PB Surf Shop

The owner reached out to me to offer an apology and a «re-​try» of the board rental. I’ll do so since I can tell this isn’t their typical way of doing business from the reviews. Will post again once I’ve done so with updated review.

I had a surf lesson not long ago and would not recommend it! My board broke on the second wave which wasn’t even big, wetsuit had a hole in it and the water was cold and I paid a lot for this lesson. The only person that had a clue about surfing was my instructor, I think it was chad or chance. He was sweet and helpful and felt bad that the current was strong but was determined to have me stand &I finally did! No one else seemed to know anything about surfing at all, kind weird for a surf shop.

I absolutely adore this shop! The customer service is amazing with its knowledgable staff and its laid back atmosphere; to me, this is quintessential San Diego. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful that I ended up going coming to this place for everything during my trip. The shop has all your needs (from surf lessons to bike rentals) at a great value, probably the best prices in the Pacific Beach area. Really, if you’re in San Diego this place should be your go-​to place for your needs. I know when I visit again I’ll be coming back here.

I’ve been coming here to rent wet suits and foam boards for surfing for about two years now. The staff are always really friendly, helpful, and chill. Prices are reasonable. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad experience here. Recommend!

First time, really good experience, instructor was really helpful

Had a great experience at this shop renting a surfboard as well as bikes. Family owned. Very kind and helpful. Very accommodating. Highly recommend for any of your rental needs.

We had a great experience with this group. My daughter (8yrs old) loved the boogie board and surf camp. I was able to take surf lessons along side her camp and we got some great photos of us both learning to surf at the same time (they have a great photographer out there capturing the moments). Shane, Ally, and Cache the kid coaches have incredible kid energy and keep the camp fun, engaging and positive.
The owner Amanda is super organized, friendly and helpful with trying to coordinate anything you want to do individually or with your family.
I surfed 3 days and was able to get up everyday. The instructors are awesome at helping tow you into waves and instruct you every step. When to stand up and how to position yourself for really good beginner waves.
Definitely check it out. They validate parking and provide homemade lunch for the kids in the camp.
Amazing experience!

My husband and I went for the first time for surf lessons. We had a great time, and had a great instructor, thanks Luke! He was super patient and made it a fun experience. We reserved the lessons the day before and all we had to do was show up with a swimsuit. Thanks for helping fulfill something I’ve always wanted to try!

This is the place to rent from
The owner was very helpful and very nice
I tried a different surf school day one and didn’t learn much. Second day we stumbled in PB Surf Shop and my daughter learned so much more from this instructor. The equipment was in great shape and the pricing was much more reasonable than neighboring locations. I will be back next summer, see you then

If you are looking for a new board PB surf shop is the place to go, great selection of boards. Can’t get over how fun my ghost buster is my favorite board in my quiver by far. My first time in the store everyone was very helpful and eager to help me find the perfect board. Thank you PB surf shop don’t think I have ever been so stoked on a board before keep up the great work and I am sure I will be coming back all summer.

This place has everything I needed and more. Amanda helped me pick out the perfect sunglasses after annoyingly trying on every single pair. Love this place! And try the cookies!

I took a private surf lesson from this shop over the weekend and cannot say enough nice things about the shop, the prices, and especially my instructor Shane. Being almost 30 and having absolutely no «board» experience beyond the occasional emory board, I thought for sure that even though it would be a great experience, I probably wouldn’t be able to ACTUALLY surf after my 90 minute lesson. To my surprise, I could! Not, like, WELL, but I could pop up without assistance or stabilizing and then ride in for 5 – 10 seconds before I inexplicably got freaked out and fell into the water like the graceful swan I am.
Seriously, though, Shane was very supportive and knowledgeable and overall a fun person to spend an hour and a half with. I can see how watching others struggle with something that comes as second nature to you can be tedious, kind of like watching my Grandma use her new iPhone, but Shane seemed to be having a great time and it was infectious, I’d highly recommend him to anyone who may be nervous or self conscious about trying something new.
I also found the prices to be very reasonable. I got a private lesson, just the instructor and myself, for $ 85. Afterwards, if I wanted to surf more I would have received half off the half day board AND wetsuit rental price of a whopping $ 15. I’m used to ski prices so this seemed extremely fair, especially considering we were in a pretty «tourist» area where you’d expect some gouging.
All in all my lesson was one of the highlights of my vacation, if you’re even considering trying to surf during your San Diego trip I wouldn’t hesitate to book a lesson. I can only imagine the frustration it saved me, and I felt very accomplished which was even more reason to enjoy several beach side margaritas (which I promptly did). FIVE STARS.

I rent a board here every weekend. Great place to rent surfboards! There are lots of choices from foam to epoxy or fiberglass, shortboards funboards or longboards. Prices are low and the staff is really friendly! Recommend for all rentals.

This is my first time here and I LOVE this place. They have been in business for 53 years!!! 53 years… that’s a long long time. Their staff is so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I had a surf lesson with Shane and he was awesome! I got up on my first try and had a blast! I didn’t think I could do it, but Shane was patience with me. And help my pop up. I love the fact that they have a PHYSICAL LOCATION and a SHOWER… YES a SHOWER at their Boardwalk location (literally on the boardwalk…10 steps to the ocean). I can shower after my lesson was finished so I don’t have to walk around with salt water in my hair all day.
They also have A LOT of bikes, wetsuits and premium surfboards for rent at a reasonable price. I will definitely come back to rent from them… and another surf lesson for sure. PB Surf Shop is second to none. Congratulations on your 53 years in business and thank your for a wonderful experience.

I came in wanting a flexible rental for a 8’4″ longboard. Pierre and his staff where more than accommodating and helpful. I saw them extremely helpful to beginner surfers and tourists, and experiences short board surfers alike. They go above and beyond to help you have a positive experience

We went there to rent bikes for a nice morning stroll on our wedding anniversary & the 2 guys that helped us were really nice & helpful. Prices were lower then others that I’ve seen. We loved the experience & definitely will be back to do it again. The only thing negative we can think of is that it would be nice if it were to open before 9am

My wife and I had just moved into town from Boston and were looking for a good place to take a surf lesson. We were told about PB Surf Shop and were not let down.
Shane our instructor told us the ropes about how to paddle and the couple different ways one could pop up on the board. Shane was also there to make sure we knew about the ocean. What rip currents were and what wildlife lives in the ocean in the area. He really knew what he was talking about.
After some paddle and pop up lessons on the beach it was time to hit the water. On my first attempt after 7 years I was able to pop right up on the board and ride a wave right to the shore, even throwing in a couple of turns. My wife took a couple attempts and then she was popping up on just about every wave that came her way. Once we were able to stand up on the board most times, Shane talked to us about how to make some turns on the board. By the end of the lesson my wife and I were even able to catch a few waves on our own and start putting together a few turns!
Surfing with PB Surf Shop was a great experience!
After the lesson the staff took the time to educate us about all the gear so we could start picking up the sport. They have lots of rentals of all sorts, shapes, and sizes to rent. The perfect spot to get some rentals when learning to surf till you can get comfortable and find something you would like to start really learning on.
Thanks PB Surf Shop for the awesome experience! See you soon!

This is my second time renting a bike from PB Surf Shop. My friend and I came here last time I visited San Diego. Both times we were greeting by a friendly person who was very helpful and got us on our way. I highly recommend.

Showed up to my lesson 20 minutes late. I thought the class would start without me but they waited!
This was my first surf lesson and I had a blast. I don’t have the best balance but with the instructor’s help I was able to ride a few white water waves.
Surfing is really fun and I would recommend these lessons to anyone.

The staff is super friendly and helpful… including TONKA the store greeter (pet). What a great ambassador for this chill and fun shop. An amazing dog… shop…and apparel. What ever you need from wax to lessons… BP surf shop has you covered… I’ll be back next trip to SD.
Side note… If you think pit bulls are all aggressive and whatever stereotype you think… Tonka is a huge lover that will set you straight… might even give ya big old sloppy kiss.