My daughter (11 years old) had the best day ever with her lesson with Dave. She was nervous at first but he was fun and quickly got her excited to be out in the water. In no time she was up and surfing. I wish we had stayed longer so she could have done more lessons, but we will be back next summer and will for sure be booking more lessons. read more

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I'm so happy that I chose Open Ocean Surfing for my 13-year-old son. While researching surf instructors, I came across 2 older news articles about how the owner, Dave Alexander, RESCUED tourists that happened to be at the beach while he was teaching, and I knew this was our man! You can tell that Dave is extremely experienced and knows what he's doing. He is also laid-back and fun. The time spent with Dave had given my son confidence, excitement, hope, and joy which is worth more than gold. Thank you Dave Alexander!! read more

My daughter (13) and me (45) both took lessons from Dave (together). He was able to find 2 totally different approaches to get us both up and surfing. Now we both caught a surfing bug and go out at least once a week. Highly recommend his school. It's not a money grab like a lot of other places - he is genuinely a surfer through and through and will introduce you to this amazing way of life. read more

It was a little challenging making a schedule with Dave but I was patient and he was just so nice when I talk to him on the phone. Dave was a really good teacher. On shore he discussed safety, the tides and things we need to know. We practiced our pop up and stance before heading out to the water. And once there, Dave stayed close to each of us and telling us he wants to help. Surfing is such a work out. Being lighter, my son was up on his board every single time. We were all trying so hard but having so much fun at the same time. I recommend Dave and his classes. I'm glad that with the new skill he taught me, I can take advantage of the warmer waters of the Caribbean in the summer time. read more

Open Ocean Surf Lessons - Surfer Dave! - Summer Camps Near Me

My 12 year old son just wrapped up a week long surf camp and had the best experience ever. Plenty of staff to keep kids safe and they were up on their boards the first day. Would highly recommend Open Ocean Surfing for anyone wanting to take lessons. read more

Open Ocean Surf Lessons - Summer Camps Near Me

I've always loved the water but have been intimidated by taking surf lessons. Just took my first lesson with Dave and he was great! Safety first with him, and he was very patient and encouraging with us when we were in the water. Can't wait to do it again! Thanks again Dave and Julia! Note - If renting a wetsuit from a local shop, make sure get one that fits well and snug! read more

Dave is a great surf instructor. He'll teach you how to stand up during the first lesson and you'll be up and surfing. Amazing Experience. Dave is very knowledgable and will teach you about ocean safety as well. I took 3 lessons with him so far and will definitely go again! No matter if you are a complete beginner or trying to learn more advanced stuff Dave is the right instructor for you. read more

I was skeptical about finding a good surf instructor after I had a lesson from another local surf school that I ended up twisting my ankle in the very first lesson!!!!! I went on to search again and found Open Ocean Surfing! I totally recommend Coach Dave- absolutely the BEST!!! Unlike a lesson I had with somewhere else, Dave doesn't send you just into "foam water," he teaches us real SURF!!! Dave focuses on our safety & Ocean conditions to make sure that each lessons are safe, fun & productive. Dave would tell us if conditions aren't good, he won't take us to surf which sometimes can be on the day of morning but there's nothing we can do about it when Mother Nature controls conditions. Plus, I'm very happy with qualities of lessons Coach Dave provides- he doesn't waste my time nor money! When you are in the hands of experienced surf instructor like Dave, you are way to go!!!! read more

Open Ocean Surf Lessons - Coach Dave - Summer Camps Near Me

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Dave Alexander is a great teacher, whether you are just learning how to surf or know how already and just want to bump it up another notch! He shares so many years of experience, and makes the whole surf lesson really fun as well. I live at the coast and just want to get better at it, he's the man! Go to link: openoceansurfing.com read more

Dave took my 14-year-old son and three of his friends for their first surf lesson. He was an excellent patient teacher. Dave wants to provide the best experience so remain flexible on timing details as it will depend on weather and wave conditions. The boys had a great time and all got up on their boards. We will use him again and recommend him highly! read more

Had an amazing time with Dave in the ocean on Saturday! As we were two beginners we were a little nervous but Dave made everything so easy to learn. From beach instruction to tips in the water it all felt super manageable but also super fun! No matter how many times we fell off or got knocked off the board we always wanted to get back up and back out in the surf and Dave played a huge part in that. I can't wait to get back out there and schedule another lesson! read more

So much fun at the beach for the whole family, can't thank you enough Julia & Dave for a wonderful day! We were lucky with my husband to share the most amazing lesson. Can't wait to book our next session, they are the best! read more

Dave is the best! I've never surfed before and his class was perfect for a first timer. He's patient and makes sure everyone is completely comfortable throughout the lesson no matter what their age or experience level is. I can't wait to go back for another class! read more

Flaked on us morning of. Supremely frustrating to deal with. Don't bother; may be a great teacher but it doesn't matter if you can't actually schedule a lesson. read more

Difficult to deal with - scheduling a lesson was almost impossible and mandated to always be morning of and wave dependent. I need more predictability on my schedule and as a beginner don't need perfect waves. I did four lessons and requested a refund of the fifth. Overall, I feel like I wasted last season waiting to get lesson time, and when I did go out it didn't feel like I learned all that much. read more

The kids agree! Surfing with Dave was the highlight of our trip to nor-cal. I was worried that surfing in 60 degree weather would be a nightmare, but it is actually no problem with a wetsuit. My son is a skateboarder. He got up, stayed up, and had a blast. My 14 year old daughter was very apprehensive at first, but she got up the first time and could not get enough. Dave is an excellent teacher. The kids loved him and I was impressed by his attention to safety. If you have only one thing to do with your kids at HMB, take them surfing with Dave. You will not regret it! Also consider hiring Peter the photographer to preserve your memories. Dave will set you up. He is excellent and surfing photography is his business. read more

Spent the afternoon with dave. My fiancé and i had never been in the ocean. He went over safety and basics, then right to the water. Dave was right there with us the whole time directing us, encouraging us, and helping us get on those waves. When we wanted to call it he kept trying to get us back out in the water. If you're going to be in the halfmoon bay area hit up open ocean surf school. You will be glad you did. We had a fun the whole time! read more

The low star is because I never met the guy and couldn't talk to him in person! We played phone tag mostly but I would have apreciated confirmation of where to meet, ugh, as the SFGate DailyDeal for 2 hrs lists his home address as where to meet. I am pretty busy and only glanced at their website which lists where to meet and specific directions. But Dave always does call back so I guess he is ok,.....and his school is closer than Santa Cruz,...... read more

It's been a life long dream of mine to learn to surf. I haven't done it yet, but the class I had with Dave pointed me in the right direction. It started with learning how to "pop up", then it was out to try it in the water. There was only so much I could learn in one day, but with Dave or someone from his team holding the board, giving me a push and telling me when to pop up I managed to stand up a few times, get to my knees a few more, and naturally wiping out a lot. I was surprised at how hard it was, I had lots of aches and a swollen toe the next day, but it was worth it. I plan on saving up my vacation time so I can come back next year for maybe a week and learn how to do the whole thing on my own. To sum it up, I had a great time and highly recommend Dave! read more

Dave was awesome. Called me and texted me in the days leading up to the lesson, my first EVER, and made things sound easy and hands-on. I drove from Oakland and arrived at Maverick's Surf shop to rent a wetsuit, and followed easy directions to meet up with Dave and grab our equipment. There were 6 of us in a class, which felt plenty intimate enough--the safety portion on the beach was really brief, because our classroom was really the ocean. We each got in a lot of chances to catch waves, with Dave essentially pushing us into them and letting us know when to stand up. Felt great for a first time, and like he set us up for success. He's got a really friendly demeanor and helps you be a beginner without feeling like a total idiot. Well worth my $60 (in cash) and my $10 wetsuit rental for a few hours in the beautiful Northern California ocean trying a new skill. read more

I began surf lessons with Dave almost two years ago, beginning by taking weekly lessons and now just sporadically as I need them. Dave is an excellent teacher. From the start of your first lesson on the beach where he explains surf etiquette, safety and makes sure you can pop up, all vital before getting in the water, to the ocean where he'll help you in to waves (to begin with), then as you progress teach you how to paddle in, read them, about tides, currents, swells...his knowledge is endless. He's fun and encouraging whilst always remaining alert to your safety. I never feel safer in the water than when Dave is in there with me. I also wanted to address those reviews that have given one star, based on 'scheduling' issues, it perhaps takes a little while to understand this but there are very good reasons: 1) The waves don't work to your schedule (unfortunate but true). Whether you're a beginner or not Dave has to make sure that he not only puts you in water that is safe but that is also suitable for teaching in. He may check out a number of different spots before deciding where to hold a lesson, this inevitably involves a few call backs etc. This is all for your benefit though, so he can give you the best surf experience you can have in the conditions available. Look upon it as part of your surf lesson because learning about the right conditions is as important as catching a wave. 2) His office is the ocean which is why you can often expect phone tag, he is not sat by his phone waiting for calls but in the water teaching people to surf. He will call back. Anyway, the long and short of it is, I couldn't recommend him highly enough. read more