I took a surf lesson with Joshua and it was such an epic experience! I had never really surfed before, and was super nervous. Joshua was super patient, and made me feel really comfortable. He was super flexible around our schedule, and we even ended up surfing with a pod of dolphins around us--it was truly one of the best experiences ever! Couldn't recommend enough, will definitely be booking another lesson! read more

Had another great day in the ocean for my second lesson, Noah was a great coach. The surf was a little heavier this time, still it was a lot of fun. Noah was very personable and patient, we had a great conversation and I learned a couple of things. He even left me with some resources to look at if I continue surfing. Even if you are not very athletic or you are a little older (like me), you will have a good experience at Santa Barbara Surf School based on the lessons I had with Spencer and Noah. read more

Santa Barbara Surf School - Cowa -- bungle? - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We tried out a lesson with SBSS (Santa Barbara Surf School) at Mondos beach and left with a positive experience. Our instructor, Duncan, was a great instructor and person to hang out with / learn from. Duncan was able to communicate and teach my son and me in a great way, ensure we learned, had fun - and was able to adjust his teaching and convo to my 18yo teenage son and me as an adult. Duncan also just brought positive surf culture vibes and wasn't patronizing to us newbies. At the end of the session, we were able to catch waves on our own and had a great time. The board and wetsuit that we used were in good condition and made for a good experience. A few call outs for others to be aware of 1. Mondos beach access. You'll need to access the beach by way of a steep rocky area. Be careful and if SBSS asks you to carry your board down, please be careful or ask them to do it for you when in doubt. 2. Hours of operations Website says hours from Mar to Nov are from 9:30am - 5pm. We rented the boards and wetsuit thinking we would have it until 5pm but they said their last lesson ended at 2;30 and we needed to turn it in then. Please check in with them 3. No showers Bring some water to rinse off after you get out of your wetsuit. read more

Great place to learn surfing if you're a beginner. We had Aiden as our teacher and he was extremely kind. He took lots of care to explain the basics. My partner and I had a blast. Would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for private classes with your S/O. read more

Santa Barbara Surf School - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I had a lesson with Tyler yesterday, and it was amazing! I had already been surfing before, so he was able to really help me take my skills to the next level. The location was also A+ read more

Met Sean at Mondos Beach. What a great experience! My boys said it was their favorite thing we did while on vacation. Sean was professional, courteous, and really worked hard. Would recommend him and this surf school for anyone visiting Oxnard, Ventura, or Santa Barbara! read more

If you're interested in picking up surfing or just want an intro to surfing, then this is the perfect place to get those lessons! My instructor Nick was great! He was so friendly, personable and a great instructor; helping me find all the right changes to improve, feel confident on my board and finally catch a few waves. I've taken surf lessons elsewhere and by far enjoyed my lessons here much more. Highly recommend it's a blast! read more

If I could study with Nick every day, I would! He is a supportive, knowledgable and professional instructor, and I was very happy with my lesson. I've been practicing surfing on my own but really needed some coaching to help me understand why I couldn't stand up. Nick gave me feedback each time I rode a wave and let me know what I needed to improve on, while also being super chill and supportive. He knew how to maneuver around other surfers to keep keep me safe and out of the way while still being able to have a productive lesson. He even gave me homework! I will definitely be back soon for another lesson with Nick. read more

First time learning how to surf and it was the best experience. My instructor, Justin, was super helpful and friendly. He was a great instructor and taught me what I needed to know to stand on a board and surf. Wee! He always had answers to my questions and gave great feedback. As we waited for waves, he was a great conversationalist- gave me some food recommendations and places to hike that were around the area. read more

Jack was fantastic. He was instructive, attentive, and relaxed. Would highly recommend SBSS as your go to.

I really wanted to learn to stand up and Ally got me up my first try! I got a good foundation to keep practicing, which is what I wanted. It was super easy to book last minute, there was good communication between booking and the lesson to make sure I came to the right place prepared, prices were good for the area, and the 1.5 hr ween by in a flash! Definitely recommend! read more

I had a great experience with Owner/Instructor Greg Lewis. It's a small outfit, but he provides all the gear you'll need, a pre-beach lesson, and a gaurantee you'll stand up and actually ride a wave. Before my lesson, I warned him that putting me in the ocean was like trying to bathe a cat, but that I really wanted to take a lesson...and asked him if he was honestly up to it. He said, "No Problem!" And kind of chuckled. During the lesson Greg was very present, and very patient. In a nutshell: If I can do it, you can do it. read more

Nick did a great job with my daughter and I, our first time surfing. We did not have a hundred percent success but we both ended looking forward to our next time on the water. That is success in my book. Bravo! read more

My kids 16 and 9 had a lesson with Daniella today and she was amazing!!!!! The boys had so much fun and stood on the board quite a few times. Highly recommend this surf school! Thanks daniella!!! read more

This is the second summer in a row, our kids (now ages 12 and 10) have taken lesson from SBSS and they are AWESOME. Both kids surfing good waves at Mondos and catching them on their own. Their instructor Daniela is kind, patient and just all-around awesome. Thank you!!! read more

So my sister and I took our very first surf lesson, and i'm so happy we chose to take our lessons with Santa Barbara Surf School! Will was our teacher for the afternoon and he was so helpful and we had a blast! Will went over safety, form, and answered any questions we had. We will definitely be coming back for another lesson! I just wanted to update! I've taken two more lessons (with Daniella and Abe) and I've literally had the best time. Everyone here is so nice, kind, and helpful! They really want you to have fun which makes the time out in the water even more enjoyable! read more

Awesome time.... Griffin is da bomb. He taught me and the fam how to catch some serious rippers!!!! Awesome teacher of the shred! Highly recommend Super fun for us first timers!!! Thanks Griffin read more

Awesome company and very awesome instructor, Kaitlyn G. I treated my son and his daughter (7 years old) to surf lessons Father's Day 2017. Fantastic experience and Kaitlyn rocks ! read more

Santa Barbara Surf School - Coach Kaitlyn and Layla from Beverly Hills, June 2017 - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Had an incredible first-time-ever surf lesson here! I'm 36 and had never been on a board. So I was definitely nervous that I wouldn't be able to pop up and ride. But Elias took me out and helped me catch wave after wave. That dude is steadfast and supportive and even when I'd wipeout hard, he'd coach me on what went wrong and how to catch the next one. I'm hooked now. Planning to get my own board. And can honestly say, there's nothing like the feeling of catching a wave. Wouldn't have been able to do this without the lesson. Honestly, it changed my life. Couldn't recommend these guys more! read more

Nick was my instructor and this is my 3rd lesson with this surfing school. Nick was a great instructor. He encouraged me all the time made me feel comfortable. I was able to be on the wave by myself. Highly recommend!! read more

We couldn't have asked for a better first surf experience for our 9 year old twins. Carson and Ally were both amazing, fun, knowledgeable and focused on safety. You can tell they love surfing and love their job! They had them standing up right away and they caught so many waves. We live in the Bay Area but will definitely be back for lessons and/or surf camp. read more

I booked a two-hour lesson with Jeff and it was well worth it! He's super positive, extremely knowledgeable, and helped me gain confidence as a new surfer. I even caught a few waves! read more

Santa Barbara Surf School - Jeff taught me techniques and then we got out in the water for the real lesson! - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Tony and Nick are super cool and helpful instructors. Helped me catch my first wave! Highly recommended.

My son and I surf all throughout OC and San Diego and we are looking for some new spots to check out this summer. Instead of calling a local surf shop I thought I would call the guys who help people ride waves for a living. Thank you to Mitch for helping me with a few spots to check out in the Santa Barbara area for the summer of 2018 read more

My 15 yo son has had a few surf lessons and his experience with Nate was the best so far - he literally said "5 stars" once his lesson at Mondo's was done. He was so stoked, he kept the board for the day and he wants to get a board when we get home! read more

Nick took my 13 year old nephew out to surf for his first time ever...and he was so great that we're going back tomorrow. My nephew said that Nick was "savage" and the "lesson" was lit. read more

John was my instructor and I had an awesome time today. I'm new to surfing and had been out once with an experienced buddy before and several times on my own. Those times, I never got up on my feet and felt wobbly in the water. After about 30 min of instruction today, I was on my feet and riding waves. It was an awesome experience and I would highly recommend this surf school to everyone. read more

Patrick and Randy were great in their instruction of my 2 teenagers. Neither one of my kids had been surfing before and were a bit nervous going into it, but after getting the wet suits on and talking with the guys from Santa Barbara surf school they were ready to go! They were up on their boards in no time and had an absolute blast. The location they picked and the time for the perfect waves made it super easy for them to learn. Would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to learn how to surf! Thanks for the experience guys! read more

Santa Barbara Surf School - Surfing Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Our instructor Daniela was friendly, very patient and knowledgeable. After a short, basic learning session on the beach, she got us in the water. Mind you, we are in our 30's and trying surfing for the first time, but with Daniela's instruction we were able to stand up and ride some waves! The wetsuits provided were clean and didn't smell and the boards were in good working order. I would highly recommend this outfit for people of any age. read more

My husband and I chose Santa Barbara Surf School to try out surfing for the first time on a trip to California. Directions to their van were easy to follow. They had all the equipment ready to go when we arrived including wetsuit (necessary for November). Abe made our lesson easy to understand and fun, especially for two novices. He helped get us in the right spot in the ocean to be able to catch the best waves and instructed us on when to stand up. We had a great time and hope to return. read more

Amazing group of people. Had Brody has my instructor and he was awesome. Super nice, helpful, and fun. Got up multiple times during my first lesson and am hooked. Will definitely be renting a board and suit from these guys moving forward. read more

I have seen this company truck many times at Mondos Beach. I have always seen the lessons going on and the instructors seemed very attentive to the students. Last week I wanted to do another lesson and booked SBSS. I was not disappointed. They replied to my booking working a couple of minutes. When I arrived the instructors were very friendly. Made sure the wetsuit fitted properly and got me all set up. My instructor WILLIAM was great! He was knowledgeable and friendly. We spent a bit on the beach getting safety instructions and practice on pop ups. The we headed to the waves. He was very helpful with instructions and help catching the waves and I had a great time. I plan on going back Very soon. Thanks SBSS!!! read more

Took surfing lessons through this company and our experience every step of the way was top notch. Nick, our surf instructor, was one of the most, knowledgeable, positive, understanding and upbeat people I have ever met. He really made this an awesome experience for my family and got us all hooked. He not only cheered for us when we caught a wave, but cheered for people around us who were surfing and not part of our group. His passion showed through and I could not give a better account of our experience with the Sabra Barbara Surf School than the one I had. Thanks guys! read more

My daughter and her friend took 3 days of private surf lessons with Santa Barbara Surf School. After 3 days, both girls were able to do very well at getting up and riding waves in. Our first lesson was with Elias and our other two lessons were with Ally. Both instructors were excellent, supportive and effective at teaching. Our lessons were on time, the equipment was clean and the girls had a great time! We plan on taking lessons again. My daughter wants to take more lessons with Ally over the summer. We all highly recommend Santa Barbara Surf School. read more

Greg and his guys are great. My wife, my two teenage daughters and I all were riding the waves almost immediately, and spent the rest of our lesson falling in love with surfing. Highly recommended. read more

Kaitlyn was a great instructor! I was there at the end of July and it was a very baby wave kind of day with lots of beginners so I was nervous it wouldn't even be big enough to get anything. But it ended up being a super fun day and she had such a great attitude the whole time. Highly recommend! read more

I tried SB Surf School because of all the good reviews and I'm happy to write them a new one! We went as part of a bachelorette party and almost no one had surfed before but, under the experienced instruction of Patrick, we all managed to stand up on the board and surf on our first day! I set up the surf lesson with Randy and he was friendly and very responsive. The whole operation was professionally run and clearly very concerned with customer satisfaction. I wouldn't look any further if you're looking for a fun day on the waves. read more

Went today to learn with Greg and Heather. It was a group of four so there was a good amount of one on one time. We had about ten minutes of on the beach instruction then hit the water. I was able to pick it up quick so after a bit Greg let me do my own thing and threw in some pointers as needed. At first I was worried that the 90 minutes in the water was going to be on the short side, but it felt like just enough after the lesson was over. Price was $65 each, which is more than reasonable considering the board and wetsuit rental would be about 2/3rds of that somewhere else. Also, we were able to call Greg around 915 to set up a lesson for 1100 which was super convenient. Overall a great experience! read more

My friend and I spent 2 hours with Randy from SB Surf School & we were pleasantly surprised to find that although never having tried our hand at surfing before, we were both able to catch waves & experience the fun & thrill of surfing for the first time. We found SBSurfSchool to be very helpful, personal as well as occomidating to our schedule in order to help squeeze in a class for us. It was loads of fun & we'd definitely use them again. read more

This is the worst school/company I've run across in 7 years surfing. Hopefully this review will help protect someones safety as well as credit identity as they do not manage information well at all. I arranged with Connor to have a 10 ft board and wetsuit for the next day. Indicated I was giving a card as security but would pay cash as out of country is a big hit in exchange/transaction costs. I was told no problem. I received an email right away with directions to where to meet at Mondo's a picture of the van etc. I drive an hour and a half from inland to surf, Mondo's is definitely a great place to surf I had been there the week before. The two instructors (guy and a gal) are finishing with their lessons and I let them do that. It seemed the guy was new as the woman was very careful to extract an email address from their customers that felt like a strange premise as it was presented to them. So after all that was done she's explaining to the other instructor it's really important to get that email from them. They finally get around to me and they don't have any longer boards in the van and can't make change for a $100 bill, some cash was actually exchanged on the previous group but ask yourself do you want to trust a business that knows your paying cash and can't change a $100 on a $45 rental. She goes I have your credit card showing me here phone, can I just charge that (a well over 30% hit to me if they do that). Or I go to Ventura to figure out change for them. I suggested we wait to see how the rest of their day went. I get my stuff I thought the 10ft board might be just at the beach from a lesson already. Turns out no they just couldn't be bothered to spend a few minutes loading it, or can't tell the difference between an 8 ft and 10 ft board. Ask yourself do you want to trust the safety of yourself and maybe kids to people that can't tell the difference between 2 boards or don't have the attention to detail to load the correct ones out in the water with you? I'm stuck with an 8 ft which is just not suitable for how I surf and what I normally ride in conditions like at Mondo's. As I headed to the beach frustrated as I knew what was in store for me out there with the wrong board. I was still bothered by why an email address was super high as a priority but trying to help me wasn't. I get rentals are secondary thing for them but there isn't a need for second class citizen feeling like it's a burden for them. I thought about my reservation the confirmation was sent by email the school has the email address. She's collecting the emails to then sell follow up lesson around the school with someone wanting to maybe do another, and training the new person to do the same is the only explanation I have. I struggled with the board for an hour and 45, saw them heading back up to the van asked about the 10 ft I reserved, did they have another size? I was told the best line of the day I'll have to get back to you after we check in the van to see I don't know if we have one, it's a big board you pretty much know if you have one or not it's not like you find it hidden in a corner. Ultimately they didn't return to get back so I walked up to call Connor and tell him how the day was going so far. walked by the van and saw them looking my way but there is likely a rule they can't talk to second class citizens only renting a board trying to get the correct one they organized. I called I'm told by Connor It's strange they have no change, wrong board etc we'll figure something out later. I go back to struggle with the board some more to try and salvage what's the worst day in 7 yrs but right gear makes a difference. I go to settle up at the end with a new totally new person they still have no change have some text about the card that ultimately they just need to charge the full amount to and additional hit I have with currencies, that presumably what the text told them to do even though that wasn't what Connor had talked about on the first call, but then nothing promised on the first call to them was true either so they are if anything consistent. Now to charge the card he needs it physically to key it, which is cool. Earlier in the day the lady already had the number I'm guess email/text as it was on her phone. Ask yourself are you comfortable having your credit card info emailed? Especially when you know that person is quite likely selling around their employers already? I've already called the credit card company to alert them this business could be a source of credit card fraud which means it will be extra fun every time I buy gas or food for the rest of the vacation. I know these guys claim to be the "best" experience in Santa Barbara if so everyone else must be super bad, I'd say book something in Ventura as they are surfing the same beaches and meeting you there anyway. read more