Sunset Surf and Dine The entire evening, from beginning to end, was truly magical. What a special night filled with connection, laughter, and joy. read more

Spencer was an excellent instructor. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made the lesson enjoyable and easy to follow. He provided clear guidance, helpful feedback, and helped build my confidence in the water. I had a great experience and would highly recommend Malibu Surf Coach to anyone looking to learn or improve their surfing skills. Thanks for a great lesson! ‍ read more

Excellent experience for grandkids age 12 and 8 and our daughter. Chris and Zeke and Heather make a great team. They are all so patient and great at teaching safely and making it a fun experience for every skill level. None of them had been ocean swimming and yet they were surfing quickly! read more

It is feels impossible to write about someone so special in this format. Chris "Stingray" Stiegler is an incredible human being and gifted instructor. His authentic soul and pure love of the water have imbued a level of sensitivity, passion, and deep study in my son, nurturing his growth from a young boy into an adolescent. I can confidently say the level of care offered by Malibu Surf Coach is not readily available with most, if not all, Los Angeles surf companies. My son was 7 when he had his first lesson with Malibu Surf Coach. When he was 12 years old, we had a brief term of surfing with a company in Venice through our Charter school, but our experience so paled in comparison, that we chose to forego the lessons paid by our charter, and invest in Malibu Surf Coach. This was the best decision we could have ever made. The unparalleled excellence of Malibu Surf Coach is unique and rare. Most surf companies lock in at one location, no matter what the surf conditions are, operating mostly like a day care. With Stingray, you get the most authentic, raw surf experience in some of the most beautiful locations California has to offer. Stingray's ties to the land and sea go back generations, and surfing with him is a spiritual experience. His priority is the very best experience and surf available for my son, and after each lesson, my son is filled with such gratitude, as if transported by the lesson. Before scheduling, Stingray will track the waves, and pick the most optimal window and location to offer my son. His generosity, time and commitment here are heartfelt. He and my son will sometimes start at one location, then drive to another if the waves aren't good. My son has learned so much from the extra attention, effort and care Stingray offers. More over Malibu Surf Coach's rates are low for the incredible gifts that come with each lesson. My son has been gifted an invaluable journey into the life of a surfer by Stingray, which has contributed so meaningfully to his maturation and growth. He has flourished under Stingray's mentorship in ways that are subtle and significant. As Stingray's student, he has received a depth of physical, emotional and psychological development. Our family will remain indebted to Malibu Surf Coach, with the deepest respect and affection. Thank you, Stingray. read more

Malibu Surf Coach - Surf Schools Near Me - Malibu, California

Such a blast with Conway from Malibu Surf Coach! I learned so much and felt super safe the entire session. I highly recommend taking a lesson no matter what level of surfing you're at. They can adapt to you and focus on what you need to work on most! Highly recommend! read more

Malibu Surf Coach - Surf Schools Near Me - Malibu, California

See all

We spent today at the beach with close family friends and signed four kids (between ages 8-10) up for a 2 hour surf lesson. My two kids had never been on a board (or in a wetsuit!) before and had a great time. They worked hard, learned a ton and their instructor Stingray did an amazing job keeping them positive, focused and safe throughout the experience. All four kids - with very different athletic abilities from one another - were able to get up on their own surprisingly quick, and left feeling proud of themselves, exhausted, and asking when they could go out again. Such a rewarding and positive first-time experience. Highly recommend this team; they really dialed into the kids' individual personalities and met them where they needed to. Bravo! read more

Gave us great instruction and tips. I felt confident and safe with Stingray by our side!

Stingray looked out for our group and the change of tides. It was super fun and we had the whole beach to ourselves!

Stingray is an amazing teacher who is very encouraging and focuses on what you are doing right. Surfing is a difficult sport to master and he has a knack for instilling confidence! I had an amazing time and I'm signing up for multiple lessons read more

I'm so glad we went with Malibu Surf Coach School for our first surfing experience. Huge thanks to Squid for being such an awesome instructor! He was amazing at explaining everything and kept cheering us on, which really helped us stay motivated--even though it was pretty tough since surfing is no joke, especially for beginners. Thanks, Squid, and thanks, MSC, for such a great time read more

Malibu Surf Coach - Surf Schools Near Me - Malibu, California

Amazing learning experience as always! My surfing improves every time I work with Malibu Surf Coach.

Stingray was a great teacher. Very patient and knowledgeable. Equipment was in great condition and both myself and my sister were able to get up on the board about halfway through the session! Great experience, would def recommend 10/10! read more

Absolutely incredible surf lesson with Stingray! My sister (experienced) and I (newbie) learned so much and felt totally at ease. He was able to adjust the lesson based on our skill level making the entire lesson engaging for the both of us. He's in the water with you the whole time and is super encouraging. Definitely booking with Stingray again soon. read more

Malibu Surf Coach - Surf Schools Near Me - Malibu, California

I'm 27 and had never surfed before but I was up on my first lesson! I did a 3 lesson package and it really helped me get confident on the board. My instructors were great and would definitely recommend booking with Malibu Surf Coach if you're a beginner! read more

Before meeting Stingray I was essentially self taught. I had initially started learning on an 8 foot soft top and had made the jump to a 6'10 and was struggling. I booked a lesson with Stingray based on a recommendation from a friend and it was the best decision I've made as someone who wants to advance with surfing and take things to the next level. Sting was able to easily spot and articulate and course correct what I was doing wrong. We practiced on the foam and the next time I went out on my new board alone I was able to pop up and take waves just as I could on the foam. I feel it's very important to get advice early on from experienced surfers/surf instructors before you create bad habits and thanks to Stingray he put me on a great path. It would have taken me a lot longer to do the things I wanted to do, as well as a lot more frustration! I plan on booking more lessons with him in the future and would highly, HIGHLY recommend him to my friends as well as anyone who is unsure about booking a lesson. read more

Took my 10 year old for a private lesson and we were not disappointed. Nikki the tutor was really lovely, took the time with my Son and was a real delight. We met on time and walked down to the beach. My Son has never surfed before. The lesson was 90 mins long and within an hour he was up on the board and catching waves! Brilliant. I did consider putting him in a group class but Im really glad I chose to do one on one and I cant praise Nikki enough. She was patient and clear and it all paid off in the end. The booking process was smooth. I did that over the phone and was sent an online waiver to sign. That portal was super easy to use and took about 1 minute to complete. Paid by CC so it was all super easy. If you can snag Nikki as an instructor you should, she's amazing! read more

So great. What an amazing location and instruction. I almost don't want to share how non-intimidating and serene the location and great the lesson is, but then I'd be doing a disservice to the coaches and company. read more

I would recommend Spence from Malibu Surf Coach to all my friends and family!! Spence's energy and teaching made me feel absolutely comfortable out in the water. He is patient, supportive, & makes you feel like you're a pro. No matter the conditions, Spence makes sure I learn something new every session. 1000/10 read more

I had two sessions with Owen and T and both were great and really helpful!

Come on people! You can surf too! When surf lord Stingray is your coach on a sunny summer day in Malibu, CA, life is good! If you want world class surfing: inspiration, instruction and induction in one stop, Stingray delivers. We all deserve a happy day with Stingray. read more

See all

10/10 These guys are rad. Good vibes, easy going and quality folks.Enough said. Oh ya, and you get to surf in Malibu, you wont be disappointed. read more

I took a surf lesson with my mom and brother, and had Big Z (Tony) as our guide. He was very helpful and showed us the basics we needed to get surfing since this was our first time. He wasted no time with unnecessary boring stuff, and got us right to the exciting part in a fun, safe way. They also provided wetsuits and were able to accommodate our last minute reservation ON CHRISTMAS DAY! I highly recommend this company to anyone beginning their surf journey, and thanks again to Big Z for helping getting us started and recommending boards to continue our adventure. read more

Today was my birthday and all I wanted was a surfing lesson. My parents booked me a lesson with Stingray, and he was PHENOMENAL! Before today, I could not stay on my board for over 3 seconds without falling off. After 30 minutes with Stingray, I rode my first wave in the pocket all the way to the sand! Not only did I learn a lot of great surfing pointers, but I had great conversation with him as we were scoping out the waves. Stingray has over 25 years of experience, and not only is he a great teacher, but he is a great person. I can't wait to go back out to the ocean and use all the tips he taught me to practice now on my own! Thank you so much Stingray for making my birthday special! read more

Squid our instructer was amazing we had a lot of fun in Malibu.

We had the BEST time at our lesson with Spencer & Squid!! We had a group of 13 for a bachelorette party, and everyone had the best time. The boys were so helpful and everyone stood up and surfed! Highly recommend!! read more

Absolutely love the guys at Malibu Surf Coach and cannot recommend them enough for anybody of all backgrounds and experiences looking to learn or improve their surfing. I was back in town for the month of August and signed up for a 3 pack of lessons hoping I'd maybe use all three this month. Ended up using all three and getting an additional 3 with my girlfriend because we were having such a great time and progressing so quickly. Spencer and Conway were our two instructors are were top top tier, can't say enough good things about their teaching, knowledge, skillset, and just overall personalities (gotta be able to hang out in between sets and these guys were great). Stingray runs a great business and I can't recommend them enough. Thank you guys!! read more

I took my daughters, ages 7 and 8 to get their first " real" surf lesson this weekend while we were in LA. I knew my girls were gonna love it because they love the beach and catching waves. My wife and I were truly blown away when Anthony from Malibu Surf Coach had them up riding waves on their very first try. He spent quality time with both of them ensuring they felt safe and in control. The whole experience exceeded our expectations and the girls will have a rad story to tell their friends when they go back to school after Christmas break! The pictures are awesome too! Thanks Malibu Surf Coach! read more

See all

Loved it! My son (age 7) and I had a lesson with Stingray and we learned so much! I have surfed 2x before and have never gotten up, and this time finally did! My son got up right away! He is a wonderful instructor and explains techniques easily. Plus he wants everyone to just have fun. He immediately gave us confidence to hit the waves. We hope to return to Malibu to see him and Heather again soon. Definitely take a lesson!!!! read more

What a douchebag! I booked a session with Chris, and asked him explicitly if it's still okay to surf. He said it's on a so-called "private" beach, so it wouldn't be a problem, please see the photo I attached. After I drove almost 30 miles and half way there, he contacted me to cancel it. This is not about miscommunication or misunderstanding, this is about your unprofessionalism. And please don't use this pandemic as a cover for your unprofessionalism, because a couple from Ohio also got stood up by you, and that was way before the pandemic! I have tried to contact Chris multiple times to reschedule the cancelled session, but he didn't even bother to reply. Only after posting my first review, all of a sudden he wants to offer me a free lesson, and even used his personal Yelp account to ask me to call him, you can see that from the photo I attached. But when I did call him, he is not responsive again, except telling me the signal is not good and he will call me back, but he never did! This pandemic is not and should not be your excuse to act like a douchebag, or maybe it just revealed your true color! Response to owner's comments: I see that you have removed your previous disgusting comments and rewritten a new one. I know you are trying to pull off a PR stunt and make yourself look good on Yelp. Free lesson is just your PR stunt, because I did call you over the summer, but you were not responsive. You are just putting the free lesson out there for people to see, so you can manipulate the public perception. Your actions were both unprofessional and unacceptable. If you don't want to be called a douchebag, then please don't act like one. You are the one who tried to use slander to smear me in your disgusting comments that you now deleted. I stand by all of my statements 100%, because they are facts and the truth. When I mentioned that you were beaten up by the bouncer at Watermans in Hermosa Beach and had 18 staples in your head, those are words that came from your own mouth. You need to stop this kind of PR stunt and manipulation on Yelp. Be a man, own up to your mistakes, take responsibilities, and do better in the future. read more

Malibu Surf Coach - Surf Schools Near Me - Malibu, California

See all

Conway was a great surf coach. He was at the meeting place on time and got the individual lesson started right away. It was my teenage daughter's first time trying the sport and he had her standing up riding the waves pretty quick! She had a great time and wants to do it again. I appreciated that Stingray stopped by to check and see how the lesson was going. Overall it was a very positive experience all around and I would recommend Malibu Surf Coach to anyone wanting to try surfing. read more

Had a lesson with Kirra this week. Amazing! I am a novice, and she tailored the lesson perfectly for my situation. While she is a pro on tour, she has not forgotten what it's like to be a beginner. I was up and surfing in no time. A thrilling morning in the surf! Thanks Kirra! read more

Took my family (one adult and 3 teens - all beginners) to a lesson with Chris and Spencer. What an amazing experience! They made the lesson fun and informative, and there was lots of room for adjusting and learning on the fly even though these students were all beginners. Chris also gave bigger context for what is wonderful about surfing and helped everyone to take it easy on themselves learning this new sport. Can't say enough good things. We will for sure book more lessons with them. Highly recommend. read more

T was super nice and a great instructor. Worked great with my niece and her friend (both teenagers). Highly recommended!

Thank you to Steele, our Surf Coach, for a fantastic day! We hired him to teach a private family party in Santa Monica for 5 hours to kids ages 10 - adults. Everyone had a blast and everyone stood up and caught a wave or 2 or 3. Steele was an excellent instructor; patient, funny, careful and brought all the gear and all fun to the party! Can't wait to hire him again for another group session or one on one. Thank you for an awesome day in the water. The rates are totally reasonable too. Mahalo. read more

See all

Amazing!! We set up a private lesson for our 16 year old daughter who is an intermediate surfer, on the first day of our vacation in Malibu. Chris "Stingray" was personable, encouraging and a great surf coach - he corrected some bad habits and taught her new skills. Our daughter said it was the best lesson she had ever received and wished she could have a surf coach like that at home. He also shared helpful info about surf spots and conditions, giving our daughter (and us) the local knowledge to feel comfortable and confident to surf for the rest of our vacation in Southern California. read more

Had my first lesson today with T and it was great and a lot of fun! I was terrible lol but T was a great instructor and looking forward to the next one. read more

Chris "Stingray" Stiegler is the best surf instructor I have ever had- he took the time to analyze exactly my obstacles and quickly and strategically gave me solutions. He clearly has a passion for surfing and teaching, and tailors his lesson to your specific goals and abilities. He makes the student feel safe in the ocean and advocates for working at one's skill level while also giving confidence for the next level. Very fortunate to have found him, and looking forward to more lessons! read more

We took a three-person group lesson today and had a great time. The location in Malibu was beautiful and uncrowded, and the drive out there is a lot of fun on its own. Our instructor, Anthony, did an excellent job of getting everyone up on their boards and was also a fun person to spend a few hours with. Since it's January, we were all a little apprehensive about how cold the water would be, but thanks to the wetsuits they provided, that wasn't an issue at all. Highly recommended for both beginners and more experienced surfers looking for a refresher or introduction to the area. read more

Very cool, we had a great time with Zach! We will schedule again for sure. Thank you!! ‍

So good! I had a great day about a week ago with Big T! It was a last minute thing, but the crew at MSC made it work. And while the wave shape wasn't perfect at times (Broad Beach), T was awesome and we made it work. Super chill. He gave me one tip and then we just went surfing. Best session EVER! Looking forward to going back out with him in October, with my daughter, and continuing to improve. read more