My daughter and I decided to try surfing for the first time, and we had an amazing experience with SoCal Surf Lessons! We had zero ocean experience, but our instructors, Rusty and Justin, were fantastic. They made us feel comfortable right away and did a great job teaching beginners. We were a little worried about getting cold, but Rusty set us up with extra thick wetsuits, which made a huge difference. After a quick practice on the beach, we headed straight into the water! It was an exhilarating experience! I even managed to get up a few times. We had an absolute blast and would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to try surfing! read more

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Our family reunion was held in Carlsbad, where we booked SoCal Surf lessons for our group of 18. After about 30 minutes of beach instructions from Rusty, the big group broke up into a series of smaller ones, then paddled out with their own instructor. Lots of waves were caught, lots of wipeouts experienced, and a great time was had by all. , Rusty was easy to work with, timely with communication, and his instructors knowledgable and patient. This was a great introduction to the sport for our family members. Thanks, Rusty! read more

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When a guy named "Rusty" runs the business, you know you're getting a quality surf lesson. Okay, half joking. Had a great experience with SoCal Surf Lessons though - had some friends coming into town for the weekend who expressed an interest in taking a surf lesson and Rusty and I coordinated the whole lesson via text. He was very relaxed about it all and it was approx $85 per person with wetsuits, equipment, etc... Justin was our instructor and he was great. He really did his best to make the most out of challenging conditions for first time surfers. The only suggestion I can add is maybe to add some sort of photo package for those interested, but I understanding coordinating photographers might not be easy, but maybe some option where the surf instructor can make some GoPro videos or something could be cool, just because I have no photos to show of the cool experience I had! read more

We just finished an hour and a half surf lesson for my three kids (ages 15, 13, and 9) with SoCal Surf Lessons. I can't speak highly enough about the experience. It was absolutely incredible -- one of those core life memories for my kids; something they'll never forget. It was very reasonably priced, and the wetsuits and surfboards were included. Hands down the best money I've spent in a long time. Huge thanks to Rusty and his team at SoCal Surf Lessons! read more

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The surfs definitely up when you learn from this crew! Our kids (14y and 10y) wanted to take a surf lesson while we were down in Carlsbad. After a Yelp search showed several options, we chose SoCal Surf lessons as they are they only licensed and bonded outfit and guaranteed you'll be standing up on the first lesson Communication with the other Rusty was easy thru their website inquiry form and email. We had a private lesson for 3 kids (on long boards) and with the cash discount, it was $72 per kid for 1.5 hours. Money well worth it! And Don't forget to tip! They're working hard in those waves brah! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Instructions on the sand - Surf Schools Near Me

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We met with Rusty since we were spending some time in Carlsbad during a home remodel. My son had always wanted to try surfing so we signed him up for a 2 hr session. He was paired up with his coach Sean. My son had a blast and took to it pretty quickly. Rusty was extremely easy to communicate with & made signing up & confirming date/time/location a breeze. Will definitely sign my son up again soon! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - My kiddo getting up on a wave - Surf Schools Near Me

A must do when you're in Carlsbad! We booked a lesson this past week for our family of six. We're all good at water sports but had never tried surfing. At the time of our lesson we met up with Rusty, suited up and headed to our boards. Rusty went through the do's and dont's of surfing and showed us exactly how we would get up on our boards. Once out in the water we had two instructors that helped us by looking out for the wave and instructing us when to get up. An absolute blast! We all successfully surfed and did so the entire lesson. If you are looking to surf, definitely go with Rusty and his crew. We will definitely be back and do this again. read more

My 8 year old daughter started lessons with SoCal Surf last summer & we keep coming back for more, she caught the stoke. You can trust these guys with your littles, they can get anyone riding. Miles makes lessons so much fun for my girl by pushing her in good waves, giving her practice paddle time, teaching her the water ways & playing with her balance out on the board. All the teachers are great but she's definitely got a favorite with Miles :) read more

5 stars to the entire staff of SoCal Surf Lessons! They got my grandson up on a board on his first lesson. Everyone was so helpful - patient, attentive & generous with their time & knowledge. My grandson returned for several days to surf and reinforce what he learned. He is now hooked on surfing and more confident in the ocean. SoCal Surf lessons have everything that you might need to be successful at surfing. They provide you with all of the equipment. They got back to us quickly and had him signed up for his first lesson on the same day. This business is professionally run and reasonably priced. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for Surf lessons. read more

Such a great experience! I'll be recommending them to everyone I know looking for lessons! Rusty was so quick and easy to communicate with and Dagan was amazing with our three teenage girls. All three said it was such an incredible time and they can't stop talking about it and watching the videos! Thanks for creating such a great time for our girls! read more

Homer was my instructor and was incredible! It was my first time and he was so encouraging and made me feel super prepared before getting in the water. I got up on my first try thanks to his help and felt supported from beginning to end. I cannot recommend SoCal Surf more! It was an experience I'll never forget and will definitely be back! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Surf Schools Near Me

Great time learning to surf with my family of 4. We had two amazing instructors who were so knowledgeable and fun. My kids are hooked and can't wait to surf again. Thanks to Rusty and his crew for a great morning of catching the waves! read more

Rusty and his team do such a great job. We're Midwesterners who visit every year and always need to get the swing of things again. These guys are our go to. read more

My family had the best experience with SoCal Surf. We have used them twice and will continue to recommend to friends and family. They are amazing and have an incredible staff. Highly recommend! read more

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I never think I can stand on the surf board before and it happened! THKS to Rusty N John read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Surf Schools Near Me

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My grandsons loved their lesson. Rusty taught well, made sure they both got up, and were protective of them in the water.

Super awesome with great instruction. This is our second time surfing with SoCal Surf lessons. We were offered full body wet suits and large boards which made the chilly morning much more enjoyable. They even made my 10 year old daughter who had reservations excited, smiling, and catching waves. We will be back. Thanks again. read more

We had absolutely the best time at our lesson here! Our instructor was very personable and a great teacher with lots of experience. This was both me and my boyfriend's first time surfing and we were able to catch a good amount of waves. We would highly recommend coming here & can't wait to come back! read more

these guys are AWESOME. The instructors are strong, savvy, and patient. Highly recommend if you're in the area and need some tips to slay some waves. read more

My daughter and I both had an epic time would love to do another lesson and we're visiting the Carlsbad area. The wetsuit they picked for me was so cute too!! read more

I reset my Yelp account password specifically so I could log in and write this review: my friends and I spent a couple months in Carlsbad over the past year or so, and so many of my favorite moments were with SoCal Surf Lessons. It's super easy to set up a lesson via text or email; Rusty is really responsive and helpful and will help you figure out when best to schedule the lesson. They have a lot of Stormblades, which means you'll have no trouble balancing, and also a lot of nice wetsuits so you don't need to bring anything except yourself (and a few friends)! We mostly surfed with Miles and Homer who got us standing up on tons of waves no matter the conditions, even from our first lessons. You'll definitely feel yourself improving over the course of the hour or two, and if you go back for more you'll certainly graduate to bigger waves and smaller boards. We always felt really safe with all the instructors--they helped us avoid potential collisions and also kept a close eye on the approaching waves to make sure we didn't accidentally get worked by any. Also during the lessons you can pick up surfer slang from the instructors (like "worked") which makes you feel cool, and proves that they're the real deal. Homer is truly the best, he works super hard to put you on good waves and also makes sure you have a great time. Two of my friends invited him to their wedding, no joke. And after a few lessons he helped me ride a couple lefts down the line (I think I used those words correctly) which were honestly some of the sickest highlights of my life? That's in part due to how deeply uncool I am, but also in part due to how Homer takes extra good care of his students and wants to make sure they succeed. Anyway, I can't recommend these guys highly enough. Fun and rewarding and a serious workout if you want it to be. I'm sitting at home wishing we could go back! read more

We booked a surf lesson for 5 teenage girls on a busy Saturday. We were pleasantly surprised when we had TWO instructors for the girls. We were further impressed by the quality and fit of the wetsuits that SoCal Surf provided. They were in excellent condition (see photo). But Justin and Drew were by far the most impressive and the best part of the whole experience. They both had fins on, and they were everywhere in the ocean the girls were - and with many thanks to Justin and Drew - five out of five actually surfed!!! We have taken surf lessons before, and Justin and Drew were in a completely different class than any other instructor we have ever had. They were positive, committed, and really taught these girls to surf. Can't wait to see them again! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Surf Schools Near Me

Had an incredible time as first-time surfers! Rusty was very responsive and flexible for scheduling over email. He also gave some insight into suggested times/days to go out for the best surfing conditions. My friend and I had a private lesson with Miles as our instructor, who has 30 years of experience surfing himself. Rusty first gave a breakdown on the beach of proper technique and some other things to keep in mind, and then we jumped right into it with Miles in the water (which we loved!). Both of us got up the first time and had a blast for the full 1.5 hr lesson. 10/10 would go again. read more

I had a great experience with Rusty and SoCal Surf Lessons. I did a solo lesson and Rusty was extremely helpful and patient with me as he showed me the ropes. This wasn't my first time surfing, but I'm basically a newbie and I really appreciated how Rusty took the time to assess what I knew and provide helpful feedback to take me to the next level. Right before we started the lesson we ended up going driving down the coast a little ways to find a better way of us. Rusty knows the water in the area really well. I contacted SoCal surf lessons via email and he got back to me within a few hours to set the lesson up. He was communicative, accommodating, and the lesson was a great value. He's been doing it for a while and is a great local option if you're looking for lessons. It sounds like he also does surf school in the summer and lessons for kids as young as five. Highly recommend! read more

This was a last minute booking as we had a communication snafu with another school. All were beginners, all nervous, and all had an absolute blast. Rusty was amazing, Homer was fabulous, gear, instruction, and overall vibe was simply first rate. No macho nonsense, pretty perfect for first timers. Do not hesitate booking with these guys. read more

Wanted a little help getting back into the waves after many years without surfing. Instructor was a grown adult who knew his stuff and was very thorough and attentive to safety on a windy and rough day. Caught lots of waves and confidence was restored. Highly recommend this company! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazingggggg surf lessons. The lessons are with instructors that are top notch professional surfers!! We set up our lesson with Rusty. Rusty was so easy going and made the sign up stress free and super easy. We showed up at the beach and we're impressed from the very start. There is a quick (very quick and to the point) instruction on the sand and then it's out into the water to surf. We loved how they didn't waste time on the sand, they are all about getting out into the water and catching waves. Our 10 yr old son absolutely loved it and was standing up on the first wave. Justin was our instructor and he was amazing. Justin treated our son like family and really made the lesson fun and was so encouraging!!!!! We opted for the private lesson and have already scheduled a second lesson with Justin. Rusty said they usually give a few hands on lessons but the goal is to get them out surfing on their own after a few lessons. These guys are top notch professional surfers. I can't say enough positive things about Justin and Rusty. If you want a professional instructor and don't want to pay to have your kid pretending to surf on the sand, these are your guys!!! Thanks so much Rusty and Justin!! read more

Great company friendly staff! I already recommended to My friend and he was happy as well Bring sun block read more

I enrolled both my kiddos in this one week surf camp. The things this camp does not have Lessons Goodie bags T shirts Organization Contests Sign in sheets Release forms Parking for drop off and pick up Group fun This camp must be for tourists to drop off kids for a few hours so parents can sleep or shop?? If my kiddos hadn't already learned surfing fundamentals in an Oceanside camp the previous two years, this would have been an even bigger bust In their defense the worker kids who stayed with the campers were friendly and nice. They probably could answer a surfing question if your child was assertive enough to ask. "Hey coach, am i doing ok?" Wont be bringing them back here next time. Hanging a bit too loose brah! read more

SUCH an amazing experience! It was my first time ever on a surfboard and by the end of my FIRST lesson I was standing up on my board and catching waves. Rusty (I'm assuming the owner) was a really cool guy and helped me learn the basics on shore before my "in water" instructor arrived, from then on I was with Justin. Justin did a great job giving me the instruction I needed and, like I said, got me surfing before the end of the lesson. I returned for another 1.5 hour lesson a couple days later and got the same exemplary service and had a ton of fun. This time around I was being instructed by Homer. Homer was great and had a LOT of insight to the sport of surfing and also the spiritual side of it. Such a great instructor. I will DEFINITELY be giving Rusty a call and getting back out in the water with the guys at So Cal Surf Lessons the moment I am back in Carlsbad and you should too. read more

This company is fantastic, very responsive and my instructor Homer was/is the man. So much fun, would do it again in a heartbeat.

Rusty and Keenan ( hope I spelt his name right here :) ) were great instructors. A few of my friends and I had lessons with this crew over the 4th of July and it was absolutely fantastic! We were a group of 6 with 2 instructors. We were up and standing on our boards within the first 3 attempts. SoCal Surf provided us with wetsuits and boards. The lesson on the sand was great just under 15 minutes and then we were out and about in the ocean. Rusty and Keenan were in the water with us the whole time helping us ride the right wave! They knew which waves were good for riding and which waves were not. We had a full hour and a half session. These guys are really great.. smiling all the time and watching everyone closely all the time! If you need surf lesson's these are the GO TO GUYS in Carlsbad! Thanks Rusty and Keenan for a great time. We will be back ! :) read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Surf Schools Near Me

We chose this while in town based on a recommendation from a local and we were not disappointed. It was so great! My 11 year old son had a blast and learned so much. Had many runs standing up! Husband had a blast too. Thanks! read more

Rusty and his team do a great job. My wife and 6 y/o were riding waves after a few tries! Great family activity while we were on vacation. Would recommend to anyone. Thanks again. True story. read more

I had an amazing surf lesson scheduled for my daughter. Rusty and his crew did a great job and she had an amazing experience. read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Surf Schools Near Me

Rusty was an excellent instructor. The lesson was tailored to our level of athleticism and comfort. Highly recommend SoCal Surf Lessons.

I had surfed before but not since high school (10 years ago) so I needed a refresher. I booked an hour and a half lesson with my friend Lauren and am super impressed and happy with my experience. Rusty is great and explains the basics of getting up onto the board perfectly. Our instructor was Casey (Sea biscuit) and he was very knowledgeable, patient, and personable. I was able to stand up on almost EVERY wave. I'm in love with surfing now and I can't wait to book a few more lessons. I will definitely rent their wetsuits and surfboards until I purchase my own as their rates for both lessons and rentals are very reasonable read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Casey and I during my surf lesson - Surf Schools Near Me

Easy to book and Homer the instructor was very knowledgeable and very patient.The waves were very small today but with his help I got up on the board the first attempt. Homer continually critiqued my stance and weight distribution and within the hour I was able to ride all the way into the beach. read more

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My kids can now surf. Something I thought would be next to impossible. The end result is usually all I care about, but these guys take it to the next level with the level of patience, small tips that make a big difference, and making it fun! I might even try next year once I overcome my fear of sharks. read more

Rusty and his group of instructors were friendly and patient with our boys (8yrs and 6yrs). That alone is worth a gold metal. Good location, not a lot of rocks or seaweed, and our boys had a very enjoyable time with some great instruction. Definitely worth the money. Enjoy! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - Our boys @SoCalSurfLessons - Surf Schools Near Me