Santa Cruz Surf Academy

Ron is a great instructor. My daughter (15 yrs) and I had a great time learning from Ron. He was professional, informative, patient, and efficient. He took us to the perfect spot to learn and we were both up riding waves in no time. He was cool letting us stay out there after our lesson was over. I would highly recommend his services!

Ron is awesome! In less than an hour on the water (after a 20 minute on land overview) both our 12 year son and I were surfing standing up! I can’t say enough about what a great experience this was, especially as it was Father’s Day weekend. Our son and I even rode a surfboard together… for all of about 5 seconds. :-)
Ron was professional throughout. He had all the right gear for us and before venturing out into the water explained all of the critical details in clear and concise terms. He continued to educate us about reading waves, surfing etiquette, and how to conserve energy while we paddled around getting used to the awkwardness of being on a surfboard. I posted a few photos of our experience where you can see Ron’s hands on teaching approach in action. He REALLY wants his clients to succeed.
Knowing surfing can be exhausting for a beginner, Ron was always checking in with each of us to make sure we were not getting too fatigued or too cold. As a father I really appreciated this level of concern and attentiveness. Our son and I felt safe the entire time.
We ended up catching a bunch of waves, learned a ton about surfing in general, and had a blast with Ron. Our son is already begging me for a return trip to Santa Cruz and another lesson with Ron. Plus, my wife who was handling photo duties during our lesson, is stoked to try it next time as well. Definitely going to happen!
If you are looking to learn to surf in Santa Cruz I HIGHLY recommend you call Ron… he made our first time surfing truly memorable. Thanks again Ron!

Really great! Exactly what I was looking for — completely suggest. Favorite part, Ron was so chill on the length of the class, we stayed out an extra hour!!! Thank you! Just signed up for another class.

Ron had my 12 year old daughter completely confident within minutes of his instruction. Everyone in the class caught dozens of waves. I highly recommend the personal attention that you get from Ron at Santa Cruz Surf Academy.

We learned more in one lesson with Ron than we have messing around in the surf for the past few years. My 10 year old daughter loves to surf, but I needed someone with experience and patience to encourage her to get out into some of the bigger waves. I left a message for Ron and he got back to me within 15 minutes. After interviewing me in what we wanted we arranged for a private lesson for the two of us later that day. We have our own equipment, but Ron brought us some boards that would be better suited to the day and after 15 minutes on the beach we headed out. After a few quick beach break rides, we headed out to the deep water with Ron giving us tips the entire time. We waited for a good set and I watched as my daughter catch a wave and ride it almost to the beach.
Ron is incredible patient and has ton of local knowledge. He was amazing at building my daughter’s confidence and skill. I heartily recommend him for all ages.

Ron is a fantastic tutor! Don’t hesitate, book yourself a lesson now! So much fun, we went back twice in a week. Do it!

Nice guy and a great instructor, my girlfriend and I had so much fun surfing for the very first time. I look forward to having more lessons by him sometime in the future.

My boyfriend and I went surfing (this was my first time, his second) and we were in a group lesson with another couple. Ron was an excellent instructor and spent the first 45 min getting us prepped. He was very thorough in explaining what to do, how to paddle, how to stand on the board, and made sure to answer any questions beforehand.
The water that day was pretty rough, but Ron had us go toward the beach so it was shallow enough to stand. I was expecting to have a really difficult time standing on my board, but after one or two tries, I was able to stand up every time, with Ron giving my board an extra push before hitting the waves. It was so exhilarating and I felt safe knowing that I had an instructor close by to help me out.
If you’re intimidated by the ocean, those fears disappear once you’re in the water and the adrenaline kicks in. Ron was not only an excellent instructor but made sure everyone in the group was safe and aware of their surrounding. Highly recommend if you’re a beginner or need a refresher!

Ron was very knowledgeable, friendly and great instructor. The surf class was fun and you get all the equipment needed for the class.

My friend and I did a group lesson, for a total of 5 of us girls. Ron was so great! He’s very friendly, outgoing, and a great teacher. He did a great job of teaching us according to our levels, first on the beach by demonstration and having us get in reps there before heading into the water. He was great at picking waves to catch and provided good feedback. We also saw 2 dolphins swim very close to us as well as a sea otter! Great time! Will be back for our follow up lesson

Ron’s lesson was great all the way around. I reserved the group lesson time I wanted a few days before the date and got a confirmation email and text from Ron prior the lesson day.
We communicated a little more over text when we were both parked to find one another and then got into the intro of stance, steps of how to get up on the board, etc. Then it was off to the water where it was fun-​filled lesson. At 1^st I was a little nervous that I wasn’t going to settle into the water well because my hands were freezing, but Ron assured me and kept letting me know to just speak up if I ever needed a break. Sure enough, I didn’t think about my hands for more than a minute and really enjoyed the lesson.
Surfing was always something that’s been on my bucket list and I was happy to have a patient and outgoing, but laid back, teacher like Ron to introduce me to it. He gave useful pointers and was continuously checking in to see how I was feeling/​doing in case I was tired. At what happened to be the 2 hour mark, I said I felt like calling it a day. In a non-​pressuring way, Ron convinced me to do a few more attempts at catching a wave and then we’d go back to the parking lot. I wish my stamina had been better because I would’ve taken Ron’s offer to stay out longer/​past the lesson time. I hope to come back again for another lesson someday when I have the time!
Some useful tips/​highlights:
–There’s a public restroom one parking lot down (closer to/​in the direction of the Boardwalk) from the Surfing Museum.
–I was the only person who singed up for my lesson time, but Ron didn’t cancel it, he still showed & he only charged me the group rate despite it essentially being a private lesson!
–Since there were just 2 of us and thus 2 boards, Ron carried both boards the entire time. I felt bad not helping, but also really appreciated it!
–The fact that the wetsuit and shoes are provided is awesome. I have no idea how much these rent for, but the convenience of not having to get your own was awesome.
–Ron was very aware of the current conditions and easily kept us away from the rocks and waves that were too large for a beginner.

Ron is incredible; he provided all the necessary equipment for a first timer, gave a great beach lesson, and safely guided us to find appropriate waves. I was able to get up and ride-​what a blast! I highly recommend lessons with Ron!

Had a blast at Santa Cruz surf academy! Ron got me up on my first time out on a board. He also went the extra mile trying to find a wet suit and board that actually fit me (I’m really tall). Ron is a great teacher and pretty much everything you could want for a first timer. His prices are pretty reasonable (he actually let everyone stay longer then the 2 hours, just because the waves were good!) Also he gives a discount for subsequent lessons.

We had two teenagers learn to surf for the first time with Ron last week. I would have given 5 stars but he was about an hour later than our reservation, although this was mostly due to circumstances beyond his control. It was still frustrating to wait for so long with nothing to do.
This is what gave him the rest of the stars, He completely explained to the girls exactly what they would be doing in the water before even getting wet. Both girls were able to enjoy several waves and continued to improve throughout the lesson. He was positive and motivating with them.
I would have given him 10 stars for this alone… One of the girls got dangerously close to the rocks as she rode the waves in. Ron ditched his own surf board and swam to her protection. He coached her through her panic to get her safe and to calm her down. No injuries!
The girls would have continued surfing after the scheduled lesson, but they were exhausted. Already asking to go back.

Can’t say enough good things about Ron and Santa Cruz Surf Academy. My wife and I have been wanting to learn how to surf for a while and Ron made it so fun that we came back for a second lesson with him two weeks after our first experience. I highly recommend you booking some lessons with Ron — you’ll have a blast.

My daughter and I took surf lessons with Ron and could not say enough positive things about it. First, we went to a spot away from the normal crowded beginners spots to somewhere just as suitable, but with only our group. Next, our group consisted of 3 people total, not the massive group that we saw with another surf school. Finally, Ron was patient and had our entire group standing up and really surfing within the 2+ hour lesson.
Ron covered all of the essentials and truly seemed passionate and professional. Great day all around!

This is the one! I booked last minute. Ron met me in the next two hours and we had a great session. Informative fun and lots of waves. Best part was no giant group to contend with. Even saw a sea otter!!!

Ron is rad!!! My friend and I called him up a day before we made the trip to Santa Cruz, and he got us in for a lesson the next morning. He was very friendly and reassuring when my friend expressed her fears about sharks, and he seemed extremely knowledgable about the area and about the best place to take us surf newbies.
Thought it was great the the boards and wetsuits were included in the cost of the lesson! The wetsuits and booties he provided fit us perfectly.
Ron is very patient and encouraging, and a badass teacher! Super funny and easy going too, and I felt very comfortable and right at home in the water. My friend and I had a blast, and were riding waves by the end of the lesson (he even let us go over the time a little bit, so we could really get it down). Such a great time! We’ll be booking another lesson with Santa Cruz Surf Academy for sure!

Santa Cruz surfing Academy is the best if you want to get up riding waves on day one. Ron met me for a private lesson in the afternoon after sending him a request for a lesson just four hours before. Wow! The price was super reasonable, quite a bit less than what the parks & recreation offers in fact. To my amazement I was up and riding waves in the first hour of lesson. By the end of two hours I’d managed to stand up and ride more than 10 waves. Give it a go! You won’t regret it ‼

I knew the challenge for me would be taking verbal instruction to do a very physical task. My instructor’s consistent and clear communication skills were just what I needed to get started surfing. I was able to stand up on my board and catch waves the first day. The staff is very professional, courteous, and loads of fun! My instructor was very focused on keeping me safe and helping me catch as many waves as I wanted.
Also, one less thing to worry about — wetsuit, surf booties and surfboard are included with the cost of the class!