day. Luckily we ran into the gentleman at Kapowui and he helped my daughter with a wet suit, and literally made it the best surfing experience she's ever had. Thanks guys for what you provide. read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - My daughter in the wet suit - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Everything was awesome! Pat did an amazing job with all of us especially with our autistic daughter! We did the beginner lessons 1 1/2hr for 3 people. Was only going to do 2 but they talked my wife into trying it and she's glad she did. Highly recommend these awesome people to teach you the basics of surfing! read more

It was so much fun, Oliver was amazing he made me feel safe out there and was giving me so many tips and tricks to make me feel confident in myself, and to not be scared. He was very understanding because it gets rough out there, 10/10 would recommend! read more

Went on a private lesson just an hour after i called to inquire! Awesome people, our coach, River was such a great teacher and made the experience something we will not forget. I've been to at least 2 other surfing lessons from other companies but i enjoyed it here the most, caught the most waves and i totally recommend this place! read more

This is for the beautiful people of Kapowui Surf Lessons. Marjan (?) responded quickly & was super accommodating as I set up a last minute lesson for my newbie nephew. He was only in town for a few more days & wanted the full CA experience. Unfortunately, he went on a long hard day long hike & was not in any shape the next AM. I am a rule follower and was not expecting any special treatment but one can always hope. I didn't want to hold up an appointment from someone else or not show up & waste someone else's time so I called to explain the situation & apologize for the whiplash of 'lesson-no-yes-no'. Martins & Marjan were so accommodating, reasonable & flexible. Now I can flip the fees already paid towards an actual lesson once he heals. So, still looking forward to a fun experience but you must be told how wonderful, professional but most importantly, very human they are. I think they love what they do & make some money doing it but in the end, things happen & they bend along with it. We need more beautiful souls like the good people @ Kapowui Surf Lessons. Thank you! read more

Found Kapowui online and didnt even read all their well deserved reviews. Taylor is awesome. She had my 9 year old boy standing up right out the gate and for the rest of the lesson. Not only that, she kept him engaged the entire hour and he wanted more. Taylor is very good with kids and has the perfect touch...knows just how and when to send em. We are coming back this weekend for more! Score! read more

So on my birthday or around my birthday I try to do new things and have new experiences. That's how I like to celebrate life. This year, I was finally able to check off surfing from my bucket list. Fortunately, my friend really loves the ocean and was more than happy to go to a surfing class with me. Just trying to get into our wetsuits made me laugh! I knew that surfing was bound to be exhausting, but just getting our huge, heavy surfboards balanced on our heads or carrying them under our arms while walking on soft sand was tiring enough. By the time we got to the meeting spot, we both wished we had taken our water bottles also, but then that would have been one more thing to carry. The class on the beach itself was good. It was a relatively large class with I'm guessing around 20 students with 3 instructors. Each of the instructors took turns. One taught the terminology and parts of the board. Another taught how to get up on the board and how to keep your balance. Another gave safety tips. Getting into the water was a whole different story. First of all, no one tells you that when you wipe out, the waves will pummel you and make you feel like you're going to drown and die. There were several times the waves simply washed me off my board, took me under, and I was literally spinning in circles underwater not knowing which way was up or down. My only saving graces were: 1) I know how to swim, and 2) We were in shallow enough water that my feet could touch the ground and kick myself back up to the surface. I can't imagine taking this class without knowing how to swim. *I* know how to swim and I was terrified! I also now wish that I had taken private classes instead of being in such a big group because with so many students and so few instructors to go around, I felt a bit neglected. I didn't know what I was doing, my board and I were literally all over the place, and I didn't have many chances to actually try getting on my board. Towards the end, one of the instructors saw me just sitting on the sand wet, sad, and pathetic and was like, "I'll stay with you until you get all the way out there." By "out there" he meant past the strong incoming waves because I couldn't even get past that part. Then, they yelled at me to get off my board which we didn't even go over in class. Apparently, when a wave is really big, you're supposed to just jump off, but I was too scared to because that was my huge flotation device. The last thing I wanted to do was get off it! That's when I wiped out and span around in circles underwater. Then a 2nd instructor got my board and got me on it and at this point I was terrified and exhausted and said to him straight out "I don't want to do this. I just want to go to shore." All he said in return was "I'll get you a nice wave."And sure enough, he yelled "Get up!" and I popped up on my board and rode my first wave! It was only a few seconds, but I did it and it made it even better to see my classmates on shore clapping for me! So the good part is that I finally got that off my bucket list and I was able to get up at least once. The bad part was that I truly felt like the ocean was trying to drown and kill me and for that reason this may be my first and last time trying surfing. If I do try it again, the waves have to be teeny tiny, practically imperceptible or it has to be one of those indoor man made wave machines that are only ankle deep so that I definitely won't drown in it! Either way, it's definitely an experience I won't soon forget and I thank the instructors for maintaining their encouragement even when I was flat out ready to quit. For that, I give you my heartfelt thanks! read more

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This past Friday I took a surfing lesson from Clay at Kapowui. I am 65 years old and never have been on surfboard ever. Clay and the whole staff were fantastic. On my last try I did get up on the bard and it was so fun! I can't recommend Clay and Kapowui strongly enough. Clay was very thorough ion the beach describing how the board functions in the water, how we were going to get out beyond the waves, how the wave sets progress,and most importantly how to pop up on the board. Which was much easier in sand than on the water. :) Can't wait to try again soon. read more

If I could give 10 stars I would!! I am so grateful to have gone through with signing up for surfing lessons and even more grateful I went with Kapowui. Their website was easy to navigate and book lessons. Their equipment, boards and wetsuits, were in great condition, and lastly, my instructor Liam was a great teacher. I initially booked 3 lessons, got bit by the surf bug, and booked 3 more!! Per my observation all the instructors were chill, nice, and the owner could not have been more welcoming. I did surf one time prior to this and wanted to get lessons to learn how to surf the right way. I am so glad I chose Kapowui as Liam and all the instructors teach and demonstrate the fundamentals to surf. I was surfing by my 1st lesson. I know I have a ways to go but I have a good foundation to start my surfing journey. Art- read more

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I see why KAPOWUI has perfect reviews. I received a 2 hour gift certificate for 2 people for KAPOWUI , and I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. PAT was so awesome and an outstanding teacher. We took 30 minutes going over the parts of the board and practiced our surfer stance repeatedly until we got it perfect. Then we had 1.5 hours of surfing in the water. With PAT's excellent teaching skills, we were able to successfully catch a few waves. It was so much fun. We fell in love with surfing and can't wait to surf again. If you are looking for a place to learn to surf, I highly recommend KAPOWUI. It was easy to book on their site. Communication on where to park and where to check in was clear. My sister (the person I took the lesson with) had previously taken a surfing lesson at another company in norcal and said that KAPOWUI was so much better in matter of instruction. THANKS KAPOWUI & PAT!!! read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My son wanted to try surfing, and I couldn't be happier that we chose Kapowui for his first few lessons. They went above and beyond to make him comfortable, and feel great about his experience. In fact we have been back three times in the last month, and will continue to go back as often as we can. We have had two different instructors, and both were great. The owner is super helpful and makes you feel comfortable right off the bat and they treat everyone like family. I don't know anything about surfing and they helped walk me through stuff so that my son can continue. They told me what not to waste money on, and what is useful. Highly recommend anyone to try them out. read more

Taylor from Kapowui is amazing. She helped our 9 year old learn the fundamentals of surfing in just three lessons, and was a huge help in terms of helping her gain the confidence to get out there on her own. read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Instructor Taylor coaching our 3rd grader. - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I had an awesome time. Marty and Fairfax were amazing. My daughter and I had a phenomenal time. Will definitely return and recommend this to anyone. read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Our instructors - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I had the most amazing time surfing with Kapowui! As a first timer, I was a little nervous going into this as I did not know what to expect at all. Our instructor Todd was incredible! He was patient, knowledgeable and had the best energy! The waves were rough at times and I was out of breath quickly, but this experience was one I will never forget! I highly recommend Kapowui to anyone looking to try something fun and new! read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great teachers!!! I had never surfed before and after 15 mins of training how to pop up on the sand, i was able to get up standing on my first try ever!!! First Wave!! Overall great people , great lesson, highly recommend read more

I know this may sound dramatic, but stumbling upon Kapowui has been a life changer. I haven't surfed in over 18 years and re-learning all the basics has been a humbling experience. I haven't surfed the beaches in LA before and decided to take a few lessons to get back into it. How has this been 'life-changing?' It has reignited my passion for surfing. The mere experience of being in the water with such great instructors has been incredible. I've had the privilege of learning from Marty, JC, and Ryan on separate occasions. This can be a unique, scary, yet exhilarating experience for many, and they make it fun and safe! I will disclose, my favorite member of all is a little Cavalier King Charles named Lily. You'll often see her sleeping in the van or chasing feathers along the concrete. Also, the Aloha spirit of Kapowui attracts the best return learners. I can honestly say that I've made a group of friends who I know will be friends and fellow surf buddies for life (another life changer). We still return to take lessons with Marty. He holds a wealth of knowledge and is really passionate about making sure you learn and have a good time. It's one thing to be able to surf like a pro, yet another to be able to teach it well. And I would say Marty and all of the instructors I've taken lessons with are the greatest teachers. They work very hard in the water to make sure you are safe and having fun; so while tipping is optional, I think it's good juju to say mahalo and give a little extra for all they do. I initially found Kapowui surf through yelp due to the stellar reviews, and I'm so glad I did. I wanted to return the favor by leaving a review that would hopefully encourage others to try them out like I did. I know YOU WILL have the best experience. Cheers! read more

I have brought friends here a few time snow so they can join me when I surf and EVERYONE here is amazing! They really make sure everyone is going to get the best and they give land lessons that are super hpful especially if you've never surfed before. I've come here in the morning around 7 am and the service is super prompt - but even when I came around 10 am and a lot of the boards had been rented and their instructors were busy with other clients they did everything they could to get my friends boards and wetsuits and let them hop in on lessons (the more people the cheaper). I absolutely recommend this place for new surfers and anyone who needs boards to rent. They are AWESOME!! Also the owner brings his dog, Lily, and she's the sweetest. read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Lily - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Fantastic surf lesson for my 8 year old. Super friendly and helpful. I highly recommend them. They have several instructors, and they basically come together to block off a portion of the beach so you have plenty of chances to catch waves. My son was able to stand on the board several times even though it was his first lesson! Awesome day and very reasonably priced read more

Had an awesome time surfing with Juan, such a great guy and an awesome instructor. This was our second lesson (first was with different folks in OC) and this time rode most of the waves even without being pushed into them, but relied on Juan's guidance for which wave is the right one and when to paddle/stand up. Now time for practice! The whole crew was awesome, really fun team and made the experience easy and fun. Once I get some practice under the belt, will come back and get another lesson to refine skills from these guys. read more

Me and four coworkers took a 7am group beginner surfing lesson and had a total blast. Our two instructors were punctual, organized and had a positive, can-do attitude. I had some trouble getting back out in the water due to some big waves but another teacher from kapowui who was teaching a smaller group saw me struggling and helped me get back in. Overall a great group of teachers and I'd definitely come back out for more lessons if I lived closer! This was a great first intro. read more

I sincerely love this place! I've had 5 lessons here now. Every one of my instructor's was awesome (Connor, Ed, and Dale). You can clearly see how passionate they are about surfing. I will definitely keep taking lessons with them. They helped me go from a total beginner to catching green waves on my own! I feel like a real surfer because of their help! Mahalo boys! read more

Stood up on the board in one lesson! If you really want to learn to surf and have fun learning, then take your lessons from Kapowui in Santa Monica. CA. I took a beginner adult only class on a Saturday morning & it was an amazing experience. My instructor was Clay and he was awesome. He took the group through a very detailed guide of the board, explaining both the mechanics, weight distribution and safety in the water. We practiced our pop-up before going into the water. It took a few tries, but Clay was very patient and worked with me until I finally made it up on the board. Now I know why surfing is so addicting, it is an epic feeling to be riding a wave. Thank you to all the instructors - I will be back for more lessons. read more

First timers of surf and WOW was it an incredible experience. Todd was an amazing instructor and made surfing easy! Absolutely must come back! read more

Top notch surfing school. My daughter has never been on a surfboard before, but she isn't afraid of a thing. They start with a 30 minute safety class and then head to the ocean. Once in the ocean the trainer did his very best to train her. She's 11, but thinks she's 20 so she kept trying to stand up and the trainer did his best to redirect her. My point is the are a top notch surf school and will meet a surfer right where they are at. Thanks guys we will see you soon read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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My friend and I got a two hour lesson two weeks ago, and Todd was a great instructor! He walked us through the fundamentals during the 30-minute dry lesson and helped us catch many waves during the rest of our session. We came back today for board rentals only since we got wet suits, and the staff was again very friendly and welcoming. They're also conveniently located right next to the boardwalk. I definitely recommend Kapowui your learning or rental needs! read more

We did a beginner lesson with Taylor Higgins, loved and highly recommend! Very thorough and fun!

Pat was great. He helped my friend a lot who had no surf experience, and gave me some really great tips even though I've surfed av bit more. Nice guy, very congenial and knowledgable. You won't regret booking with him! read more

Clay was a great instructor. With his help, I was able to ride several waves as a beginner. Thanks again for a fun time!

I have signed up my 12 year old twins for two days in a row for beginner surf lessons on 8/12 and 8/13. First day with Nick Brandt was excellent. He talked a lot to the kids educated them well and showed them how to do the right move multiple times. My kids learned and enjoyed the fun. 5 stars for Nick for sure! However when it comes to scheduling, it wasn't pleasant. I had confirmed my next day lesson will be with Nick again before we left but it was another instructor. I called the office and they said yeah, it was Nick. I had received confirmation message with Pat, then they said they will check and call me back. Never call back. Next day with Pat was not so good. I admitted the wave wasn't good that day. My daughter cried because of the rough waves. Pat did not do anything and just let her rest the whole lesson. I encouraged her to try for last 5 mins and Pat said no. He did not try to encouraged kids also ignored parent's effort in doing so. My 1.5 hour lesson also ended earlier for no reason. Very disappointed on 2nd day lesson. Contacted office afterwards and said could offer me extra time with Pat next time. read more

Taken four lessons with these guys so far! Caught a wave my first lesson and girl I'm not a natural. Ryan is probably my favorite instructor. You can even combo privates to make them cheaper. Highly recommend!! read more

Great place to learn surfing . Tyler really took his time to teach me to learn bottom turn down the line of the way .

They say you find a way to make a living doing what you love. If this is not a manifestation of that very ideal, I don't know what is. I genuinely forgot that any part of this experience was a business transaction (we literally could recall if we had paid by the end of the session). My husband and my son were first time surfers and the team really cared about that. Their demonstrated awareness of conditions, assertiveness of their clients and overall enthusiasm has made us lifelong members. Learning to surf with Mike was like sharing life experience with a cousin you had not seen since childhood. The entire staff made us feel like family. I don't think that I could put a fair price on the experience that Mike and the rest of the Kapowui staff gave us as first time surfers. I may even venture to say that we made new friends. There is a valid reason for this company to have achieved five stars across the board...it is a rarity. Mike, thanks for going the extra mile to warm our little munchkin up to the water. You are an awesome person, instructor and surfer... #OutOfManyOnePeople #TheMurphys read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Out of many, one people! Beach Boys...Ira, Mike, Juice - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

They did a great job teaching surfing! I was standing up on the board quickly. Super friendly and encouraging!

First time surfing and Kapowui made the experience unforgettable. Attended an affordable group lesson on Saturday morning. The instructor was patient and extremely knowledgeable. I was standing up and riding waves in no time. I highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in learning to surf. My next time I will likely fork out the extra $ for a personal session. Now that I have the basics down the one on one session would be helpful. Cowabunga dudes and dudettes! read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Such a great spot to grab a quick lesson. We spent some time down in Venice a few months back. Wife decided to sign me up for a lesson. Nick some ripped young dude was my guy. Wife wanted to stare at him all day as I was splashing around like a half dead whale. I was able to stand up on a few waves. We got the Instagram pic needed for about 17 likes... Waves were only like 2 feet but it was still fun. Super cool gift for the kids at the end of the lesson... Definitely recommend this school if your looking for a lesson.... read more

YEW! Fantastic lesson and instructor (shoutout Tyler!) had me surfing in no time and adapted the lesson to my disability no problems. Super great vibes all around, thanks Kapowui! read more

Kapowui Surf Lessons - Kapowui surf van - Surfing Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Ryan was amazing!! I haven't surfed in a decade and was nervous jumping back in, but Ryan helped me catch great waves to ease back into it and I stood up most times. He knew which waves to catch and which ones to avoid that were part of an intense set. His fun attitude helped me fall back in love with surfing. Would highly recommend to anyone starting out or just wanting to build up the confidence again. read more

This is the BEST surfing lesson you can find!!!! All the staff are so kind, friendly, and great instructors. They have lots of boards and are right next to the beach. Their service is incredible. I walked right up and was helped immediately. I am a new surfer and they were extremely accommodating to my skill set. I got up on my first try with the help of my incredible instructor Nick!!! He was so awesome, great surfer, and taught me so many new tips and tricks. This surfing service is perfect for anyone and everyone of all skill levels. Whether you're a pro surfer or looking to get out on the water for the first time-- this is the best place you can go. With the bright orange van and everyone around it with smiling faces, Kapowui is the best!!!! read more

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We did a 1.5 hour two person lesson with Dale. It was our first time surfing and he was super patient and informative. He broke it down for us and we were catching waves in no time. It was a very fun experience for the two of us and would go with Kapouwi again. read more