Totally overdue review of this awesome SoCal Surf Lesson Crew (July/2013). Found them on Yelp and they followed through on all of the positive comments posted. Very easy to schedule a lesson for a group of 4. Spent about 15-minutes (instruction, boards, and the suit-up) on land and the rest of the 90-minute session in the water. My husband and all three teens all got up within the first 20-minutes. I didn't expect that the instructors (2) would escort them out and help them look for the most appropriate waves to catch. In this sense, everyone was guaranteed a positively good time. Mahalo to our guys - Duran and Justin for one helluva good time! read more

My 12-year-old son and I took a class with them this morning. We had a great time. The instructors were very attentive and made sure we were safe and got the lesson we were hoping for. Highly recommend. read more

The group lesson was great! We were able to catch some nice waves and had a great time. Rusty and Vic were encouraging and helpful. Take it from a Midwesterner who can count the times he's seen the ocean on one hand- this is the place to go if you want to learn to surf! read more

I researched several places for surfing lessons for our granddaughter (8 1/2. Years from San Francisco). Rusty was friendly and encouraging. The lessons included a 2 hour private lesson for my granddaughter and then two days of surf camp with other kids her age and ability. Victor was the private teacher and our granddaughter really liked him. She was standing up and riding waves during the first hour. Miles continued the adventure on days two and three. All three kids in her camp group enjoyed themselves thoroughly and Miles was a great teacher. The cost was reasonable and included wetsuits and boards. I am a resident of Carlsbad/Oceanside and would recommend lessons from SoCal for locals as well as visitors. read more

I cannot express how great of an experience my 5 year old had with Rusty! Rusty's energy was the perfect match for my son, who is NOT a huge fan of swimming but wanted to surf. My son went right in, no fight...and Rusty was there the whole time. His reassurance made not only me feel good, but I believe it made my son relaxed enough to trust him. The next time we come to SD-Carlsbad, we will for sure give Rusty a call. Thank you Rusty! read more

Had the BEST birthday ever with surf lessons with my sister and two best friends! Rusty and Joe were incredible! Giving us the perfect balance of instruction and encouragement, push and fun. Everyone in the group felt safe but still driven to get up and have a successful ride. Once we got in our grove the guys even filmed us with our GOPRO! I HIGHLY recommend taking a class with SOCAL SURF LESSONS! Since my first class i've bought my own board and wet suit and continue to surf every chance I get. I can't wait to go back for another lesson to continue to learn, grown and have an absolute blast! #RustyRocks read more

This is the ONLY place you want to trust yourself and kids to surf! Rusty and Joe were AWESOME! My kids and thier friends ages 9yrs - 20yrs all stood up and had an absolute blast! After taking lessons rented wetsuits and boards to go out in the ocean for more fun in the sun! Thanks Rusty for your flexiblity and scheduling with our family! So many great memories we will never forget thanks to you and Joe!! read more

Best surf lessons in San Diego county hands down!!

Justin and Rusty are awesome! Justin had my 9 year old standing up and surfing within 15 minutes of getting in the water. He was so excited that he wanted to go back out after we got home. We're taking him back out to Ponto in the morning to see how he does solo. Thanks for building his confidence and getting him up on two feet! read more

We had 4 guests in town from Texas who wanted surf lessons. I reached out to Rusty just a couple of days before we were looking to book a lesson for them and he called me back immediately. He had us set up in no time and texted confirmation with detailed instructions as soon as we hung up. The morning of the lesson he was on time, and had all wetsuits and boards ready to go. Long story short Rusty and the other instructor had everyone standing up on waves in no time. It was amazing and everyone had a great time!! Most of all everyone felt extremely comfortable and safe out in the water with Rusty!! I would highly recommend SoCal Surf Lessons to anyone looking for surf lessons!! read more

Rusty and Homer took care of us. Highly recommend them for anyone looking to learn to surf.

Hi Rusty, Thank you to you and your crew for teaching the kids to surf. They had a FABULOUS time and enjoyed the 3 hour lessons everyday and never complained (I was surprised). They slept like angels every night. We hope to see you again next year. They all really LOVED it!!! Aileen, Raiya & Kalea read more

Rusty is Awesome! We just did a 10 person surf trip to Carlsbad and Rusty hooked us up with all the boards and gear we needed. He had a great selection of boards for the experienced surfers in the group as well as the beginners. His customer service was great and he even delivered and picked up the boards from our AirBnB when we arrived/left. Great experience. Highly recommended! read more

Very Friendly and very easy to work with. I would highly recommend them

Rusty and Billy were awesome surf instructors. The individualized attention from both of these guys was above and beyond anything we could have hoped for. My boyfriend and I had fun, felt safe, and most importantly got up and surfed! Would definitely recommend this company for anyone interested in a good surf lesson. read more

My son was taught by Rusty who is the owner of this incredible surf lesson/camp company. He is great with kids and had my son standing up within the first 30 mintues. He is a great guy and his other instructors are just as good. If you are in carlsbad you should give him a call because he is not only great with kids but adults as well. Stay Stoked! read more

Amazing experience today with SoCal Surf for two boys with very different surf experience - one who had never surfed before and one on his middle school surf team. Both had a wonderful time beginning with Rusty as he assessed the boys comfort & skill levels and then prepped them for their time in the ocean. Then William took over and had my novice son standing quickly. During lulls in waves, William kept the boys engaged with lessons about the ocean, surfing, and his experience. It was a terrific lesson, and we look forward to the next one. Thank you Rusty and William! read more

This was so fun! My husband and I did a 2 hour class and the two men who taught us were so passionate and dedicated to making sure that we had a great time and actually learned! We went out the next day and bought our own boards!!!! I highly recommend them to anyone! Such a great experience and worth every cent! read more

Bought this as a gift for a friend and to quote my friend "this is the most fun I've ever had and Rusty is a great teacher. Actually all the teachers are wonderful" thank you so much! read more

My son said his lesson took him from frustrated to fabulous! Made huge progress with his technique after just one lesson. Highly recommend. read more

Our kids (ages 8 and 9) had a fantastic week at SoCal Surf Lessons surf camp. Rusty and his team of instructors were all great with the kids. The beach lesson was quick and efficient, and within 15 minutes the kids were in the water. They were both riding small waves on the first day, and got better every day. They both had a blast, and we liked their instructors so much we signed up for private lessons ourselves on the last day. We all had a blast! read more

I've always wanted to learn to surf so today I had my first surf lesson. It wasn't the most favorable of surf condition to learn in. They asked what kind of physical condition I was in due to the surf conditions, it going to take a lot of paddling. I'm alway in for a challenge, it was an amazing time. I'll be back and highly recommend SoCal Surf -a solid five stars read more

Excellent! Rusty, Homer and Jason made us feel like rock stars on a board. Our family of four had a 1.5 hour private lesson. We had two instructors with us the whole time. After a short beach intro, we headed into the water and we were catching waves non-stop thanks to them. read more

My sister and I met up with rusty for a lesson and both had a great time. He's a great coach and got us both up and surfing in no time. Really accommodating guy. I highly recommend to anyone looking to learn or get a refresher. read more

Awesome experience!!! Great e-communication with Rusty to plan our outing. He kicked off the lesson and then Billy took over for the 1:1 lesson for my 9 year old. My son is an Aspie and always has tons of questions...they were awesome with him! He had a blast, got up and even learned some new surfing lingo! Definitely recommend this group! read more

SoCal Surf Lessons - My son and Billy - Surf Schools Near Me

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I've never seen as handsome men as the guys working there. Absolutely amazing. I can surf really well now. Thanks.

My dad and sister took a lesson here while I rented a board. The guys did great in the water with them and had then up and surfing in a matter of minutes. I highly recommend! read more

All my son wanted to do for his 21st birthday was learn to surf. He and his brothers had such a great experience with Jason and Jack at So Cal surfing. All three of them were able to get up and actually surf. This a is great place with great instructors. Thank you Rusty!!! read more

My family and I had an amazing surf lesson with Rusty and his partner. We all were beginners, but were able to stand up immediately. We all felt very comfortable in the water, and learned a lot. Afterwards we all bought our own boards and wetsuits! We highly recommend SoCal surf lessons! read more

I have taken a few surf lessons before, but have been unable to put it all together. Rusty was able to adjust all the different steps and I could finally catch a few waves on my own. He is also very helpful with advice about boards, waves, and conditions. If you really want to learn how to surf like a local, I highly recommend Rusty and his team (Joe!). read more

Easy to schedule, fantastic communication, great directions, excellent experience. This surf school was an experience my kids will never forget. It was casual, fun, informative and cool. Rusty and Mike stayed out in the water with my boys for the entire lesson and it paid off - every single person got up. Their patient instruction and determination helped to convince a bunch of Arizona boys that they are surfers. We'll be back again, for sure!! Loved the whole experience. Thanks again. read more

Rusty and his team were great! Its refreshing to do business with those that are passionate about their clients. We called Rusty the night before a friend was taking lessons, we tagged along. Rusty and I texted and sent us info to meet up. We met him early, well equipped and ready to get us up on the board! The boys had a great time and made it a highlight of the trip to So Cal. They kept us safe and made sure we had a good time. Highly recommended and professional! Take a lesson from these guys! read more

Took a group lesson with my husband and brother, and had a great time. The instructors were professional, friendly, and best of all, really nice/supportive... it was my first time surfing, so I definitely ate it quite a bit but the instructor we had was so nice and encouraging. Totally worthwhile and the best thing we did while on our trip to the San Diego area. read more

I wanted to let you know I had a great surf lesson with Justin today. Thank you so much for pairing him with me. I never got frustrated, he didn't get frustrated with me; he was patient and fun. I had a great first surfing experience!!! My boyfriend had a lesson with Justin as well a couple months back and said he was awesome, helpful, and has him totally addicted to learning to surf now. Thank you! Will & Amanda read more

The whole team here is great. Got a private lesson with tons of tips and encouragement. I was visiting from sf and took up a lesson while my gf went to Disneyland for the day with her friend. Without a ride home my instructor Chris offered to give me a ride back to my hotel and even stopped for lunch with me at a great spot for burritos. Wow -- class act. Can not recommend enough. read more

Awesome experience for my 8 year old. He caught tons of waves and had lots of fun. Danny was a great teacher. Rusty made it really easy to book and pay. Great communication - they changed our meeting location the day before due to wave conditions and Rusty both called and emailed. We would use Rusty and his team anytime! read more

These guys are awesome! Rusty gave some options of different breaks in the area and we decided to go for a slightly larger wave. After some brief instruction, he had me popping up and riding the first wave that I saw. Not only was he a great teacher, but his local knowledge of the area made sure that I was paddling for the best waves. Definitely recommend these guys. read more

My surf lessons with Rusty were a highlight of my trip to Carlsbad. I was initially impressed with the detailed pre-lesson communication of where to meet and what to bring. As for the actual lesson, Rusty and Billy were great instructors, had a positive and patient attitude, and by the end of the lesson I was catching waves! They were perfect instructors for a beginner like me, but they clearly have the skill and expertise to teach any level of surfer. This was a highlight of my vacation and I look forward to taking lessons again as I return to the area and try to improve. When you search for surf lessons, you will get results for many instructors. All instructors are not created equal. Go with SoCal. Thanks again! read more

All first time surfers in our family of 6, 9, 41, and 42 years old and we all got up on the first try (well my husband maybe the 2nd try ... lol)! I can't say enough about how fabulous the instructors were and how they made us very comfortable (I'm not a big fan of swimming in the ocean). Also, they were very accommodating by meeting us by the campgrounds where we were staying. Rusty - Thanks so much we all had a blast!!!! You guys were great, professional, patient, and we all got up!!! See you next year ... gonna have boys do surf camp. The Henderson's read more

We booked super last minute and they were very accommodating. My husband, our 5 year-old son, and I had a 1.5 hr lesson and Homer was able to get all of us going and had us surfing in no time! Highly recommend. read more