It was such an amazing experience. My daughter loved her instructor and was standing on the board on her first day!!

Review on lesson and rental from beginner: I have done a lesson with Rob through Nor-Cal and also rented a board and wet suit on separate occasions. Rob's lesson was great (I'm in my 40's and female, just for context). There were two others in the lesson. He gauged our needs and instructed accordingly. We spent most of the two hours in the water getting individual guidance and help. I liked his individual and yet hands-off approach. He also gave tips for future individual surfing, so I felt comfortable going out to Linda Mar to surf on my own afterwards. I recommend tipping Rob; he's good at what he does and he stands out there freezing his butt (stuff some cash in your swimsuit). If you rent a suit or surfboard, the rentals need to be back by 4:30PM (wear a waterproof watch). You can use a locker at the shop (lock rental $3) if you want to lock up stuff. If you need booties/boots, you gotta bring your own or buy them. read more

This lesson was better than expected. I was the only one there and got good tips. Keith was very nice and professional. He kept me motivated after all the falls I had. He even gave me advice on excessive to do and videos to watch in the future. They provided everything (board, wet suit and locker). I highly recommend lessons with them. I will definitely be back to rent boards from them. Thank you Nor Cal for the great experience. read more

Took a surf lesson last weekend. Our instructor Rod was a super chill, funny and most importantly KNOWLEDGEABLE dude. He has it down to a science (I had never surfed before and I stood up twice!) Needless to say... I'm hooked and will be going to NorCal for all my surf needs. Skip all those cheesy surf schools and support small local businesses, you won't regret it. read more

I took a surf lesson with Rod and a small group of 3 other people. It was so much fun! Rod was extremely helpful, kind, and chill. A great instructor. Highly recommend. read more

This review is for the slow older cashier, move over and let the kid ring up the customer. The wait time will be cut more than half. I walked out two different times trying to buy three hats. Both times the wait was over 10 minutes. However if you are renting surf gear they will help you first. Looks like I'll have to find another place to buy hats. read more

Good vibes , militarily discount and so much stuff that you will definitely go broke they have the Vans booties among other things. They basically have everything and then some that a surf shop should have. Man!!, they even have those Baja pullovers , that I used to wear in the 80's I know they are making a comeback with the kids now these days so Xmas is coming *wink wink I lost my Nor-Cal benne have to go back and get another. read more

My go to spot when I come in to town to get my clothes I wear all Norcal shirts all Norcal stuff all the time it's my favorite line of clothing. Sean is a great guy, I think Sean and Greg are the original Norcal brand makers, I've seen a lot of copycats around because I am all over the western states. But you can tell when you have a real Norcal shirts, shoes, whatever they got all kinds of stuff and I love their stuff it last forever I've had Shorts from Norcal four 5 Six years maybe their stuff just last. And they're good people all the way around Greg Sean Mike all the guys that are there. Thanks again for everything Over the years you guys are a godsend thank you for everything Shawna great you guys are the best you rock well especially Sean I just kidding you guys are both bad ass, we need to open a shop or excuse me you need to open the shop up north by Chico man they have a stupid Pacific sunwear with Santa Cruz where come on Norcal up top...... read more

Nor-Cal Surf Shop - Back roads between Park city, and Elko Nevada pretty much fun until in my travel trailer hit rocks - Surf Shop Near Me - Pacifica, California

I took a class, bought a wetsuit and have been renting boards from NorCal. The staff here are the nicest people on earth, from the guys running the cashier and the floor out front to the kids dealing with rentals in the back. They're all super sweet, helpful, friendly and clearly interested in building a community and getting people excited about surfing. I mean, I'm sold. When it came to buying my wetsuit, this was the only place I was interested in buying it from, because I trust them - and Pat delivered; he explained to me the different types of construction and guided me on how to care for my wetsuit. Customer for life. read more

This place is here if you need it. They're right on the beach, so they get a LOT of traffic, and they now that customer service is not what they need in order to maximize sales, it's just volume. Their staff definitely aren't rude or mean, you can just get much better attention, time, and knowledge from Sonlight surf shop just down the road. However, you can't beat the convenience of the place! read more

They have everything for bodyboarding and surfing. Friendly people and the prices are pretty good too. Very close to the ocean so renting and returning is easy. They also do keep your car keys if you rent from them. read more

My kids took surf lessons here. The staff and instructor were rear. The online reservation was easy and did not require me to call in like other surf lesson companies. We will be back soon! read more

Came to the store with my boyfriend and my cousin. When we were walking in, guy at the front told us where to stand, aggressively. He then yelled at my cousins to go to the back. My boyfriend stood where he was told to and the guy then tried to redirect him by pushing his shoulder. I immediately asked him to NOT touch any of us. He then told me that if I wasn't going to RENT something then I had no reason to be even near the store. I then let him know that him touching any of us makes me really uncomfortable. COVID. I then let someone know that he was touching people (while I was outside) he then started screaming at me and I asked him to not. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Gave me soooo much anxiety. Be careful coming here. I've heard other bad things. read more

I purchased a board that didn't hold to the quality that was advertised and came back to return or exchange. They denied my request and was very rude in the process. The store has a poor return policy and lacks communication skills. read more

If you're looking to start surfing in NorCal, grab a warm wetsuit, and also check this place out. The owners are incredibly helpful, and know everything you need to hit the waves. Located on a perfect beach to start you paddle out as well! Happy surfing :) read more

Horrible surf store! Board broke like two hours after buying it and began unsticking from the bottom of the skim board and when i went to try and get it looked at they cussed us out and told me that "it's my board, not theirs" and basically kicked me out of the store! read more

Look, I get it, you're surfers. You're laid back and lazy. But you're also business owners. If your surf shop were located literally ANYWHERE else in the area, and not 100 yards from a surf break, you would have been out of business years ago. I rarely go into Nor-Cal, but when I do, I'm reminded why I rarely go into Nor-Cal. The employees would rather shoot the sh*t than help a customer, and you will find yourself waiting at the counter to pay for something while they finish up a conversation. Also, just read their owner Jeremiah's replies to some of the negative posts here. Rather than offering to make things right with unhappy customers, he challenges them. Not something you associate with good customer service. Avoid this place like the plague. There are other, much more helpful surf shops in the area. read more

Generally speaking, the goal of a shop is to sell its goods. Nor-Cal seems out to defy this idea, though, and instead cater to some stuck-up notion of surf localism. I drove up from San Jose as a recent convert to surfing out to buy my first board and wetsuit. I started at the board shop, where the salesman couldn't be bothered to make eye contact with me when I spoke, preferring to watch the surf videos on the store TV. He also made a few remarks to me that suggested he felt I shouldn't be surfing in Pacifica. When I gave an idea of what I wanted and expressed interest in his advice as a beginner, he gruffly showed me several boards and then just walked away, making himself unavailable for questions or any help at all. The wetsuits are in a separate shop in the same plaza. That shop was staffed by a lone teenager who was too busy talking to his buddies on his cellphone to help make a sale. He gruffly told me where the wetsuits could be found, didn't ask if I wanted help with sizing or anything, and continued yammering on the phone. This is simply not a good sales experience, period, and that's a real pity, because I came to spend, I've done every surf sport except surfing, and I came ready to make some good relationships with a new local shop. read more

Poor customer service. They simply do not care about you. Your money is better spent supporting other local surf shops in the area. Never coming back and will spread the word to others. I also agree with the other 1 star reviewer.....go to Sonlight which is right up the street. You will be greeted with a smile and helpful assistance. read more

This place is an immediate buzz kill. The guys here are hardly helpful, never nice. Maybe it's because they'd rather be out on the water instead of cramped in that disorganized shop. The only thing going for them is their location. There are better shops, also locally owned, with better boards, who LOVE surfing and will get you stoked for a great time in the ocean. These guys will take your money in exchange for iffy gear, and as you leave they'll roll their eyes... and not so secretly hope that you have a terrible time. read more

First time in the area today and my friend brought me to this shop. I had a bit of a hard time finding this place according to my iphone map. You have to go along the highway coast when you see the taco bell, but towards the right of a loop to get into this plaza that this shop is located in. I am pretty sure this is the closest gear shop by the beach, so you don't have to walk out as far as others. That's the most important thing, especially for me since I am a girl and man those boards can be quite heavy at times. Local joints to grab some food located next door! The shop itself is quite small, but as long as they have everything and a good selection, it doesn't matter. The staff was super friendly! They knew their stuff very well and was super accommodating in the back. I got wet suit and board rental for $36. All day. I believe this is on the cheaper side from what my friend said. My leach was ripped off from the board I got, so they were nice enough to replace it for me. When I returned my things, they asked how everything was and my experience out there. I had a nice talk with them! They made sure I was warm enough with the new wet suits they gave me. It was awesome!! Booties aren't provided but they do have extras that they have in a bin. So use them if you aren't scared of booties.. it is to your benefit anyways! read more

If you are in a pinch somewhere nearby and need something that just can't wait, this is pretty much where you end up. It's really busy on the weekends, especially when the weather is nice since it's right beside a popular local break. So busy, they don't even bother to answer their phone and there is usually a long line to get any help. When you finally do get someone that is paying attention and not eating lunch behind the counter, the employees seem pretentious and less than friendly. It's almost as if they are trying not to sell stuff. I'd much rather give my money to one of the other nearby local shops like Sonlight or drive up to Wise. They do get an extra star for having a good selection of gear in stock, which is great if you can just get someone to sell it to you. read more

Its been a couple of years since my original review. I've been in the shop multiple times but try my hardest to buy my gear elsewhere (like Aqua). Unfortunately SB likes the place so I end up going along. I think they give him slightly better service because he is a dude, but really the service is still super crappy. Of course if you go in when the owner is there, the service will be MUCH nicer, even though no one still bothered to help me, they were nice about it? I honestly don't get it. The owners are surfers, live in the area, you would think they would try harder. Its a nice shop and what they do having going for them is location but its such a bummer that the service sucks so hard. read more

The orginal NorCal Surf Shop. I have been seeing "NorCal Plumbing" NorCal Painting Co." NorCal center for the Deaf" whats with that? But this is the place to buy the latest gear - they have great snowboarding pants, totally different than what you see at REI or someplace like that. A relaxed store with mellow staff who knows their stuff!! They approach and ask if I need help - but I don't because I like to roam. But when I do they know where everything is in this place and give you suggestions if you don't know what the heck you are doing. They have great seasonal stuff. Their hoody's and jackets in the Winter are really cool and their boardshorts and tanks are cute in the summer. The usual brands: Hurley, O'Neill, Billabong, DC, FOX and Oakley gear. They also have cute flip flops all year round if you bust yours during the winter. Surfboard gear, Decks, and even the window stickers. I came by this Holiday season to get my DH new hoody's and a "dress shirt" just an O'Neill woven w/collar, some little NorCal onesies and beanies for my friends newborn baby!!! Too CUTE! read more

Nor-Cal is an institution. Although their boys could use a good lesson in greeting everyone, they are surfers- not retail majors in college. I don't expect much when I go in there, its not Neiman Marcus. My questions are always answered, they have what I want- its not over priced, they throw in a nice sticker and I'm off. Super chill :) read more

Surf lesson 9/21/2018 1:30pm with Keith Was a great lesson & I had a very patient & encouraging instructor! Thanks for teaching me safety, terminology, pop up techniques and when to jump on board. Surf lesson 10/8/2018 3:30pm with Rod Different instructor knew all 3 of us students were familiar with basics, we just hit the waves. He was a patient instructor that helped us keep trying. I need to practice more and one day I'll pop up completely. I have faith one day I will. Thanks for encouraging me to keep trying to pop up. Thanks NorCal Surf Shop for great customer service, good patient instructors that encourage me to keep trying. Both times taking lessons was a lot of fun!!! I hope to come by at least another time, this time to rent a board and wetsuit before I move. Keep up the great work & I'll encourage my friends to take lessons with you guys! Thanks again! read more

Remember when you were a kid dreaming about owning your own surf-shop? Well, Greg and Shawn do, they started this adventure which transpired into an incrideble surf shop. And merged into brand "Nor cal" You may often see this brand on bumpers or sweat shirts or hoodies. commited to amazing service for the community the shop is dedicated to different apparel and wven hidden behind the shoppe is a ramp and hipe-pipe dedicated to the skate or diers or there, Around Pedro pacifica Linda mar, lays the ocean and at North cal is the opportunity to dive in....they have instructors that are willing to instruct you on the Zen of extreme sports, be it surfing, skating, or snow kite lessons. I'm a raw untalented srew so I apperciate places like this that offer aid and quality service and are also homely and not too mainstream... This place gets much kudos for the fact you can rent boards for surfing, works perfectly on my un-grad college budget! (I can't afford a board) My favorite part about this place, is a picture behind the cash register of Dave chappelle, that makes me happy..(I didn't know he like to Skate?) read more

OK, so today I confirmed what I long suspected: I Really Suck at Surfing. I bought a long board off a friend more than a year ago with the best of intentions to learn how to surf. A month later, I bought a sweet Riptide wetsuit on sale online. The last thing I needed was boots, & I dragged my proverbial heels on that one (no pun intended) for a YEAR. Finally today I bought a pair at Nor-Cal. The staff was friendly & I got a good pair for under $40, which I tested out within 30 minutes of purchse. I assure you, the boots had Nothing At All to do with the large volumes of seawater I swallowed today. If you're down at Lindamar & you need surfing supplies, you might as well roll over to Nor-Cal. read more

Having never surfed before, I signed up for lessons through Nor Cal Surf with my boyfriend and a close friend. We decided late that we wanted to give surfing a shot but we were still able to schedule a lesson for the next morning. For just $90 a person we were able to have 2 hours of lessons plus boards and wet suits for the whole day. We made the 9:30 lesson and it was just the three of us (this was a Monday morning in March). Rob was our instructor and was fantastic. He took time to explain all the fundamentals on the beach - even talked about that specific beach, how to navigate the waters if they got rough, showed us technique/form and had us practice popping up before heading into the water. Rob then spent time with each of us in the water- he was swimming so he could coach us more freely. He was super encouraging and was cheering us on through every wave. He gave great instruction on when to paddle and when to pop up- had the guys I was with looking like pros by the end! I took longer to get things figured out but Rob was very patient and helpful despite my newness to it all. Definitely provided us with a great experience. ++++ for the 20% discount on any store purchase with a lesson. We will definitely be back to rent from the shop and continue to shred those gnarly waves. read more

Three words: Poor Customer Service. Came here with a board repair after a surf at LM. I was quoted $40 -$60 for the repair, then, two weeks later, told the repair is done, and the cost is $65. I went to pick up my board, and before paying, explained quite nicely how frustrating it was to be quoted $40 -$60 then charged $65. I got a blank stare. I asked whether there was anything they might do to make this right? A blank stare. I suggested, that perhaps they just charge me the $60? Blank stare, then a few really poor rebuttals, and finally a shrug. I decided my time wasn't worth explaining the economic merits of good customer service, paid, and left with my board. I won't be back. read more

I went in with the intention of buying a wet suit - I had been to the other surf shops in Pacifica(you can read my reviews of them) and as a careful shopper I do like to try out the competition. I could not have been more disappointed. The store was quiet and I was honest about my price range and knowledge - I was shown one suit which was $150 above my budget and then told to shop online instead. read more

Great Local Shop Has Everything Good Staff Been Around Forever Convenient Location read more

This place is pretty awful. After being put on a waitlist, I rented a board and wetsuit and the person at the rental counter was yelling at the customers and yelling at the sweet young employee working alongside him. They were also out of rental boards. It was disorganized and chaotic for everyone involved. When you finally go to the back to select your suit and board, the kids working there are none too friendly either, and they are literally kids -- ages 14 and 16. I know this because someone asked them how old they were. I managed to make it work and get what I needed by smiling a lot and pushing past the gruffness, but I could never recommend this place. read more

Rod got my teenager's surfing and they both got up on the board several times, first time, Couldn't recommend NorCal highly enough,

I had to write this review after noticing damage on my kids surfboard within 24hrs of purchase and not related to use. The owner was super professional about providing a replacement, even though his supplier would not. In addition, this store is an active supporter of the local community, frequently sponsoring local fund raising events (school auctions, fun runs, etc..). read more

I had such a wonderful experience. Rob was the best instructor!! I highly recommend taking a surf lesson from him! I was nervous about attempting to surf for the first time. He made me feel very comfortable. He spent adequate time going over surf etiquette and teaching techniques. He was an awesome encourager and cheered me on when I did something well. He was very patient and met me at my skill level. Rob was very knowledgable and I would definitely take another surf lesson through NorCal. NorCal provided a locker and lock to put my purse and valuables. I felt very safe and comfortable all of the staff was very friendly. read more

Nor-Cal Surf Shop - Rob is the BEST surf instructor!! - Surf Shop Near Me - Pacifica, California

I support Nor Cal because they are a Local Surf shop. I live in SF and make the drive down past Aqua to do business at Nor Cal because of their rewards program and prices. After researching for a new wetsuit I found one that was back ordered online. Nor Cal had the wetsuit and for cheaper than the online price. Support Nor Cal or Proof Lab read more

If you're looking for a spot to take surf lessons, I would recommend Nor-Cal Surf Shop wholeheartedly. The check-in process was smooth. The shop is busy, but they seem to staff it well and there's no hassles. It wasn't very expensive and his teacher Rod was ideal. We took a 9:30 a.m. class, before the wind kicked up. Rod encouraged just surfing the white water 2 ft waves for a novice just to get the feel of it. He seemed to love teaching surfing and was so enthusiastic that it made the day lighthearted and fun. My 12 year old has "found his thing." The smiles said it all! Thank you Nor-Cal Surf Shop and Rod! read more

The new rental shop at Nor*Cal is the best. Lots of epoxy longboards for the oodles of beginners that flock to Pacifica and warm wetsuits in every size to fulfill your surfing needs in the inevitable fog. Plus everyone that works there is a legit surfer dude/dudette. Even after I got my own wetsuit and board, I went here to get a sweet Nor*Cal logo soft rack to haul my 8'8 around atop my PT Cruiser. read more

I've been to a limited number of surf shops so to give this place 5 stars would be pre-mature. However, I'll definitely be back. I ended up at this shop over labor day weekend, trying to find a last minute rental so I could "hang 10" on the beautiful breaks of Pacifica State beach right behind the shop. I originally went here cause they were the only place in the area that was open the latest, as well as have enough boards and wetsuits left to rent. The guys here were chill and got me in and out with no problems. When I returned, I was definitely diggin the fact that they didn't charge me extra, despite the fact that I should've brought the rentals back several hours before I said I would; that is, in order to keep a half-day rate. As an added bonus, I was pleased to come back to what appeared to be a "yard sale" of sorts outside their shop. Apparently, they were having a big labor day clearance on their boards, and decided to beef up their advertising by having a dj set-up shop and spin some chill, jazzy, funky break beats for the surfheads and tourists alike. For me, this place earns the respect to slap "Nor-Cal" in their name!! read more