Step by step instructions by gentleman who love what they do. By the end of the surfing lessons our entire family had experienced standing up, riding waves and having an awesome time. So worth it. Definitely recommend! read more

Captain Ron was awesome! I hope I can come back to take some more lessons. I caught a few waves which was the best feeling ever.

Captain Ron was amazing, very professional and knowledgeable this was my first experience and I cannot wait to get back in the water and retain all the knowledge he gave me in just 2 hours. read more

According to my boys, they had an EPIC experience with instructor Ethan. Thank you for giving them priceless memories!

We honestly just had the best time! Our instructors Ethen and Rich were patient and helpful. All of the staff was super friendly. Definitely recommend!! We will be back and will bring family and friends who visit as well. Rusty sells amazing boards and they have a cute selection of apparel. Great gem in Oceanside read more

Whitlock Surf has made my first experience with surfing so accessible and encouraging from start of appointment through the entire lesson! The instructors were fantastic! Carl really helped me learn the basics and got me out of my head (I tend to overthink it) and by the end of the 2 hrs, I was standing on the board riding onto shore several times!! Whitlock Surf is a small local family owned business who makes their own boards and really believes in sharing the joy of the sport and creating a community around it. I recommend them for your surfing needs whether you're a beginner or a seasoned enthusiast! Great people, amazing service, fun vibes!!! 5 stars! read more

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!! Captain Ron was my instructor and he was amazing! I was a little nervous going into it but Ron made me feel very safe and confident in his skills as a teacher. He gave great, clear instructions and was extremely patient. Not to mention he was lots of fun. By the end of the session I was standing on the board and my fears were gone. I had so much fun that I think I'm going to go back to the shop and rent a board :) read more

Went out with Carl today. He did me a solid and came out on Father's day. We surfed for as long as I could handle! He had me up riding waves in like 30 min! Will be back for sure. Thanks alot! read more

I've been to the shop a few times before, and love it here. Everyone at this store is awesome, and whether it's just a quick pop in to say hi or just walking across the front of the store for the Thursday sunset market.They love having people around. Scenario: beach gathering for a family reunion. Decided to get all of my cousins out there on some foamies. Instructors: Adam, Carl, Corey, and Elena *****Five Stars to each of them****** Whitlock Surf Experience provided excellent customer service. The store provided all the necessary equipment for everyone! The crew was on time, better yet they were exceptionally early. We had a large group and split up 2-3 people per instructor, and everyone loved it. Each instructor carried their enthusiasm of surfing, but were even more ecstatic once anyone got up on their board. The instructors made sure to get 1 on 1 with each person of their group to give the proper guidance on the deficiency of their technique to standing on the board. Definitely a high recommendation from myself and the rest of the family! Thank you for the memories. read more

I have been coming to San Diego since I was a child. We have done all sorts of family excursions including deep sea fishing, jet skiing, and kayaking. Surfing with Whitlock was BY FAR the MOST FUN of any!! We had such an incredible time and our instructor was amazing. Captain Ron is one of the most genuine people you will meet. He is such a great teacher and truly wanted to make sure everyone had a great time. He worked with each person one on one to catch a wave. He provided feedback with each attempt and was so encouraging. It felt so amazing to ride a wave in!! Would 100% go again. Thanks Ron!! Bri and Paraic read more

It's easy to see why this place has almost all 5 stars. Cool ambience, good prices and extremely friendly staff. I did the surf school here today and it was a great experience my only advice, bring sunscreen! - [correction] sunscreen was provided. I should have used more of it! read more

Wonderful family-owned surf shop with super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Carl is great! He even gave our 4 year old a wet suit to wear so he could play in the cold water while our 7 year old had a lesson. The instructor, Javen, was so upbeat, positive, and encouraging with our 7 year old. And successful - our son got up right away! He had so much fun! At the end, Carl shared all kinds of advice on next steps, wet suits, boards, etc. And we didn't feel rushed at all with all of our newbie questions. We highly recommend them and will be back regularly with friends and family! read more

I wish we could give Whitlock more than 5 stars. Our family went to their shop while on vacation and purchased the Groupon that included surf lessons, surf boards and wet suits. They were beyond kind and treated us like family. The instructors were so upbeat and encouraging to everyone. We made another trip back just to rent from them again. Definitely support this local business. Great group of guys!! read more

Whitlock Surf Experience - Surf Schools Near Me - Oceanside, California

Whitlock Surf Experience made my dads birthday extremely special! They were so kind, patient, and helpful and did everything to make sure we had a good lesson! It was a very fun day! read more

Captain Ron was the best! I did not plan on surfing, I had bought a lesson for my boyfriend for his birthday and ended up being talked into going along with them at the last minute.... best decision ever, had an absolute blast! Very knowledgeable , passionate, fun staff. We are already trying to figure out when we can get back to Oceanside and get back on the boards. Thank you Captain Ron and everyone at Whitlock :) read more

Super friendly and knowledgeable! Family run and they treat you like family:) we used Groupon and had a huge savings! Great location!

They were great. Rented a board all day with a wet suit for 10 bucks. Good group of surf instructors. Love their jobs! I checked around O-side this is the best place.. read more

Such a fun day and great experience!! We were really impressed. My husband and his friend booked paddleboarding lessons on mother's day, and the wives and kids thought they'd hang on the beach and watch the guys for a few hours. From the moment we go to Whitlock, they made us feel so welcome. Corey showed us around the family business, where they make boards, clothes, do design and printing, have a skateboard ramp, etc., and made us feel at home immediately. It's truly a family business that has been around forever. While the guys were out with Kawika, their instructor, Corey took our 3 kids, from 3 years to 9 years, out on a paddleboard and let them try it out. Then, when the guys came back in, they let the moms go out and try it out! Corey was very laid back, made sure everyone had a good time and was welcoming to everyone. They were great instructors and everyone had a blast. We will definitely be taking our son there for his first surf lesson. read more

Amazing experience. I found this place through Groupon, and bought 2 2 hour surf lessons for my kids (ages 11 and 13). From the moment we stepped into the shop we were treated like family. Cory showed us where the surfboards are made in the back, he gave my son a skateboard to ride on the ramps while we waited and even offered me a cup of coffee. The same welcoming spirit was shown by everyone who works at the shop. They love the place, they love their job, and it shows. There were 5 people signed up for surf lessons, and they even got another instructor so the ratio was 2:1 and 3:1. Kamiko (?) was the kids instructor and he was great. He showed them everything they needed to know to get up and ride a wave to shore. For the first few tries he was in the water with them, guiding the board and letting them know when to get up. He encouraged them when they needed it, and let them try it on their own after awhile, but was always watching to make sure they were ok. If you're thinking of taking surf lessons, these are the guys to do it. The shop is not on the "tourist" area, but it is worth taking the chance and going with the local family owned shop. Thank you Cory, Kamiko and Rusty. read more

I came on a business trip to Carlsbad and couldn't leave without taking a surf lesson. I saw all the great reviews of Whitlock and they didn't disappoint! Carl was awesome and so patient! He helped me on every wave and walked me through each step over and over haha It was a beautiful day and so much fun...couldn't have asked for a better experience!!! I will definitely be back next time I'm in the San Diego area! read more

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What a great day! Captain Ron was the best he had my 15 year old son and I up right away. We will be back!

I write yelp reviews very rarely and I only do it for outstanding places. This place is amazing. All of their staff are super chill, funny and treat you like family. 90% of us taking the lesson were first timers and there were even some kids. Our instructor took his time in teaching each one of us. We were all standing on our boards just shortly after. Recommending this place to anyone looking to learn how to surf at an affordable price. Check out Groupon for great deals! read more

We decided to try surfing for the first time on the spur of the moment and stopped in to rent boards. The owner ended up taking us out and giving us a lesson. We had such a great time! Awesome guy and so much fun - highly recommended! read more

We took our first surfing lesson and had an amazing time. It was such a fun experience, and everyone at the shop is friendly, helpful, and caring. Great shop and great experience. read more

Cory and his wonderful staff have made my two boys feel part of the family. They are courteous, supportive and knowledgeable. We have taken several surf lessons from Cory and his teachers and all have been awesome experiences! You can't predict the waves, but you can count on Whitlock Surf Experience being a great day! Thank you Cory & Co., The Herder Family :) read more

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AMAZING experience and we are hooked thanks to the gang at Whitlock Surf! I took my kids in for their first-ever surf lesson and as soon as we walked in we were made to feel like we were family. They were very welcoming, we met Cory, the owner and he gave us a tour of the shop and where they make their own boards - my kids loved it! They were fitted with great wetsuits, very clean and well fitting. Cory has been surfing his whole life and you can see the love he has for it - he got my kids super excited! The location was beautiful, great waves and beach to watch them on. My kids got hands on experience with 3 different instructors.. Chris, Ray and Rodney and each of them were excellent and so patient. Our lesson was for 2 hours, my kids were so close to standing up on their boards but the lesson would have ended before they could. The instructors all on their own, decided to work with my kids until they stood up and I could snap a pic- I was so impressed!! They could have easily been like "ok, 2 hours is up" and moved on but they went above and beyond! When my kids stood up on their boards they said it was the most incredible feeling! Its been 2 days and they are still talking about it. Thank you everyone at Whitlock for truly creating a "Surf Experience" for my family! I have recommended them to all of my friends and family.. PS - We signed up for more lessons ;-) !! Looking forward to seeing you soon! read more

Shout out to Ray and Casey - Can't thank you guys enough for the fun and memorable experience that my lesson was. It had been over 5 years since I had stood up on a board and felt that I was overdue for a refresher. The team at Whitlock made me feel right at home both in their shop and in the water. Although I picked up the lesson at a discount on Amazon Local, it would be a no-brainier to pay the full rate for the amount of value and fun that's offered. Thanks again guys and I'll see you in the water! read more

RW Experience was awesome! 4 surfers, 3 instructors, lots of one on one instruction. Had a great time and learned a lot! read more

Great experience and the instructor was so patient and thorough with rules and training!!!

My niece, Marley and I had so much fun with Captain Ron!!Whitlock was awesome.. she felt safe and ended up catching several waves! Everything was explained and simple.. we both had a killer time. We'll definitely come back!! read more

Excellent experience and the staff is so nice! Purchased lessons for my 14 year old and her friend. They picked up so quickly and had so much fun. I would defiantly recommend. We are excited to try their surf camp! read more

I took my grandchildren over labor day .The were great with helping the kids and giving one on one attention as needed . The prices were the best!!! Since I was from out of town and kept getting lost the were wonderful with helping me get there .That's above and beyond there duties.So a great time was had by all. read more

Great guys and experience! With their direction, me and my 2 girls (15 and 12) were up on the first or second wave. Got a discount on t-shirts. They were out of a size we needed, but printed and delivered them to us the next day at a local restaurant... wha?! Classy, funny, super knowledgeable, created some great memories through this experience!! read more

I purchased 2 two-person groupons for lessons my 15 year old daughter and her friend. I called and set up 2 days of lessons. The first day went well, there were 5 people and 2 instructors. The second day they were told to go with the kids camp with about 20 little kids and 2 instructors. They received the same beginning warm up and instruction and then once they got in the water they received no instruction. Just surfing with a lot of little kids. I had called the day before to make sure it was a small group because of social distancing. They told me there were 2 others signed up. When I called to complain they apologized but did not compensate me in any way. They also said they did not know if my daughter really did speak up and tell them she was supposed to be in a lesson not a camp. When in reality she and her friend spoke up 3 times. read more

We had a 1 pm appointment for 2. We arrived really early - like 11:30am - and Carl and Rodney were just great. They got us checked in, fitted for a wetsuit, and even had us park our car in the free lot behind their store! They told us where to meet them on the beach (north side of the pier, before guard station 2, for us), and we just went down and enjoyed the sun and sand before the lesson. At 1:05 they met us with our other two classmates (it's a 5 minute walk from the storefront to the beach), and Rodney got right in to water and board safety. There were a lot of boards for people to learn on - my sister and I had great big stand up paddle boards because they're sturdier and easier to learn on - and Rodney did a great job of sizing up our skills and assigning boards. The wet suits they provided were clean and dry and freshly washed. Yeah, there may be sand on them, but that makes sense - it's a beach. Sand is literally everywhere. The lesson was great. Rodney would go through one at a time and help us with everything from how to manage your board with waves coming at you, to adjusting how we position on the board to make sure we were getting better rides. He's a funny dude, a jovial mix of flirt, jokes, and ensuring everyone is having a really good ride. He also made sure we got out periodically to rest and drink water, and offered us all kinds of great snacks. We got a groupon and paid $82 for 2 two hour lessons, but they really suggest going right to the website to get the same kind of deal and they won't lose a portion of the sales. Seems like a win win to me! They also have return user discounts, so if you're a local that could be great. They also sell locally made clothes, bathing suits, board shorts, jewelry, and other necessities/perks. Really recommend these guys! read more

Carl was by far the best instructor I've ever had and really loves his job at that!! Thanks for the lessons man, really learned allot.

I have wanted to learn to surf for a long time and just never had the time. I found an amazing deal on amazon deals ($40 per person for a 2 hour lesson) and couldn't pass it up. I bought one for myself and also one for my younger sister. My appointment was scheduled for 9am-11am and they told us that we needed to be at the shop at 830. We arrived at 820 and Roger and Rodney (?) showed us around. There was a small group, me my sister and a mother and her daughter so I figured we would have an awesome time and more time for one on one teaching. We finally left the shop at 9 and on the way to the beach our instructor (Roger) had to stop at 7-11 to get coffee, snack and water (why couldn't he do this in the morning before his lesson???) so we follow him and get to the beach around 930. Once there we had to help him unload all the surfboard and wetsuits which at this point i figured if i help hopefully we will be out on the water soon. Around 945 the lesson finally started, he let us know that he could get anyone whether they were fat, old or out of shape up on the board in 5 minutes with three simple steps. He showed up and had us practice on the beach and then we headed out to the water. I was able to get up on my first time and I was very stoked! He would have us lay on the board and then he would position us and give us a little shove when the wave came. We would each take turns and we did this for about 20 minutes and then he said to take a 5 minute break. Well the 5 minute break turned into a half hour break (by this time its 1030) and the only reason we went back out was because I asked to. This time he didn't even go out with us, we were all on our own attempting to catch our own waves (which he didn't really show us how to do) and getting up. At 11 he said that he had another class from 12-2 and he had to leave to go pick the other class up. He let us know that if we wanted we could stay and use the boards. (at this point I'm thinking of course I'm sticking around, i only got 20 minutes of actual teaching time and I'll wait for him to come back to show us more) During the time he was gone all 4 of us were out on the water by ourselves attempting to catch waves. I had to learn myself that i was leaning too far back on the board, would have been nice if the teacher I paid for was there to give the pointers i feel should have been included in the lesson. When he arrived back at 12 he comes back with a girl friend of his and lets us know that his other class cancelled and he needs to take his friend to the airport but once again if we wanted to stick around we could. (Getting more upset at this point I called amazon and asked for a refund!) He comes back in about half an hour and he asks us what we want to do, i quite frankly tell him that I want to go back out and be taught because I really haven't learned much. He tells me that normally no one gets up on their first day (what happened to you can get anyone whether their fat, old our out of shape up in five minutes???) So he agrees to go back out, the mother and daughter are very upset as well at this point and decide to leave. (I figured if he actually teaches me something I will cancel my request for a refund) My sister and I go back out with Roger for about 10 minutes before he heads back in and while we were out he was just doing the same thing we learned by ourselves when he was gone. All in all did he teach me how to surf? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I learned how to stand on a surfboard in whitewater which I did in the first 5 minutes. When we let him know that we were going to leave he asked us to help him carry the boards back up the hill. I'm already super upset with the whole experience and then you ask me to carry your stuff?? I have tendinitis in both of my knees and all the activity today had made them hurt but I attempted to carry it and walk up the hill and with my knees I just physically couldn't so i put the board down told him no and walked to my car. He asked my sister what was wrong with me and she let him know that we were all upset because he only really taught for twenty minutes and then he left. He let her know that technically our lesson was over at 11 so he was doing us a favor by allowing us to stick around and use the boards. (WE DIDN'T EVEN GET OUR LESSON STARTED TIL 10!!!) She also let him know that we paid for a two hour lesson and he was gone for part of it and he shouldn't have had taken his girl friend to the airport when he's supposed to be teaching. She let him know that we had already requested the refund and we would never be coming back. At this point he starting being rude to her and cussing at her. Quite frankly I am shocked at all these amazing reviews, I do see that Cory is in most of them though so my advice to Whitlock Surfing, if you want people to come back and have a good experience I would fire Roger. He is extremely unprofessional. THANK GOSH I'M GETTING MY REFUND!! read more

I took my boys, ages 11 and 14, on a vacation to Southern California in July. We took a surfing lesson with Carl and Rodney. They promised that we would all get up on the board, and they did not disappoint. They made it seem easy - first by teaching us the technique and having us practice on the beach before getting into the water, then by looking for the right waves for us to take, and giving us a little shove at just the right moment so all we had to do was to focus on getting up on the board using the technique they showed us. Rodney took photos of us and emailed them to us afterwards. It was a wonderful experience that my boys and I will not forget. I would highly recommend their classes to others. read more

This is a revised review. After my one star review was published, Whitlock contacted me and made things right. No, I should not have had nearly this much difficulty reserving a two hour paddleboard lesson. However, once I had a reservation everything was handled very well. Whitlock is probably great if you just walk in. In my experience, Whitlock's instructors, some of whom live at the shop, generally don't answer or return phone calls and emails. This is the quintessential So. Cal. Surf Shop. I had a great time with the owner. read more

An excellent experience! I definitely recommend this shop for a surf lesson. Prior to my 2 hour surf lesson, I got to catch a glimpse behind the scenes at their factory location. Printing their merchandise and making some boards, they welcomed me with a smile while I waited to start my lesson. My instructor accurately evaluated my skill level and he drove us to the ideal stretch of beach for me. Using an 8' board we set put on the waves and to my pleasant surprise, I was able to stand on my second wave; thanks to the on land instruction. The whole lesson, I learned a lot! With tips and snippets of information as we swam, I learned not only how to ride, but how to evaluate opportune areas to surf. My instructor was also eager to answer all of my random questions about surfing. It felt more like a friend was teaching me how to surf. I look forward to have many many more surf experiences, thanks to this lesson! read more