Update, lesson two , Learn to Rip instructor John Daniel's. Student my eleven year old grandson. WOW, I thought the first lesson went excellent, but this lesson was fantastic. My grandson has now transitioned to his Quad Sci-fi shortboard. He is really pleased with that. They spent most of the two hours on the outer break and my grandson caught some great waves, face planted on some other waves and had some monumental wipe outs. He never stopped looking to ride another wave. I cannot say enough good about his instructor John. He was right there working with, what he did right and more so what did he do wrong. Training him on the right way to do things. By no means is my grandson perfect, but John is leading him towards perfection. At the end of his lesson he caught a great wave and rode it all the way in. As he got close to shore he started waving to me. The smile on his face was huge. That is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you John for helping me build memories. For those of you looking to learn to surf, or to improve your surfing skills you can go up and down the coast looking for a good trainer or you can just go to Oceanside and and learn from the best trainer, John Daniel's. Again, thank you John for another fantastic lesson. Great job. read more

Today was about crossing an item off of a bucket list. My four teen daughters ranging from 14-16 wanted to try surfing. I was a little nervous because they had never tried this before and I was concerned that one would get up and somebody else wouldn't making the struggler have a bummer day, but that's the opposite of what happened. Mikaela and Billy met us right on time. They started with a safety lesson, outfitted them with wetsuits and boards, and had the girls in the water after about 30 minutes of dry land training. Within 10 minutes of getting into the water, all 4 of my girls were up and surfing. Mikhaela and Billy helped them not only be safe and learn, but to do things on their own like paddle out and yell when to pop up. They stood in the water pushing the girls out, holding them back and were right by their sides to assist them on each catching multiple waves. They didn't call it quits after a clock had run out of time but rather kept going until the girls were tired and done. It was really truly a perfect and memorable day. read more

My daughters, ages 9 and 12, had a 2-hour surf lesson with Violette and it exceeded every expectation. From the beginning, communication was excellent and everything was organized and ready to go. I was amazed by how many waves my girls were able to catch in just one lesson! Most importantly, they had an absolute blast and have already been asking to go again. Violette brought such positive, encouraging energy and taught in a way that was fun, patient, and easy for my girls to understand. What stood out most was how she handled my youngest wiping out. My 9-year-old normally gets very upset about water in her nose, but Violette stayed calm, encouraging, and supportive, which completely changed how she responded and helped build her confidence. It was such a great experience from start to finish. I highly recommend Learn to Rip and especially Violette for anyone wanting a fun, supportive surf lesson for their kids! read more

While planning a recent vacation to San Diego, our daughters asked to take surf lessons. I found LTR Surf Lessons and was greatly impressed at the level of professionalism from John and Jenny throughout the entire experience. John was super helpful from the start as the lessons were planned before the trip and our initial contact was by email. Any and all questions were responded to quickly and completely. We live in the Chicago area so surfing was quite a new experience. As a parent, I was very reassured about the level of safety and quality of instruction. The lessons were amazing to watch and our kids had a blast! The amount of encouragement given by John and Jenny added to the fun! This was a great experience and I would highly recommend LTR. Any return trip to San Diego for our family will have this activity at the top of the list! read more

I cannot recommend John at Learn To Rip Surf highly enough! His expertise and passion for surfing truly shine through in every session. My boys have benefited immensely from his coaching, and the video review sessions were a game-changer for them. It allowed them to focus on their technique and make significant improvements during their training. What really stood out to me as a parent was how John took the time to help me, a non-surfer, understand the various skills and techniques involved in the sport. His ability to communicate and break down complex concepts made it easier for me to support my boys in their competitive surfing journey. If you're looking for a knowledgeable and supportive surf coach who truly cares about the development of his students, look no further than John. Thank you, John, for all your hard work and dedication! read more

Amazing experience. From booking lessons, payment, meeting at the beach to surf lessons was easy and they keep you informed and text you reminders of your lesson. My grandson Bodie is 10 years old and his instructor John was amazing. Very informative and taught bodie a lot to get him catching waves on his own. He made the experience fun and enjoyable. This was his first time learning how to surf. We did 2 days of 2 hour lessons. You can learn by the end of one lesson but we decided since we would be there for 2 days why not get more experience. By the end of the first day Bodie was catching waves on his own and doing tricks on the board. We'll definitely be back next month so Bodie can take more lessons and gain more experience. read more

Whether this is your first time paddling out into the line up, or you are a future pro working towards your dream ... You won't find a better coach or mentor. Learn to Rip's trainer not only knows the waves and his way around the ocean .. He, himself, has also graced the covers of the Surf mags. You will be in safe hands. He definitely knows what he's doing. His humble approach makes you feel comfortable and ready to shred! He's coached my boys since shortly after they were potty trained. My boys absolutely love him, trust him, respect him, look up to him, and have been very blessed to be able to have him training them along their up and down journey of becoming competitive surfers. Five stars all the way!! We love you, John! read more

As a homeschool mom, I was looking for an extracurricular activity for my three older kids and decided to try surfing lessons on a whim. I'm so glad we did! From day one, the kids had an incredible experience. None of them had ever surfed before, and they were catching waves almost immediately thanks to coach Michelle! Every coach we worked with was amazing, super up beat, supportive, and genuinely invested in helping the kids succeed while having fun. The kids looked forward to every lesson. This is a great option for skill building, exercise, and fun. I highly recommend these lessons to any parent looking for PE options or just a fun life experience for their kids. read more

LTR Surf is so great. John/Jenny and their guides are fantastic. This last weekend was a crazy busy weekend down by the harbor, due to a visiting soccer tournament. It made the logistics of a lesson difficult for the guides in particular. No parking, lots of traffic, crowds on the beach (not so much in the water). None-the-less, the LTR crew pulled off the gear drop and lesson with absolutely no inconvenience to my nieces and me. We just had to show up. Everyone had such a good time. Jackson was so easy going and approachable. He was a perfect match for the group. He had everyone surfing in no time, and my nieces are ready to move to CA now. read more

I've watched John Daniels' surfers excel from beginner surfers to the United States Olympic team surf competition. He gives each surfer, grom to Championship Tour professionals the best advice, coaching, teaching and/or mentorship that is available. John, a retired professional surfer himself, has provided inspiration, videotaped feedback on their performance and encouragement to excel despite any/all obstacles. John, the owner of Learn to Rip, will teach you not only how to surf, but to acquire the love of the sport and respect for the ocean and sportsmanship in competition. read more

My daughter Florence ( 16) had a 2 hour surf lesson with John. Worth every cent it was an incredible experience. John is patient and knowledgeable - Florence felt super comfortable with him and in the water. He started with basics on the beach ( plus those tips that only highly experienced surfers know) and once she hit the waves felt utterly confident. John is amazing ... so personable and inspirational. Florence left feeling super eager to surf again. "Why didn't I start when I was younger? " Highly highly recommend. 10 stars if I could! Brilliant. Don't wait! Run! read more

LTR Surf Lessons does a great job of teaching all aspects of the surfing experience - John and crew teach basic water safety, fundamental surf movements, stretches, and how to read the ocean before heading out into the water. Once in the water, the instructors do a great job helping students into waves and teaching them the basics they need to succeed. Once you've mastered the basics, LTR also offers private lessons and surf coaching if you want to improve even further. If you're in the area and looking to learn how to surf, or to get better, Learn To Rip has you covered! read more

John Daniels is hands down the best coach out there! John provided an exceptional experience that had me laughing and smiling the whole day! Within the first 15 minutes John had me catching and riding almost every wave that came by. John even got my girlfriend, who is afraid of the ocean, out catching and riding waves!!! I live over 3.5 hrs away from where John coaches, but I will be making that drive frequently now. John not only taught me how to surf, but passed on his love for the sport to me. I'M HOOKED!!! read more

John Daniels & his team are exceptional at what they do. From helping people who have never seen the ocean before catch their very first wave to taking experienced, competitive surfers to the next level - John has a true gift for fun & effective teaching. I highly recommend Learn to Rip Surf Lessons to anyone looking for surf lessons along the San Diego coast! We can't wait to send our little one to LTR Surf Lessons as soon as she can walk! :) read more

My friend and I took a private lesson from John and were BEYOND impressed. He was so much fun, professional, and most of all very patient! Neither one of us had surfed before so he taught us from the ground up. We both actually stood UP during our lesson. He is an amazing teacher and at the end he showed us his mad skills. It was an AWESOME outing during our California vacation. I HIGHLY recommend him :) read more

We signed our son up with Learn to Rip Surf Lessons last summer and couldn't be more pleased. John and his staff do an amazing job at passing along the ins-and-outs of surfing...everything from catching a wave to ocean safety. When we started making plans for this coming summer and asked for family input, one of the first responses we heard was "surfing lessons with John!" We're definitely going back. read more

We did a 2 hour 6 person session (ranging from age 12 to age 45) and it was an awesome experience for all of us. Both instructors were incredibly helpful and really knowledgeable. We all got up on our boards and rode on a decent amount of waves within the 2 hour span. We also rented boards from John later on in the week. Grace was really helpful and easy to work with while renting the boards. read more

Me and my kids decided to take surf lessons while on our annual vacation to Oceanside and the experience didn't disappoint! John was very knowledgeable not just about surfing but taught my kids quite a bit about the ocean and their surroundings. Overall great time and "Learn to Rip" comes highly recommended from someone who has never touched a surf board prior to these lessons. read more

My 5 year old started surf lessons with LTR and has asked to surf every day since! The instructor was thorough and covered ocean safety before entering the water. Instructor was encouraging and patient and EXTREMELY knowledgable. My son came out from his first lesson saying he wants to surf all day every day for the rest of his life! Highly recommend lessons with LTR! read more