Had another great day in the ocean for my second lesson, Noah was a great coach. The surf was a…read morelittle 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.

We tried out a lesson with SBSS (Santa Barbara Surf School) at Mondos beach and left with a…read morepositive 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.

If you're ever looking for a great morning routine or need a chance to recharge, this is the place…read moreto be! After my runs, I would love to just walk the beach, meet all of the wonderful dogs running around the place, and enjoying the soothing sounds of waves crashing! If you're also looking to each after a rejuvenating beach walk, you have Boathouse on Hendry's on one end and Shoreline Cafe on the other!

Lovely beach! Tide pools and a long stand to walk the sandy beach! That's a restaurant right by the…read morebeach too! Love the views! Dog friendly beach too with reserved space for off leash pups!

James is an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING surf coach…read more James is knowledgeable, skilled and able to convey the spirit and stoke of surfing. He knows when to go and where to take you so you will have success. He is a wealth of information on equipment, mechanics, environment, and the mental and physical components of surfing. If you're interested in surf history and culture, as I was, he will also teach you a lot. I've worked with quite a few surf coaches, and James is the best. He is a phenomenal teacher. He teaches ocean safety, awareness and respect. He is excellent at breaking down moves. My sense is that he adjusts his teaching style to the student. I'm sure he is great at working with beginners, but he's also quite skilled at working with advanced beginner/intermediate surfers. As noted in several other reviews, James is communicative, committed and competent. He is super conscientious, he shows up early, and often goes overtime in order to give students best experience. Never got the sense he was looking at his watch, like with other coaches. And he's just delightful to work with, an incredibly down-to-earth and generous person, I feel super lucky to have gotten a chance to get coaching lessons from him. If you have an opportunity to work with him, you won't be disappointed!!

James is an amazing surf instructor. My 10-year-old son absolutely loved it. He definitely loves…read morewhat he does for a living and it shows. He was very personable and easy-going. We are looking forward to our next trip!

As a long time wannabe surfer, iSurf was the perfect way to start my journey. Scheduling your…read morelesson is super easy, and if the weather isn't cooperating, rescheduling is too. Thomas was our instructor and he helped us with everything from parking to properly putting on your wetsuit to surfing basic info to technique practice (on land) to helping us catch our first waves! I felt capable after the first lesson. Heading over to book the surf club membership now :) Thanks so much Thomas & iSurf team!

I was so happy.my first lesson. I caught my first wave at 46 years old. I was stoked and motivated…read more Then my second lesson at 9am at Mondos Thomas, my instructor met me with a couple other girls that seemed a little more experienced than me but I was willing to take notes. But then it got weird. Feeling out of place with the group, I must have said something awkward that was misunderstood by Tom. When I asked about switching days to make up my monthly classes and to credit that I had already paid for, he disqualified me and said he no longer wanted to work with me. I was genuinely hurt. I really wanted to learn and he made me feel like I was this terrible person for saying something that was misunderstood. I still remember how bad my experience was, that I'm afraid to go out and try again . Maybe I would have "clicked better with a women instructor, but Tom was mean and hurtful.

Their t-shirts literally last for YEARS. They always ship promptly and include candy!…read more I order things from this shop even though we live in Texas because whenever we visit in person we love the shop and products so much!

My family and I make it a point to stop here and shop whenever we make the 2+ hours drive from…read moreOrange County. Although we usually have a pleasant shopping experience, this time it was very lackluster. The store wasn't busy at all. There were maybe four or five other people in the store besides us. NOT one person greeted us when we walked into the main area of the store and yet there were THREE employees all behind the counter just socializing with one another. The one time any of the four of us were even acknowledged by an employee was when my husband had merchandise in his hands. We're going to skip this place next time and spend our money supporting other businesses.

I ordered over $270 worth of apparel for my husband for Christmas and I didn't pay attention to the…read moreorder summary. One of the items was the wrong size. I contacted the number listed and it was answered unprofessional. I thought I called the wrong number. Whoever answered sounded like it was a personal phone and they just said "Hello". Once I asked if it was the right number and what I should do I immediately realized there was zero customer service experience and they directed me to the website for the return/refund policy. After ordering over $270 of merchandise you would think they would cover the shipping cost. I won't be ordering directly from them again. Go to a local surfboards shop where they have great customer service.

very cool store and the staff were fantastic. But I bought three T shirts do almost $100 which all…read morelooked amazing in store but after one wash the collars had stretched out to the point I just donated them to goodwill. Just something for people to be aware of.

The good: I think it's dog friendly (at least there were…read moretons of unleashed dogs there). this was a beautiful beach with soft sand. There were lots of cool sticks and some small shells. I came around 8AM and enjoyed the warm morning glow from the sun as well as easy street parking directly next to the stairs that led to this beach. It's easy to access. My kids enjoyed playing on the sand here. The waves weren't too strong and the water washes up for a long shallow stretch. The bad: There's no bathroom. Luckily, we had an emergency toddler toilet for my kid. The interesting: I did see one butterfly while at this beach. I saw folks come for paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, remote control rock climbing cars, walking their dogs, and scuba diving.

Beautiful beach that is perfect for a sunset stroll due to its long expanse along an east-west…read moreorientation. Take your time to find a street parking spot and enjoy the stunning colors in the sky and reflected on the water. Note that there are no restrooms on the beach, but it is located close to Coast Village shopping center.

Surf Country has gone above and beyond with inconceivable, unrepeatable results for me, yet over…read moreand over. cheap fixes, emergency repairs, tricky navigation, high standards, luck, skill, hard work, and honest discussion. They do as much as they can for a price that serves underground community surfers in realistic and against all odds sustainable ways. The prickliness is an important part of the service. I wish this team the best and am thankful for their services. (Photo: This repair could have gone wrong, or could have gone into a less aesthetic result, and still satisfied expectations. We ended up with a best case scenario.)

Got a wetsuit here The guy was legit and knew his stuff. He…read moretook the time too explain the differences between some of the wetsuits. Reasonable prices too. Definitely will be back

This is my go-to adventure on a sunny morning in Santa Barbara. I joined the monthly member club…read moreyears ago and would go kayak a few times a week. It is hard to maintain with my work schedule, so now I sneak in a workout every so often which is great because you can pay by the hour for any activity. Try the single, tandem kayaks or paddle boards. After you sign the waiver, you just got check in and put your things in the locker and walk to the dock. It's that easy. Grab your equipment and go! The latest workout included sea lions, pelicans, cranes, and waves from other boaters and water activists. Have a great time with friends or relax on your own. It's worth the fun!

I was searching online and happen to see there was a Groupon for this place which is a great deal…read morefor first timers. I had to call the store to figure out how to apply the Groupon code when booking. It took two tries as there are two codes on the Groupon but at least one of them for accepted. The place was easy to find once you find a parking space. That was a bit difficult either find a spot in the parking lot to the left or tiny parking lot in the right closer to the store. There are complementary lockers onsite to put your belongings in during the tour which was nice. The tour guide gives you a quick tutorial how to paddle for beginners. They go over the map where the tour will go and you are off. There was just 3 of us in the group and we got a choice to paddle out to the ocean or stay in the harbour. We went out to the sea. Our guide was super nice and took photos of us during the tour and emailed or can air drop them at the end. The views were nice as no clouds that morning. We saw a few sea lions and tons of birds. The only recommendation I can say is to update the description as one of the reasons I selected this place was because it was one of the few that advertised a tour for 2 hours. Our tour only lasted 1.5 hours.

Rachel is awesome! Super knowledgeable of the ocean, water, marine life, and history of the area…read more What a rad human being to have guiding the tour. As it turns out, all of the harbor seals, and sealions have names. We befriended one named Steve, he is much better at swimming than I am. He also taught me secret techniques to paddling. This one Pelican named Parry got into a barking match with some sealions, which is a fight he wasn't gonna win, let's be honest. Though I was hoping to see an M-A-N-A-T-E-E ... next time! If you're gonna go down on Haley street, where the dogs are easy and the sun is cheap, you never know just who you'll meet, on Haley. (But hopefully it's Rachel from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and you get her kayak tour; shout out!)

A heartfelt thank you to Santa Barbara Adventure Company for creating such a memorable birthday…read moreexperience for our daughter. From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. We had a fun ferry ride to the islands and even got to slow down to watch a large Sunfish (Mola Mola) snacking on some jellies. I recommend getting in line early to secure the best view seating on the ferry. Our kayak guides, Chuck and Adam, were exceptional--knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They made the entire trip both fun and informative, while ensuring we always felt safe and well cared for. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and warm water, which allowed us to explore all seven sea caves--many of which are inaccessible during high tide or rougher conditions. It made the experience even more special. Having lived in Santa Barbara for 22 years, this was my first time visiting the islands, and it was truly unforgettable. The pristine landscapes, abundant sea life, and even spotting several tiny island foxes while enjoying our picnic lunch, made it an unforgettable adventure. We can't wait to do it again--highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and exceptional experience!