Santa Cruz Stand Up Paddle Board Company

It was such a great experience to try SUP by taking the lesson from Neil. Neil is highly experienced and very responsible. Originally, we were planning to go out the week before, but Neil suggested to reschedule so that we could have a good time as the strong southwest swell that weekend would make it hard for beginners. Neil keeps the instructor students ratio below 1:2 to ensure safety and individual attention. He explained the techniques very clearly and made SUP easy to learn. I would recommend the beginner lesson to other people, especially those who do not have much experience with the ocean before.

I bought my first wetsuit a week ago as an initial step in finally getting into the water and over my fear of the ocean. I thought paddle boarding would be a great place to start getting comfortable and after reading the reviews of Neil on Unilocal,I immediately booked my appointment! He walked me through the brief basics of managing the board and then we were off into the open water. I was convinced that I would fall off at some point during the 1.5 hr, but with his guidance and confidence it never happened. :) Neil is really easy to talk and helped ease my fears. It was so nice to be so close to nature, further out than the surfers and soaking in the scenery. I am pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire time.
I went off of 38^th instead of the harbor (which is usually where a lot of the other paddle boarding happens). It is SO much cleaner and less crowded. Do yourself a favor and try out SCSUP Co. with Neil, you won’t forget your experience!

I recently went to the Stand Up Paddle Board Company with a group of friends and had a blast! Neil was a great instructor, we had a fun time out on the ocean and I was impressed with Neil’s vast knowledge and experience — he’s a Santa Cruz icon!
I can see how it’d be easy to overextend yourself out there and then have a hard time getting back — but that wasn’t a problem. We had two rest stops during which Neil gave us some history of the area, we tested our balance skills and cooled off in the water; no one was pushed beyond their limits. I was also happy to find that Neil was very safety-​conscious — particularly when we were coming back in to the beach. I can’t wait to get back out on the water and would highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to get into SUP or just have a few hours on the water.
Thanks Neil!

Me and my two girlfriends from San Francisco decided we would try the new craze of paddle boarding in Santa Cruz! I was skeptical, but I am so so glad that we did and am looking forward to my next trip out!
The difference was definitely our instructor, Neil. As other reviewers have mentioned, Neil has been around these waters for 30+ years. He took us to the perfect spot (no other paddleboarders were out there) in the ocean and made sure that the tide would be appropriate for beginners. It was so serene and peaceful out and we were able to paddle with a sea otter — so cool! He gave us great tips and made sure we were having a good time.
Everyone knew Neil on the beach. We even ran into surf legend, Frosty, from the movie Chasing Mavericks (played by Gerard Butler). He talked to us for a little bit even though we clearly were not native surfers. It was definitely the entire Santa Cruz experience! Neil even gave us some great tips on other things to check out for the rest of our day. We had such a great time. I highly recommend it to everyone!

I had a great time learning from Neil. My brother in law and I got a lesson /​tour from him on the ocean. It is pretty easy. It’s a lot easier than regular surfing, but it doesn’t give you the same rush. It’s really mellow. The on land instructions only took 10 min. Our tour was roughly 2 hrs. Neil didn’t rush it.
You can get classes a lot of places but the difference with Neil is that you get to hang out and learn from someone who has been in Santa Cruz for 35 yrs. He has written for the newspaper and has a weekly radio show (Off the Lip, KSCO AM 1080;
) so he is well known by the locals. We were amazed at how many people knew him as we paddled passed surfers in the water. He also knows a lot of stories about the personalities in the area. It was really cool to be around someone so knowledgeable about the local culture of surfing and eager to share it.
If you don’t have a wetsuit you’ll probably want to rent one since the water is about 60 degrees in the summer. We picked up ours with Neil at Freeline Surf Shop ($ 10). Then he took us down 38^th Street where we parked. He provided the boards and paddles we needed, which seemed fine. He takes cash only. Ocean lesson was $ 55 and the harbor was $ 45. He steered us toward the ocean since it was a calm day. I probably fell in 6 times, but it was very easy to get back on the board and get back up.
Anyway, I strongly recommend Neil. I didn’t price shop the class so you may be able to get the lesson elsewhere for less, but I don’t know if you’d get the benefit of hanging out with a character like Neil.

Had a great time at my first paddle board yoga class at Simpkins pool on Friday. Great teacher and great team of people. Can’t wait to go back!

Neil is great and super easy to get along with and great with instruction. My husband and I met him at the harbor and learned the basics of paddling. Next time we plan to go out with Neil in the ocean. He is fantastic!

Neil was selling his boards on craigslist last fall. and sadly, me, a complete newbie who had only taken one class (not with him) talked me into a MUCH shorter board than anyone else was rec’ing. but i thought, he’s an instructor, he should know. He sold me a 9’6″ board by 29″ to a beginner. said i would grow into it. I also didn’t know it was missing the large main fin (that’s how little i knew). I managed to go out a couple of times, but i was highly unstable, and rarely could stand up unless i was in the calm yacht harbor. then other SUP business owners pointed out to me it was missing the main fin, and that would help stablize. (unfortunately he left town due to a family sickness). i waited patiently over 3 months for his return. He said he would exchange for another board of his 9’8″ and little wider. But that never happened. Called and called. never has returned my call. I asked for the fin. nothing. I finally gave up and sold the board. thankfully i was able to do that, otherwise i would filed in small claims court. I wouldn’t have anything to do with him, if that’s how he’s going to treat people.

I have been wanting to paddle board for sometime, but never had the time or guts to do it.
Neil made it look so easy and he totally made me feel confident that i could do this.
Thanks you Neil!
If you want a one on one support Neil is your GUY… he has the patience and passion for the sport.

It’s the last Friday of the summer before my son begins school. So I took the day off and decided it would be great if he and I tried something new together. After scheduling an appointment via the website, I got a quick response, and Neil addressed all my concerns. We showed up at Mariner Park in Santa Cruz, and the lesson went off without a hitch.
Neil’s instruction, patience, and great attitude throughout the whole time made me feel at ease (because I was nervous). Furthermore he kept his instructions simple, easy to follow, and all together fun. It’s obvious he has a passion for this sport. My son ended up opting out, but even as I was practicing, he taught him what he could on land, and even took him out on the board. I definitely loved his attitude that a child should not be forced, and that whenever he’s ready he’ll try it. So I felt more at ease, and could focus on paddle boarding while my son was on shore.
Altogether, awesome experience. I left feeling great, and I definitely can’t wait to go again.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking to expand their Yoga horizons. SUP Yoga was a terrific experience, and one that you can make as physically challenging for yourself as you want.
With great instructors & great supplies, the only thing you need to worry about is your core work so that you don’t get wet :).

I’ve been wanting to try paddleboarding for a couple of years now and when I came across Neil at Santa Cruz Stand Up Paddle Board Company, I couldn’t pass it up. I went as part of a group of 5 today and we were all hooked after a lesson with Neil, who is completely awesome, and an amazing hour and a half of cruising around Lake Vasona in Los Gatos. All we could talk about during lunch was how much fun we had and we are already planning on going back. I can’t recommend enough! Go and have fun!

Just one word «Wow» !!!
That was just in short, I will tell more than that… if you have never done stand up paddle boarding before then this should go down your bucket list of things to do before you die and make sure you place it on top of the list because the experience will last a life time ! Not only was it an amazing experience, it was therapy !!!
Neil was phenomenal in explaining and giving the dose of confidence straight to my spine. It took just 2 mins to learn it from him and in the next few mins I was a confident paddle boarder. The experience was so beautiful that I wanted to buy a paddle board the same day !
Neil is professional, responsible and a great instructor. Not many people are great teachers but Neil’s passion and expertise for what he does makes it easy to learn from him. He not only makes sure you are comfortable but ensures that your experience is enjoyable.
I went with zero expectations and came back with such a great experience !!!
Dont wait, just go and amaze yourself with this amazing sport !!!
PS: I dont even know to swim. You dont have to be a swimmer to paddle board. If you can pour a cup of water, you can paddle board.

This was my first attempt at Stand Up Paddle Boarding, when Neil asked me what my experience level was, I asked him if there was am option below zero. he told me if I could listen, i could learn. He was right.
I had an amazing experience with Neil, he coached and corrected me without making me nervous or nuts.
I’m a SUP Boarder Por Vida. Thanks Neil.

I went paddle boarding with 4 of my coworkers at the yacht harbor in Santa Cruz. Within 10 minutes we were all up on our boards and headed up stream. Neil demonstrated the simpleness of stand up paddle boarding with a few easy instructions — get on the board, paddle and then stand up and paddle. This is a great activity for young and old — groups or just a solo lesson. Although my feet did start to cramp, Neil said I was gripping the board too hard and I needed to relax… so I did and they were fine. You could get a real work out if you pushed yourself, but I just floated along and paddled a little here and there — so I wasn’t even sore after or even the next day.
Try it out, you’ll love it!

Stand Up Paddle boarding is lots of fun and a great way to spend a few hours exercising while enjoying nature. After a brief instruction I picked it up easily and was cruising around Stevens Creek Reservoir. You can see that Neil really loves what he does and is happy to help you learn. Go check it out.

Neal is fantastic.
we spent almost 1.5 hours with him at Stevens Creek Reservoir as a family. (5 of us)
everyone had a blast, no one bailed into the water. it was windy, so one of the kids got blown out to the far end, but Jason paddled out and rescued her.
Neal’s description of the day was perfect: everyone had a blast, it was easy to pick up, and we all felt safe.
best tip from Neal: keep your eyes on the horizon. that really works!
highly recommended!

Neil’s services with the paddleboard lessons are perfect for young and old… He made it easy to just «jump right in» to this sport and have a blast! We did not even get wet, although we could have if we wanted to. It is fun going solo or with a group. Neil keeps it simple. He demonstrated a few easy basics and we were up and paddling! We enjoyed the sea life and boats at the harbor as they slowly passed by. It was a nice little workout inside the Santa Cruz Harbor. I look forward to trying this at Cowell Beach next! Try something new and have fun!

I took my lesson with Neil at Vasona Lake in Los Gatos. Everything was available and ready to go… It was such an easy, relaxed and comfortable learning environment. The instruction was excellent. It is delivered with easy to understand terms, step by step demonstrations, and a lot of encouragement. Everyone got to work at their own pace. It is obvious that Neil has a passion for Stand Up Paddleboarding and he shares his expertise and enthusiasm with all his students. I had a fabulous time and truly enjoyed my experience. Neil even shared his knowledge for purchasing my own personal paddleboard. Neil and Rusty, his amazing dog, made it fun … I ‘m hooked !!! I am looking forward to getting my dog on a paddleboard as well as taking the SUP Surf class. For any Stand Up Paddleboarding Instruction … I Highly Recommend!