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    Whitlock Surf Experience

    4.8 (189 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Julie P.

    My bucket list, since I moved to SD 3 years ago, has been to surf with my eldest daughter. She has fears around the ocean but after spending 8 hours in the water boogie boarding on the past 4th of July, we took the plunge with a Groupon and I signed her up for Whitlock....no regrets. The instructors got her comfortable with the water and when it was time to leave she got back in and wanted to give another try! We will Be back:)

    Taylor S.

    Everyone here was super nice, helpful & encouraging. JD & Ray were our surf instructors. They taught us the basics & then guided us into our first few waves. They even helped more if you were a chicken like me lol overall it was an awesome experience. My son & I had a lot of fun & now we can say we know how to surf We will definitely go back to them for more surfing & even surf camp ‍‍

    Thank you to my instructor Hana!
    Joadys C.

    What an amazing day , Cory was super friendly and personal upon my arrival made me feel totally welcomed and calmed my nerves about the day that awaited me. Within 30-45 minutes you are out on the water after your class on the fundamentals. Hana was my instructor, she had me catching waves right away and most notable after her notable corrections she had me STANDING ! She is a wonderful instructor, a blast to be around the type of confidence and energy you need to make this experience worth wild. Thank you Hana. I can't wait to practice my new found skills !

    Ruth W.

    We made a 2 hour surf lesson reservation and I'm so glad we booked Whitlock over other surf company. Randall was the instructor and he was amazing and patience. The kids had a wonderful and memorable time. He was patience and allowed the kids to figure out what will work for them. He was nearby and was readily available to help them. I highly recommend them. They also rent just surfboards only! Looking forward to our next visit.

    Thanks Wally!!
    Diana V.

    First time surfing and couldn't have asked for a better experience and instruction than the one we received from Wally asani at Whitlock Surf. From the moment we stepped foot in the place to the last minutes, he was not only very welcoming, but was very attentive and provided us with detailed instructions and answered all of our questions and concerns. If you're in SD looking for a place to learn how to surf, DO NOT look further. Wally is absolutely THE BEST. I was able to find my balance and actually "surf" the waves after a few tries and following Wally's guidance and advice. He knows exactly what he's talking about and he has been doing this since he was a kid. Loved loved our experience. Will definitely be returning again. Thank you, Wally!!!

    Kelly P.

    Our family had a great time learning to surf with "Captain" Ron! First, the directions he provided were clear and easy to execute. Second, he really catered to my daughters (10) and made sure their experience was positive, actually one of my daughters loved surfing so much she can't wait for our next trip to the beach to do it again! Lastly, this business obviously has a lot of experience in costumer service, from booking to surfing everything was easy. Thanks again for an unforgettable experience!

    Marija P.

    My brother and I had the best surfing experience with our instructor Karl! He was very helpful, a great teacher and at the same time we had so much fun with him! Definitely recommend to everyone !

    Whitlock Surf Shop

    Awesome experience!! Ethan was a fabulous instructor. The owner Cory welcomed us into his shop like it was his home and made my kids feel extra special! Such a good experience with our rentals and family lesson that we are on our way right now to rent equipment and hit the waves again! Backstory: Before heading to California I was looking at options for surf lessons for my son's birthday. He's been wanting to learn for years. I check out reviews from yelp to help me decide which one would fit our needs best. So glad we went with Whitlock, we will be return customers for years to come! My son says it was the best birthday present ever! After we surfed the guys recommended Swami's Cafe for lunch and Parlor Doughnuts for dessert. Both were scrumptious and spot on after working up an appetite on the water. Thank you so much Ethan and Cory!

    Kat K.

    Holy hell, I was shocked at how much fun the surfing lessons were, I purchased two additional ones on the same day! For some context, I'm NOT a good sporty person. I'm awkward and clumsy and tend to overthink everything. But, Ron was such a great sport and super encouraging while taking the time to coach me through everything. I didn't feel judged for being too slow or felt like I was holding the class up because I couldn't pop up properly. Ron was determined to get me to "pop up" and stand on that surfboard. And, I did!

    I would highly recommend this awesome surf school. Tye Testerman was amazing! He was so kind and patience with my kids. Helping them learn how to get up on the surf board. The gal who worked in the shop was so sweet and friendly. Just a wonderful local small business

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Whitlock Surf Experience

    Review Highlights - Whitlock Surf Experience

    Captain Ron at Whitlock Surf Experience had our 2 daughters (ages 6 &10) standing and surfing within minutes!!

    Mentioned in 19 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    San Diego Surf School

    4.7
    (353 reviews)
    28.1 mi

    Courteous and great staff, amazing, smart instructors, fun and safe learning surf experience!read more

    I was really disappointed with our experience at San Diego Surf School. My husband and I booked a…read morebeginner surf lesson because we had never surfed before and wanted to learn the fundamentals from a professional instructor. Unfortunately, that isn't what we received. Our instructor told us he was just visiting from out of town, and it felt like he wasn't prepared or invested in teaching. To start he was late, when he did show up we received very little instruction before going into the water and were never taught many of the basic skills that beginners should learn, including proper paddling technique, how to pop up on the board, or even how to safely fall off the board. As beginners, that was especially concerning because safety should be the top priority. Once we were in the water, we were practically left on our own. Instead of receiving coaching, corrections, or guidance throughout the lesson, we were left trying to figure everything out ourselves. We paid for a surf lesson, not just a board rental. After the lesson, I reached out to the owner to explain our experience. To their credit, they responded promptly and admitted that our lesson was not taught according to their beginner curriculum. They explained that beginner lessons are supposed to include ocean safety, surf etiquette, how to safely fall, paddling technique, popping up, and active coaching throughout the lesson, all of the things we expected but didn't receive. However, the resolution they offered was only 50% off another lesson. While I appreciate the acknowledgment that our lesson fell below their standards, I don't think it's reasonable to ask customers to pay again even at a discount to receive the instruction they already paid for the first time. They also mentioned that they couldn't offer a complimentary lesson because they wanted to ensure their instructors were fairly compensated. As a customer, I believe it's just as important that clients receive the quality of service they paid for. We chose this school because of its great reputation, which made this experience even more disappointing. Hopefully this was an isolated incident, but I think future beginners should know that our experience was far from the comprehensive lesson that was advertised.

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    San Diego Surf School operates in two locations: Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach, to make surfing your favorite thing to do
    San Diego Surf School operates in two locations: Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach, to make surfing your favorite thing to do
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    Asylum Surf Shop

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    4.7
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    0.2 mi
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    When we go to an oceanside town, I like to try and find at least one surf shop to check out. Even…read morethough my surf days are probably long behind me, I still enjoy checking out what the local surf shops have to offer. I was really impressed with this shop! As with most surf shops, they don't have a ton of square footage, but they really packed a ton of stuff into this shop without making it seem overly cluttered. Great selection of surf brand apparel, including some of their own Asylum branded stuff. Not a huge selection of surf boards, but what they had more then was enough to give you a good selection, if you're in the market, to go along with the technical capabilities to make sure you are set up with all the accessories that you need. Staff were super friendly and helpful while we were here. Couldn't leave without getting one of the Asylum branded t-shirts. Really cool place! Check these guys out when you're in the area.

    I like this surf shop, and the vibe it maintains as the downtown changes rapidly. Feels more like a…read morelocal spot than this touristy stuff flooding Oceanside. Prices of course as quite inflated since it's so close to the Strand. If you need essentials stay inland for your sunblock and whatever. I love the Oceanside Low Life gear. It is homage to the locals and the surfing culture. Typically representing Oside with this hat more often than not. Worth supporting the real locals!! Check it out.

    Photos
    Representing in Palm Springs
    Representing in Palm Springs
    So Cal Girls!!
    So Cal Girls!!
    View from the longboarder cafe, beautiful ocean view just south of the oceanside peir

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    View from the longboarder cafe, beautiful ocean view just south of the oceanside peir

    Whitlock Surf Experience - surfschools - Updated August 2026

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