learntosurfhb@gmail.com 
Call us: (949) 423-3749 
Mon-Sun: 8:00am - 6:00pm
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a lot of “surf schools” and “surf camps” out there and we have worked with and for them. The majority of people doing surf lessons in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego have no formalized training in safety. Most surf schools just employ their friends or high school aged seasonal workers looking for part-time summer jobs. They claim they are the “best” and have a few Yelp reviews that are most often bogus. At Learn To Surf we have professional backgrounds in water safety and we are in the water every day. Our surf instructors go through actual training and have backgrounds in lifeguarding or professional surfing. Check out our certifications then compare it to other surf schools, and you will see we have the highest standard of training in safety because we are not part-time surf instructors; we are full-time watermen. It comes down to quality of instruction, ocean knowledge, and most importantly safety. Most surf schools out there throw you in a big group lesson where the amount of students heavily outweighs the amount of instructors. This keeps the price down, but the quality of the lesson also is below our standard at Learn To Surf as we put our reputation on the line every day in the ocean. Chaos theory can be employed in a classroom, but not when actually learning to surf. So we prefer to work in small groups to instill a foundation of water safety that can only be taught in a 1-on-1 environment.
Sunscreen, water, towel, bathing suit, and a smile. These are the essentials when being out in the sun and water. When you begin your surf lesson it is also important that you bring a willingness to learn. Learn to Surf™ has helped so many people get up on a surfboard on their very first lesson. We attribute our success to many things. However, we find that when our clients are enthusiastic and willing to learn proper surf techniques, they succeed.
We have multiple locations throughout Orange County, as well as locations in Los Angeles. If you find yourself in San Diego, you can surf with us. So regardless of where you are in Southern California, you can surf with us. Just let us know where you are staying and which location is most convenient for you, and we will accommodate you with the location that is right for you.
If you arrive to your surf lesson 15 minutes early, you will have ample time so we can fit you for a wetsuit and ascertain your skill level. Parking can also be a bit fun in the summertime with crowds down at the beach. So arrive early so that we can fit you for your gear, get you a surfboard, and not cut into your surf lesson to give you the most amount of time in the water.
From the beginner who can barely swim to a seasoned veteran looking to get back into the water. I have personally taught children as young as 4 and youthful adults in their 80s. We offer beginner surf lessons for first-time surfers, intermediate lessons for surfers with some surf experience, and advanced surf lessons for those looking to refine techniques or compete.
With a good attitude and a willingness to learn you probably will. Any surf school that claims to have a package that will turn you into an expert after a certain amount of lessons is probably just trying to sell you more lessons. We are trying to train you to be surfers and watermen. Hence, we want you to learn as quickly as possible so we can see you out in the water surfing next to us in the future.
Tipping your surf instructor is completely up to you. We work really hard to keep you safe out there in the water and hope you have a fantastic time learning to surf. With that being said, if you feel like your instructor did a good job in doing both of those things feel free to give them a tip. 15-20% of the lesson is usually the standard, and a $20 bill goes a long way in order for our instructors to buy sunscreen and prevent sunspots. Again, our ultimate goal is for you to learn how to surf and to have a great time doing it.
Typically the best time to surf is earlier in the day when there is less wind and fewer crowds. So we have morning lessons that start at 8 am and surf until sunset (8 pm in the summer), but we operate 7 days a week rain, shine, or snowstorm. (Beat that U.S. mail!)
We understand that things happen…especially on vacation. Sometimes due to an unforeseen event you may opt to cancel your surf lesson. Due to the nature of Covid-19, there are no refunds for cancellations, missed/no-show lessons, lessons that are attempted but not finished, and all rescheduled lessons are subject to a $50 reschedule fee.
If you have any other questions about your surf lesson, give us a call. We would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. We love to keep our clients well informed so that they know what to expect.
