Phase One Surfboards

I was so surprised to find that there was a surf shop in gardena but it was a pleasant surprise. I had just purchased a new surfboard and wanted to use the board later that day but was short on time and in need of basecoat. I thought that I would have to drive all the way down by the beach (I know if I’m surfing I’m gonna be by the beach but I’m on a tight schedule) so it’s really nice to know that there’s a place close by my office that carries surf supplies. Despite the fact that they didn’t have any basecoat, they did hook me up with a free futures key and I bought a leash. Angelo was helpful and knowledgeable and I’ll definitely return when I need more supplies.

Experiences started off good here 2 years ago. They had some pretty good deals. Theyre all GSI boards though — made in Thailand.
Recently saw that one of the boards I picked up from them was REALLY yellow. It had been stored with other boards that had not yellowed but I was told it was caused by my storing it in heat. The other 2 boards were fine. The one that turned yellow was barely ever taken out so it wasnt due to sun exposure either.
Picked up another board and the fin isnt seating properly. Headed out to the shop and still sitting here at 10:45 on a Thursday. Im not sure whats going on but these guys are never open. When I call in the afternoon and theyre headed off to lunch. Theyre only open from 10 – 3:30, 4 days a week as it is and then they arent there in the morning when theyre supposed to be or in the afternoon during their lunch hour. Update: I didnt leave a message but did call several times while I was waiting… my number must have shown up as missed. I got a call at 2pm on the same day from Adrian to try to sort out a few issues. This is a lot more than you’ll get from a big retailer (but then again, they’d be open during business hours)
They get 3 stars cuz theyre a local shop and service is decent when you can catch them there. Adrian’s a good guy and will go out of his way to take care of his customers.
Edit: I’m taking away stars… Yup it gets worse. They are now only open on Thursdays. ONE day a week. And each time anything goes wrong, you get an excuse to gain your sympathy and understanding. Guess what guys, people have kids and they still work. If you cant or don’t want to run a business, close up shop!
Also, they frequently put ads on Craigslist saying they are clearing out inventory for a remodel — this is total bs. They have no plans to remodel the place and they’re not trying to clear anything. It’s «business» as usual for them. They’re trying to lure you in thinking you’ll walk away with a great deal from them because they’re selling to clear up the space. Casually mentioned their remodeling plans once and got a blank stare.

Incredible service! Adrian came back after business hours to sell us our sup’s. He also helped us pick out which boards would suit our activity level :)
Truly a wonderful place for first time buyers!

Great customer service and great deals.
We are fairly new to surfing/​SUP and Adrian spent a long time talking us through the basics and making sure that we bought the right boards that were in our price range. He is by far one of the most patient and knowledgeable people I have met. We bought SUPs, paddles, a wetsuit and a surfboard from them by the end of the day. On top of the great deals they already have they gave us a great cash price, threw in some extras and installed the fins for us.
I would HIGHLY recommend this place and will return in the future.

The hours are from 10:30 to 3:30.
My ex husband brought a van to transport our daughter’s surf board. Surprisingly, however, a 7.2 surf board will fit in a compact car.
My daughter found Phase One Surfboards through ebay, but I wanted to go to the physical location. We arrived a little before 10:30 and Shawn greeted us. He took his time to answer all of our questions.
We received a cash discount. He installed the fins and gave us complimentary stickers and wax.

I started my surfing journey about 6 months ago when I bought a used Phase One board off of craigslist in a private sale. The board itself has been very fun, its a 7’6 funboard/​minimal shape that has been great to learn on, and when more experienced surfers ask about my board they always say that its a good shape/​length to learn on and looks really fun.
About the shop itself, after buying the board from a random person I took it in to get some fins thrown on. The staff here hooked it up with a basic fcs thruster setup for very cheap and didn’t try to up sell me on nicer fins, he pretty much took a few minutes to dig out the cheapest ones they had knowing I was a beginner and gave me a great price (I compared online prices), also threw in some wax and answered some of my noob questions. Definitely a cool shop that caters very well to inexperienced surfers instead of taking advantage of them.

Great service. Great prices.
Good email follow up from Bobby. They had the item I wanted, I emailed ahead and they had it ready when I stopped by at lunch…
Thanks again.

First off, I should start off by saying that I have never been to the store, but am writing the review after having a great Ebay experience with Phase One.
They accepted my offer and shipped the product the same day, with great communication. They had a hard to find wetsuit type and size (at least for my area), so it was great to get a good deal and fast shipment.
Highly recommend checking out their Ebay store and online shop. I’ll be sure to stop by to their physical location next time I travel down to that area.
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Edit — Looks like Phase One didn’t have my size in stock, still waiting for them to get back to me on whether or not they can order it from the manufacturer (which I know to already be out of stock). Not exactly happy with their shipping estimates, the fact that the noted that the product had shipped when they don’t actually have it and probably can’t get it (they would have it shipped to them and then out tome). All in all, okay. but make sure they have your product! Give them a call if dealing with them online.

In November 2012 I purchased (I thought) some plexiglass wall racks for a display surfboard. I was told weeks later that they were out of stock, but that a new shipment was expected soon. Never happened. I eventually gave up and asked for my money back. I was told repeatedly via email that I would get my money back. That never happened either. I’m going to take it up with my credit card company, but I won’t be doing business with these guys again.

Surf shop in Gardena?! Who would’ve thought…
Great deals. Friendly and accomodating staff. and if you pay cash, they give you a little discount and tax free!
Picked up a ten inch fin for my longboard and got it for $ 50! What a steal.

Board # 2 —just as good a price for the second board bought the second time around, the best prices in all of SoCal and the most accommodating bunch of guys out there, they will treat you right !

Found them by chance online and glad i did. Great service, prices and communication. i will definitely be going back and referring friends.

Best deals ever! make the drive. great employees. they’ll remember you even if you buy just a fin key.

Officially my fave surf shop in the world!!! My hubs went here 3x in a week and we live out in the valley! That’s how awesome it is. And you don’t have to be buddy buddy or kiss ass to get a good deal, they treat everyone nicely. you can trust you’ll get the best price and service here. All the guys that work here are awesome. Check their website for stocks (Also eBay and craigslist) and make sure to bring cash. They have good deals on GSI boards (walden webber mctavish blue etc) lots of surf accessories, board bags, fins, leashes, knit bags, traction pads, wetsuits etc. Spotted some skateboards too but mostly caters to surfers. Guess you should call and ask before u make the drive if you live far, but seriously you’ll find something awesome here… I almost wanna say it’s paradise but that’d be the ocean.

This is probably the smallest surf shop I have ever been in.
It’s also located in a strange location in Gardena where you would never expect a surf shop.
That said, they have excellent prices on surf fins (future or FCS) and decent prices on accessories.
The surfboard and wetsuit selection is geared more toward beginners.
The shortboards are mostly from a house shaper and seem okay.
They are willing to deal if you pay cash.
They do most of their business on ebay and will ship you most things for free if you buy it from paypal.
Customer service is pretty good and they seem reasonably knowledgeable.
There are no surf clothes here so don’t come here for that.
Check out their website and ebay store before you go there and make sure they have what you want at the price you want.

I recently purchased 2 Patagonia wetsuits from Phase One a few months ago, they have a great selection. And they’re a Patagonia dealer, and I definitely believe Patagonia makes the best suits, hands down! Warmth, flexibility & comfort in these suits is bar none. Adrian gave me a very good deal since I was buying 2 suits, but even pricing on one suit is better than any other dealer around. Patagonia wetsuits are not cheap, because of the quality & technology of the suits, but Phase One makes them quite affordable. To me there’s no costs too much, for feeling warm & comfy in the water. It’s a great feeling when you’re dealing with the owner and they actually appreciate your business!
Kudos to Adrian & Phase One Surf Shop!

How can I say anything bad about Phase One Surfboards? Adrian was my surfing instructor when I first learned to surf. I got my first board from him. Got my first wetsuit from him. Pretty much anything I know about surfing is thanks to Phase One. They have amazingly awesome prices, very friendly, and if you have any questions about anything related to surfing this is the place to go!

Best Surfboard Shop in the South Bay!
As a beginner, I had a ton of questions and needed to find the perfect surfboard without spending a fortune. The guys at Phase One (Adrian, Jon, Mark) are super knowledgeable and made sure that I got a board that I could not only learn on, but that I would use for a long time.
Other surf shops tried to sell me boards that I soon learned were too advanced for me. At Phase One Surf, I got to understand how not only the size, but the actual board materials and design affected how it rides and if I could learn on it. I ended up getting an NSP epoxy longboard that I’m sure I will be riding for a long time. And best part is, I didnt break the bank on it!
I will definitely come back here to get another board when I get better. They have a ton of selection and different styles of shortboards, fish boards and funboards. They took the time to explain these boards to me. I am looking forward to getting better and picking out another board from them!!!
I havent even addressed the insane deal they gave me on my board bag, leash, wax, wetsuit and car rack. I could have spent the same amount on a board alone at other surf shops. Their prices are unbeatable and they have everything in their shop that you could possibly think of for a surfer.
If you surf, used to surf or are thinking of taking up surfing you must check out Phase One!

Adrian is the man, and will hook you up with the right gear for your experiencfe level and desired performance. Besk kept secret in LA

Phase One Surf was originally founded in San Diego circa 1999, when the shop’s entrepreneurial owner and heartbreaking stud, Adrian Nichols, was attending UCSD. The store operated out of Adrian (and roommates)‘s garage and has since then expanded to multiple locations in Southern Cali. You can find out more from their website.
Anyway, I bought my first (well, my only) surfboard from Adrian — A Phase One epoxy 7’6″ funboard «Blue Classic Stripe» for a great deal (board, bag and leash) and I love it. It’s the best board for me — perfect size and it fits my needs as a major beginner/​kook/​novice… que girl-​term for Barney. Adrian represents five local shapers from Southern California, cutting down on the costs of your board, but never sacrificing quality.
He’s got a crazy amount of stock to meet your surfing (even non-​surfing) needs — wetsuits, fins, board racks, booties, leashes, fun/​long/​short/​indo boards, travel accessories, skateboards, body boards, watches, clothing, backpacks, etc. etc. the list goes on. He even has used surfboards available and can even hook it up with a CUSTOM board that’ll fit your specifications (color material design shape etc)!
If you want a unique, good quality board (or any of the other things I mentioned) without breaking the bank, check out Phase One Surf online or on site. Give him a call and he’ll hook it up for sure. What more can I say? Adrian is the cheese to my surfing macaroni. =D