My 18-year-old nephew took two days of surf lessons with North County Surf Academy during his college spring break, and it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The communication with the owner, Duran, was prompt and seamless when we booked the lessons, and the board and wetsuit pickup with Noah was quick and easy. Everything felt very organized and welcoming. JB provided excellent instruction and truly professional-level coaching. As a beginner, my nephew especially appreciated the trust and confidence JB showed in him in the water, which really helped build his own confidence and made the experience even more rewarding. The entire team went above and beyond to make sure he had a great experience. Everyone was incredibly helpful, and their genuine love of surfing clearly comes through in the way they teach and interact with students. It created a fun, supportive environment while still delivering high-quality instruction. Highly recommend North County Surf Academy for anyone looking to learn to surf or improve their skills. read more

Best company to take a surf lesson from! In fact, if you're a beginner and have NEVER surfed ( like me) , you will not be disappointed. I'm from the Bay Area and have always been afraid of sharks up there. So when I came to SoCal I never really got over it. Well, after surfing w/Duran I can officially say, that worry was unwarranted! Duran is a legitimate professional surfer ( google him), and I felt safe with the 1 on 1 attention! His 1st tip was to stay relaxed and have fun. He constantly scanned the surf for the best ( and safest ) wave for me to take which was reassuring. I was able to stand up a few times and it was awesome! I couldn't be happier with the experience and will be going back for more lessons because I'm hooked. They also provide small group lessons and surf guides which is not really done here. If you're visiting Oceanside or even a local, do yourself a favor and checkout North County Surf Academy. read more

I grew up in Hawaii and have been surfing for years, but I recently moved to Oceanside. I'd been wanting to get back in the water but didn't feel comfortable paddling out just anywhere so I contacted North County Surf Academy for some guidance. Duran was beyond knowledgeable about the best local break for my skill level and recommended I try out the Oceanside Harbor. I decided to actually book a session with him after talking over the phone because he seemed legit. Turns out, Duran is one of the best surfers in the area and had a wealth of knowledge to share. We surfed for almost 2 hours & he helped me build my confidence surfing California beach breaks. This isn't a surf school with instructors who barely know how to surf. Duran is the real deal & it shows! read more

Duran was so amazing with my kiddo!!!!! He made sure she was comfortable the entire time and really helping her get outside her comfort zone in the water. SO stoked she finally got out there past the white wash where she normally surfs! We really want to help her gain more confidence to push herself more out in the water!!! We know she is capable of it and so does she, Duran did a great job giving her the push she needed!!!! She was so happy and had such a great time! We did the 1:1 90 minute coaching session! Highly recommend! We will definitely be back for more lessons!!! Love supporting another O'side local!!! You won't regret getting lessons by North County Surf Academy!!!! Great time, amazing help!! Thanks so much again, Duran! We really appreciate you! read more

As a complete beginner, I've taken 5 lessons so far with Duran, the owner, and Sean one of the instructors. Both have been terrific - great at instructing, and effective at building my skills and confidence. They also seem to love what they do, and really enjoy teaching and training, which makes the experience a lot more fun, even when the water is cold and the waves hit you in the face. Duran, the owner, runs it very professionally - on time, quality beginner boards, thick quality wet suits that seem tailor made. He picks the right beach for the daily conditions and my skill level. He's also 100% present when out in the water with you, even though he's also running the operation. Looking forward to more lessons and to improving my skill. read more

Learning to surf has been on my bucket list for a while, but I've been super nervous about actually learning. My sister knew this about me and gifted me this lesson for my birthday... One of the best gifts ever! Duran and his brother were beyond professional. They had their act together! The boards and wet suits were brand new, and the quality was exceptional. The instruction they gave on the beach prepped us to be successful in the water. They stayed with us the whole time, coached us, helped us, and encouraged us. These guys are pros and had us surfing in no time! I was super impressed and highly recommend! Their professionalism, positive attitudes, patience, and coaching can't be beat! read more

This experience was the highlight of the trip for my son, more than Disneyland, California Adventure, and Universal Studios! This was extremely beneficial for his confidence building and he still talks about it as a top moment in his life. Duran was very slow to explain this and ensured the 12-year old's safety was a top priority. Equipment was provided and was top notch. He cheered him on and made him feel like he was so special. He even took my GoPro and got some amazing in-ocean footage of him! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I cannot recommend it enough! read more

My son and daughter took lessons from Duran Barr, professional surfer and owner/instructor at North county surf Academy. Duran was very professional to deal with and interacted very well with the kids. After a short lesson on the beach and going over the safety rules, the kids were catching waves their 1st try. His gear is top notch. Surfboards were in great condition. The kids were both in brand new wet suits, which we are tearing the tags off. Over all the kids had a great time and can't stop talking about it. Thank you Duran for this great experience and memory read more

We took family surf lessons for 4 of us during our visit to Oceanside. We ranged from age 42 to 7.. no one had surfed before. We spent a wonderful afternoon - we had 2 instructors and all 4 of us managed to stand multiple times on the surf boards! The wetsuits kept us warm and the instructors were super knowledgeable and patient .. giving each person individual attention and tips so we could improve with each attempt! I strongly recommend north county surf academy! The surf lessons was the highlight of the trip for all of us ! read more

We could not have been happier with our experience with Duran. He was able to work with our schedule to set up a lesson with our 12 year-old son on short notice. At the start of the lesson, he was very patient, kind, and ensured that our first-time surfer was as prepared as could be before heading into the ocean. Throughout the lesson, Duran was very positive and encouraging and really went above and beyond to make sure that our son caught some great waves and had a great time. read more

Awesome....!! We came to Oceanside, very last minute and over winter break. Not the easiest time to accommodate surfing lessons (considering I called the night before), but Duran made it happen...! He knows his stuff; how to instruct, choose the proper board, waves, etc. It's what makes someone a pro. He also comes loaded with all the necessary gear. At best, I'm a beginner to surfing and I walked away with a lot of knowledge. Will definitely be back for more...!!! read more

My son is 15 years old and has really got into surfing over the last few years but really started being consistent this summer... he has been teaching himself but I could tell he needed some guidance to learn some important fundamentals. He had his first surf sesh with Duran and I can already see huge improvement in just a day. He is already looking forward to the next one. Thanks again Duran. North County Surf Academy is definitely doing something right. read more

As a beginner, learning to surf can be super intimidating. Duran, the owner, did a great job of making me feel comfortable in the water and was quick to jump by my side after each wave to help me paddle back out. I was able to actually stand up on a few waves which wouldn't have happened without his help! He had tons of local knowledge and recommended THE BEST ramen place for us to warm up with afterwards. All around fun experience, highly recommend! read more

We were on vacation in Oceanside and my 7 year old daughter had the courage to agree to her first surf lessons. Duran and Marley were amazing in their approach to teaching a young kid the basics to surfing. Within an hour they had my daughter catching waves and surfing. My daughter enjoyed her lesson so much she wanted more. So we signed her up for more lessons through our vacation. Thank you North County Surf! read more

Duran was extremely responsive and helpful getting us booked for lessons. We booked a lesson for 4 kids ages 9-12. The kids had an absolute blast and he was amazing with them. He made them feel comfortable and confident with this being their first time ever trying surfing. They were in the water and standing up before we knew it! We highly recommend Duran. We will be back as soon as we can for another lesson. read more

Fantastic family of 5 surfing lesson for beginners! We all got up on the boards many times during our lesson. Great instruction and the coaches made it very fun for all of us! We would love to do it again! Photos and videos were a nice bonus as well! Rentals also available to further practice. Highly recommend to all! Wonderful experience for our whole family! Thank you to Duran, Egan and Tyler. read more

Owner Durran and his crew are fantastic! Our boys had an epic time surfing for their first experince surfing in California waters. The 1/2 day experience is a wonderful way to catch waves with an experienced coach as a guide. We loved them so much we extended our trip! The extra time was so worth it, and allowed us to surf with North County Surf Academy one more day! read more

I came out to California from Louisiana to learn how to surf with my buddies on our spring break. We had so much fun and Duran was awesome. He made our experience a memorable one and everyone got up. They taught us all the basics and fundamentals and we surfed the rest of the trip every day. Can't wait to take my skills to the back of the boat. Y'all are awesome!!! read more

First time surfing ever and got up many times due to great instruction. Egan made it all very approachable and took the intimidation out of it. He was very patient and informative and with me the whole time to guide me, give me feedback, and make sure I felt comfortable and confident. Very fun. 10/10 experience that I would do again. read more