Surfing Lessons & Camps

Parent Q&A

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  • My 16 year old son has taken to surfing and we would like to get him in the ocean once a week with a qualified private instructor. I would consider a weekly summer camp but ideally near Linda Mar beach in Pacifica.

    Any leads appreciated!

    My teens had a great time leaning to surf with Pillar Point Surf School https://pillarpointsurfschool.com/surf-camp-2/

    Have you tried Adventure Out?  They're in Pacifica and are good about getting people in the water pretty quickly. 

    Matt, the owner of University of Surfing, was the PE instructor at a school where I used to work. I haven't personally taken lessons from him, but he was terrific with our early teenaged students and an all-round thoroughly good guy.

  • In search of summer surfing camp recommendations for seven year old in the bay area. Thanks!

    There’s a surf camp in Pacifica that’s well regarded, tho we’ve never used. There’s a bolinas surf camp that happens many Sunday mornings - call the Bolinas surf shop, they’ll know. The best best one I’ve ever come across semi nearby is The Wahine Project and Explore Corps run by Dionne and Dave in Monterey/Carmel. These are full week, half day summer camps that are awesome. Book in advance only bc you’ll need to stay somewhere - Pacific Grove tends to be inexpensive. Great camps. Super nice couple running them. Just give them a call and they’ll help you figure out a plan. https://www.thewahineproject.org 

  • Skimboarding class

    Aug 1, 2021
    2 replies

    Hi there.  Has anyone heard of skimboarding classes in the Bay Area?  Is skimboarding a thing here?

    It was at one time in Alameda and Santa Cruz.  Haven't seen anyone doing it in years.  I'm wondering if they made it illegal? It is a lot of fun.

    I have not heard of classes, but we were just at Linda Mar beach in Pacifica and saw people skimboarding there. There are several surf schools in that area, so you could try calling to see if they do skimboarding too or know of anyone who does. Good luck!

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Oct 2014

Re: What sleep away camp did your child LOVE?

My daughter LOVED surfing sleep-away camp in Santa Cruz. You sign up for a week at a time at the KOA down there. She's done it two years in a row (when she was 12 and 13), and there tends to be more boys than girls, but that didn't matter to her. Here is the link: http://www.richardschmidt.com/surfcamps.html anon


Surfing Lessons Teen Girl

Nov 2013

Seeking a group lesson or individual instruction for my 14 year old daughter who has a real aptitude for surfing. Also, can you recommend good teen surf camps?. Any suggestions? anonymous


There are many options to choose from, almost too many to easily list here. For lessons, I'd suggest you google: ''girls surf lessons Bay area'' or ''surf lessons Bay area.'' For camps, there are both day camps and overnight camps, so I'd google ''girls surf camps Bay area'' or ''girls overnight surf camps Bay area'' or ''girls overnight surf camps California'' for a variety of options, both near and farther away. Good luck! Surfer ''Maja''


Looking for surf lessons or camp in San Diego

March 2011

My kids (ages 9 and 12) and I are novice surfers...been twice in Hawaii...and are looking for recommendations for places in San Diego to take multi-day lessons or a camp this summer. Also, how's the ocean water temperature in San Diego in August? Are wetsuits needed? Thanks. likes the ocean


WooHoo!!! Mission Bay Aquatic Sports is THE camp for water sports in Mission Bay. They've been doing it forever and it's all a water sports loving young person could ever want. Call them and they'll send you a syllabus and get you going. Some days it's warm enough; some days they'll want to wear a wetsuit or half wetsuit. Have a fabulous time, young one! Jill


2005 - 2009 Reviews


Surf Camp for a Teenager?

April 2007

My teenage son is interested in a surf camp this summer. Any recommendations? He's surfed before, Hawaii and Santa Cruz, so he knows what's involved. Is there a sleep-away surf camp for teenagers near Santa Cruz or anywhere else approximately the same distance from Berkeley? I found camps in San Diego, Costa Rica, but this is pricier than I had in mind. thanks
surfer dude's mom


Paskowitz Surf Camp in San Clemente is terrific. It's family run, been around for years, has mixed age groups, and the instruction is superb. My teenage son loved it (and he's picky, believe me) -- as did our family doctor! Leela