We had a horrible experience. Our money was deposited in August for an order we needed by September 23rd. We received mulitiple excuses as to why we didn't have our order. It took me and two others to track Shawn, the owner down. After constantly asking, we got our order at 9:30pm on the 25th, by meeting the guy in a local park in his white van. Turns out, the count was off and the shirts were done incorrectly. In addition to this, the shirts were different brands and qualities. It was such a nightmare. In fact, it was not until Thursday, October 9th that I had to drive to his house to pick up the remainder of the order. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. read more

I've always seen many of their comical posts on Instagram, so I decided to head down to Real Surf Shop in Oceanside to what it's all about. Located off the main road 101, Real Surf is an Oceanside shop that caters to all of your surfing needs. It's where you can rent your board, wetsuit, wax; the works and hit the water (which is just a couple of blocks down the road). I don't surf, but I could see that their board inventory was extensive and their customer service was knowledgeable and superfriendly. But the apple of my eye was definitely their clothing line!! Real Surf Shop has the BEST locally-themed clothing inventory in the city. I'm not talking about generic, tourist-styled designs with "Oceanside" on them. I'm talking about some very witty, comical logos and designs that are indicative & representative of life in Oceanside. If you're an Osider or city local, you NEED to get one of their shirts, tanks, hoodies or hats. Some Logos Include: "Keep Oside Real" "Localization Not Gentrification" and "Oside Takes Care of its Own" All of these should resonate with an Osider. Even more importantly, the staff is down-to-earth and truly care about their community. They give back to and are representative to the spirit of the Oceanside Community Unity. So, whether it's for your surfing needs or just to get a unique shirt that shows you love Oceanside, The Real Surf Shop is where it's at! read more

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Great Shop I've been going there for 25 years. Sean's great dude very active in the local community. Better to spend my money here than at a corporate business front. read more

Good vibes good people! Local and down to earth. They also do screen printing! Support your local business read more

I try very hard to support local at every opportunity, but I can't support this. The employees are always high as hell on something. You can't even speak to them- I don't know how they ring anyone up. Weird too, they have zero safety protocols for covid. No one wearing masks, no Purell. I recommend surf ride down the way. read more

Good selection of surf items. Friendly and knowledgeable service. Great rental prices!

Stopped in today because I was in need of a new leash and love their artwork for tshirts. I was greeted the moment I walked in, from (I'm guessing the owner) and he stopped repairing a board right then and assisted me. HOW RAD IS THAT! Excited to take advantage of the wet suit and board rentals in future when friends visit. Thanks again and see you in the neighborhood! read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Artwork on the van out front. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California

Great place for my friends and I to rent a couple of wetsuits prior to taking them out to surf. Suits were well used and had a couple of holes in them, but rental was $10 and it was perfect for a student budget. Staff are chill and will recommend beaches around. Tip: Dont try to rent suits on their website. Quite odd in requiring you to pay for shipping. I mentioned that I was confused with the site when I talked to the employee, and even he said that the site is weird and they don't use it. read more

I found the service and Shawn the owner very appalling, I would recommend not Giving your business to This shop. read more

OG surf shop! Great people, lots to offer, apparel to boards, and custom printing. Just a great spot to pop in and see what new!

Class surf shop. Great gear love the designs and knowledgeable staff time time and made sure I got exactly what I needed. STOK-ED as Italo would say. Fun team, clever designs, and great kit.- Thank you. read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Real surf shop - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California

Killer shop! Everyone there was very nice and very helpful even though they were slammed! Place was clean hand sanitizer everywhere! No complaints here stoked I stopped in! read more

Another bad review I trusted this place with my board no wonder they ask for money first!!!... total rip off just look at this work obviously done lazy and without care for customer DO NOT BRING YOUR BOARDS HERE !!!! read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Shirts work! - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California

Funky and awesome, and full of goodies you need. Real Surf is an old school real surf shop. Great place for all your surfing needs and for hats and t-shirts you won't find anywhere else. My kids live in their hoodies and t-shirts. The owner is very active in the local community and never hesitates to help out the 'hood in fun and creative ways. The crew is always willing to help you find what you're looking for, and if you need a little rest there's a big comfy couch too! Don't listen to the whiners and the masKarens, get your ass into Real Surf asap. read more

I've bought shirts from Real Surf shop several times and they are always so great every time I come in. Greeting me, helping me with sizes and they have a true genuine great service that is very rare!! They are a huge part of the Oside community! Thanks for all you do read more

Spent 30 minutes getting the yelp app through iTunes and using currently 5 dollars worth of data to write this review of how amazing real surf really is , I'm not a local. my friends and I came for a week real surf gave us the best deals in town as well as free wax ! They also gave us a wet suit for FREE ! But we couldn't take it because in our hearts we knew we didn't deserve it as much as they needed it.. Anyways shoutout to Matt for the big waves P.s put a heater in the shop if u can cuz that place is too chill read more

Locals know - this shop is the real deal. They have the coolest tees, hats, stickers, etc for showing off your O'side pride or giving unique gifts to your friends who aren't lucky enough to live here. Staff are friendly and helpful, always happy to help with finding what you're looking for or doing a custom order for you. read more

This surf shop is the real deal! It couldn't be anymore Southern California, local, hip surf shop if it tried. Not only do they have cool stuff, and do great boards but they support all things local. The shirts and hats fill our closets. If your local you already know but if your a visitor make sure this place is on your list read more

I love real surf shop! I have bought a few screen printed T-shirts from this shop and I will continue to go! I love how they also support local businesses like coffee shops nearby that I love to visit to see what's new. The owner is dope and happy to help customers. If you are in Oceanside, come get a flavor of local business and the great service that comes with it! read more

100000/10 This surf shop is a very lovely store. I am so glad I saw this local shop as I walked by and thought it might be a good idea to walk in. When I walked in I saw friendly faces. They were very nice and gave great customer service. They told me about their Instagram and I am so glad I followed. Their Instagram has some of the funniest memes on theirs. Not to mention they are posted on the daily so I get a new fresh meme every day. Plus like all stores, they can run out of stalk and they keep up to date when new shirts arrive that I find interesting. Then I might pop in and get that shirt. Overall, I would stop in if you have any time. I will be back soon. Thank you real surf shop for being that local surf shop to spread the joy. read more

A true old school surf shop. It reminds me of the shops near the boardwalk in Newport Beach in the early 80s. They actually make surfboards, have roots in the community and support other local businesses. Great selection on gear, and they dont act like they're "too cool for school " I love this place. read more

Real Surf is great! Always have the best shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. Shawn was awesome and hooked up my twin girls with new leashes and fins for their surfboards. He is an Oceanside legend and gives so much back to the city he loves. Go check out the shop! read more

This is one of the coolest surf shops I've ever been in. The employees are always super helpful and the owner knows his stuff. They have really cool apparel designed by local artists. Even if you have no intentions of ever stepping foot on a surf board check this little local gem out! read more

BEST SHOP I HAVE EVER BEEN INTO! The service at the store is impeccable. I love the employees and they're so amazingly kind. They are a family business as well as local and I would love for anyone to support their business. Please visit the shop I definitely recommend help our local businesses! read more

Turned my board in for a small ding repair. Was quoted 6 days which then turned into 4 weeks without any communication. I totally understand it's a hard time in the world with COVID & protests but the lack of communication is what really got me. If you're struggling or having problems with materials just communicate with me instead of leaving me wondering what's happening with my board for 4 weeks. I was dying without being able to surf and it became so hard to get ahold of the guy & even find him as he was never in the shop :/. When I finally got the board back it looked great so I appreciate that. Just hoping for transparency next time . read more

We found this shop in Oceanside to rent surfboards for my girls. We rented two soft tops and two wetsuits for a full day. The owner was very helpful and set the girls up for the day. Highly recommend this surf shop for your rental needs!! Great prices. Thank you Real Surf Shop! read more

Go anywhere but this place. Oceanside is a small town community and no one in their right mind should patronize this place. Owner has terrible customer service, the place is a total ripoff. There are several better surf shops in town run by people who deserve your business but NOT this one. read more

Melissa was super helpful helping em get my first boogie board. This place has everything you need, definitely will come back again! read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California

I wanted to surf after work but forgot my board and didn't want to drive allll the way home to get it and alllll the way back, so I rented a board here. The rental price was very reasonable! Best part is, the associate working there told me what the surf was going to be like later and to be careful. Great service, kind people, and awesome boards at great prices. I love supporting small shops and this place definitely deserves our business. read more

DO NOT BUY A CUSTOM SURFBOARD HERE !!! If you want to buy a surfboard, buy it off the rack. I had the worst experience of my life getting a custom board at Real Surf. When my birthday rolled around in April I decided to buy myself my 1st ever custom surf board. Living a mile from this surf shop & always supporting local shops, I decided to choose Real Surf for the job. Having talked to shaper/owner Shawn Ambrose many times & feeling very comfortable with him understanding the board I wanted. DO NOT PAY UPFRONT !!! After going over the specs for my board I payed him upfront the whole amount of the surfboard, $700, stupid-Stupid-STUPID !! I expected to be surfing it by summer at the latest.... Fast forward ONE FULL YEAR !!! my board was still not done. After waiting over a year to get my board, I finally received the call to pick it up. I was nothing a had asked for, NOTHING !! Wrong color, bad paint job, terrible glass job, my name not on the board, ALL THINGS I ASKED FOR !!! Never mind the fact that on my receipt was the specs & blueprint of exactly what I expected for it !! After talking to friends about the whole ordeal. I decided to take the board back & demand what I had paid for a year in advance. He agreed to redo it knowing it was a terrible job. Fast forward 4 more months & just asking for a simple green stripe down the middle forgoing everything I wanted the first time, paint, whatnot, I got a call to come pick it up. NO GREEN STRIPE, WRONG LOGO, MY NAME SPELLED WRONG !!! Cripes !!! The cherry on top you ask ? His signature with on the board glassed over with three letters, G.F.Y & a sad face. Not realizing what G.F.Y. meant i went home dejected. Once my friend saw the initials, he explained to my what it meant...GO F*CK YOURSELF. Classy. Real Surf ruined my lifelong dream of designing a custom surfboard. read more

Sean's a nice enough guy and I dig his shaping. I bought a Bonzer board he shaped out of a Salmon S-Core blank and had a lot of fun with it. Asked him to do another board before I took a trip to Bali two years ago and he didn't get it done in time for the trip... Given that he's got some good reviews on here, I'm guessing it was a rare deal on his part but bummed I didn't get to use the board on the trip and never got the trade in credit he offered for the other board... - I tried a couple of times, even got so far as an attempted Paypal funds transfer but it never worked out...anyway, live and learn. read more

I love how most of the poor reviews on this place have been posted by out-of-towners. This is THE best surf shop I've been to in San Diego, and their rental prices are unbeatable. 20 bucks for a surfboard, 5 bucks for a wetsuit, all day? Hands down this where i send all my friends to rent from. The customer service is the best here, and the atmosphere is so chill and relaxed. Oh and did i mention they rent hard boards too? For 30? Rent any board in the house(almost) and try it out. This place is ridiculous, It is the only surf shop I will ever go to again. read more

I bought my third surfboard (or my FIRST ever used board) from Real Surf Shop (an Ambrose Sputnik), and I'm EXTREMELY happy not only with my purchase (what a super, SUPER fun board): I'm extremely happy with the service I got from the people of Real Surf Shop. Even though the shop was visibly destroyed by a car crashing into it recently (it looked almost like a war zone) and therefore generally closed to the public, Shawn Ambrose and Elliot (the board owner) were very helpful to me. They showed up at a designated time and hooked me up with my board. Shawn Ambrose (the shaper) even took the time to educate me on the different workings of the board (particularly the quad fin setup). Nothing speaks louder than excellent customer service, which (sadly) is a rare find at surf shops. Real Surf Shop definitely delivers! When I become a much more experienced surfer, I definitely plan to come back in the future and purchase a brand new board from these guys. This shop rocks!!! =D read more

I was really surprised when I saw that the reviews were bad for this place. I was there yesterday to rent a wet suit for the day. Both guys that helped me were really nice and really helpful. I went in expecting to just get a normal full body wet suit for the day and the owner suggested that I consider a spring suit since the water was already warm and I would have more flexibility. I ended up taking his advice and I ended up being really glad that I did. I will be back next time! read more

REPAIR: Pretty simple deck repair, just wanted it done right. Can't speak for the quality because it's still there after 25 days! I received 2 recommendations and stopped by Real Surf 1st. Quote was OK and Sean said 7-10 days to complete because he was backed up and going out of town for a couple of days. I was fine with that and decided to leave it passing on stopping by the second place. Day 14: Call the shop, told he would get to it tomorrow Day 16: Call the shop, employee said "You need to come into the shop and talk with Sean." I asked if there was a problem, he said no but Sean has not started and if I come in he might even do it while I wait. REALLY!?! I have to STOP IN? Day 17: Trip to the shop, Sean, "Real sorry, things have been crazy, I'll get it done tomorrow." Day 21: Sean is not in, but I can see he at least started, it's locked up in the repair room. Day 25: Sean, "Bud, I've got 20 minutes of work over an hours time to get it done if I can avoid interruptions it'll be done today. Plan B, Stop by at close, if it's not done take it somewhere else to finish. Is this the same guy that was talking to me about a new board... which I explained I plan to buy in June. Sorry Sean, you are a nice guy but 10 days to 25 does not equal spend more money at this place. . read more

Great surf shop with friendly helpful employees and an awesome owner who's also a great shaper. Customer loyalty is also rewarded here. Shawn always makes sure to take care of me no matter what I buy, whether it's a t shirt or custom shaped board. Even when I just go in to say hello, you're always made to feel like part of the local crew. read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California

Really great surf shop. I love small businesses. Shawn was awesome, nice, helpful and knowledgeable. His prices are competitive and his clothing decals are unique and desirable. Go rent a paddle board from him, you won't regret it. It's very fun and easiest sport you'll ever try. $40 a day can't be best. See ya again soon Shawn! read more

killer shop everyone was great bought a new board for my wife will be back for sure !

Unfortunately they don't have any wax besides some weird rat cheese wax and they don't even have base coat. I recommend going to Asylum or Surf Ride for a much better selection read more

This place is amazing! Love the custom SUP I got from SA! Thanks man you rock!!!! If you ever need to rent a board you can rent one and apply the rental towards the purchase of the board. I don't know anywhere that has a great policy like that read more

Real Surf Surf Shop - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Oceanside, California