Los Angeles: Private Surfing Lesson

Los Angeles is a fine place to learn surfing, but the best part of this experience is the private instruction. You are not squeezed into a large class while trying to remember which way your feet go. Your instructor can slow down, repeat a point, or move you into the water when you are ready.

I like the simple setup: board and wetsuit are included, and your belongings can be locked in the surf school van while you are in the ocean. I also like the choice of a solo lesson or a booking for two people, which works well for friends or couples. The main drawback is that surf and weather can force a change of plans, and the exact beach may vary.

Key points

• Two hours of private coaching: Learn at your own pace with an English- or Spanish-speaking instructor.
• Beginner-friendly beach training: Practice the pop-up, ocean basics, and safety on sand before entering the water.
• Several possible beaches: The lesson may meet at Santa Monica, Venice, Redondo, or Torrance Beach.
• Equipment included: Use an 8- or 9-foot surfboard and wetsuit, with no need to rent gear separately.
• Good for one or two people: A private booking gives you focused instruction instead of a large class.
• Flexible booking terms: Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, or reserve now and pay later.

Why a Private Lesson Makes Sense in Los Angeles

Surfing looks easy from the beach. You lie on the board, paddle a few strokes, pop up, and glide. In practice, the timing, foot position, balance, and wave choice all arrive at once. A private lesson gives you someone nearby to sort out those details before bad habits settle in.

For a first lesson, that personal attention matters. The instructor can watch how you stand, explain the movement again in simpler terms, and adjust the pace to your comfort in the water. If you already surf, the same format lets you work on a specific weakness instead of sitting through a basic group introduction.

The lesson is designed for one person or two people. If you book for two, you can share the experience with a friend or partner, but you should expect the instructor’s attention to be shared as well. A solo booking offers the most direct coaching.

The activity has a strong score of 4.8 out of 5 from 75 ratings. Recent feedback includes short notes from people in Germany and Austria, along with a detailed German comment praising the instructor for teaching, guiding, and motivating throughout the lesson. That lines up with the main reason to choose this format: the teaching, not just the chance to borrow a board.

Meeting Near Santa Monica Beach

The stated meeting point is 20 Bicknell Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90401. Enter the parking lot from Bicknell Avenue, turn right, and look for a white Ford E-250 van or a blue surf school bus on the right side. The instructor meets you there.

This is a useful detail because a beach meeting point can otherwise be vague. You should allow enough time to find the lot and vehicle, especially if you are unfamiliar with Santa Monica. The listed coordinates are 34.0048827, -118.4907467, which you can enter into a map app.

The wider activity may also use Venice Beach or Redondo and Torrance Beach. Those are not interchangeable from a planning point of view. Traffic in Los Angeles can make even a modest distance take much longer, so confirm the beach and meeting point for your chosen time before setting out.

No hotel pickup or general sightseeing transport is described. You need to make your own way to the meeting point. The advantage is a clear starting place and a focused lesson. The tradeoff is that you need to plan the drive, parking, and any traffic delays yourself.

Getting Fitted With a Board and Wetsuit

Before heading to the sand, you are outfitted with a wetsuit and surfboard. The included boards are 8 or 9 feet long. These larger boards are useful for learning because they offer more stability than a short performance board.

The wetsuit matters, too. The ocean may feel cool even on a bright Southern California day, and having one supplied keeps you from making a separate rental stop. Bring swimwear to wear underneath. You should also pack a towel, sunscreen, and water.

Your belongings can be stored in the locked surf school van while you are in the ocean. That is a practical touch. You still should bring only what you need, but you do not have to carry your phone, wallet, or spare clothes onto the sand during the lesson.

The equipment is basic and functional rather than a reason to book the activity on its own. Its value is convenience. At $99 per person, the price covers the two-hour lesson, board, and wetsuit, so you can compare it with a rental plus a separate group class when weighing the cost.

The Sand Lesson: Pop-Up, Ocean Skills, and Safety

Your instructor may take you directly toward the water if you already have some ability. First-timers can expect a longer lesson on the sand before getting wet. This is where the instructor explains the parts of surfing that are hard to learn by trial and error.

You practice the pop-up, the quick movement from lying on the board to standing. The aim is not to make the movement look stylish on the beach. It is to help your body learn the sequence before a real wave gives you very little time to think.

The instructor also explains the ocean and basic surfing technique. The supplied information does not list a fixed set of technical topics, so the exact coaching can vary with your level and conditions. That is a benefit of private instruction. You are not forced through a long speech meant for every ability at once.

Safety comes at the end of the land lesson and is the most important part. You need basic swimming ability to participate. This is not a dry-land photo opportunity, and you should be comfortable enough in the water to follow instructions and manage yourself with the board.

The safety briefing is one reason not to rush through the beach portion. Beginners often want to get to the waves at once, but a clear explanation of what to do in the water can make the rest of the lesson calmer and more useful.

Two Hours in the Water

After the sand work, you spend the remaining lesson time in the ocean with the instructor. The exact amount of time in the water depends on your level, how long the beach training takes, and the conditions that day.

A first-timer should not measure success only by how long they stand. You may spend much of the session learning to position the board, paddle, catch a small wave, or recover safely. Those are real steps toward surfing, even if your first upright ride is brief.

If you are an intermediate surfer, private coaching gives you a better chance to focus on improvement. You may be able to work at a faster pace and spend more of the session in the lineup, rather than repeating explanations you already know. The activity specifically allows the instructor to take a more experienced participant straight toward the lineup when appropriate.

The word private is important here. It does not mean you control the ocean or get a guaranteed number of rides. Waves and weather set the limits. It means the instruction can respond to you, which is especially useful when one person is nervous and another is ready to move faster.

You should also expect a physical workout. Paddling, pushing up, balancing, and climbing back onto the board all require effort. Drink water before and after, use sunscreen, and bring a towel for the end.

Choosing Between Santa Monica, Venice, and South Bay Beaches

Santa Monica is the listed meeting point and the easiest base for this booking. After the lesson, you are close to the Santa Monica area and can continue with your day there.

Venice Beach offers a different setting. It is famous for its eccentric local character, public beachfront, and people-watching. If your lesson meets there, you get the surfing experience alongside one of Los Angeles’s most recognizable beach scenes. The atmosphere can be lively and unusual, which some people will enjoy and others may find distracting.

Redondo and Torrance Beach offer another possible setting farther south. The supplied details do not promise one particular beach for every booking, so do not build your entire day around a specific shoreline until the meeting location is confirmed.

This range of locations can be helpful if you are already moving around Los Angeles. It can also create a planning headache. The practical question is not which beach sounds most famous. It is which meeting point fits your lodging, traffic plan, and the rest of your day.

What $99 Per Person Buys You

At $99 per person, this is not the cheapest way to stand on a surfboard. The price makes more sense when you count the instruction, wetsuit, board, safety briefing, and private format together.

A large group class can lower the cost per person, but you may spend more time waiting for your turn or listening to advice aimed at a different skill level. Here, you pay for personal attention and a two-hour lesson. For a beginner who wants clear guidance, that can be a fair trade.

A solo booking gives you the strongest value in instruction. A booking for two may be the better value for a couple or pair of friends who want to share the outing. You should not assume that two people receive the same amount of individual coaching as one person, but both can learn with the same instructor.

The reserve-now-and-pay-later option helps if your Los Angeles plans are still taking shape. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. Surf and weather conditions can also lead to a reschedule or cancellation, with contact expected the day before if that happens.

That weather policy is not a flaw in the lesson. Surfing depends on the ocean. Still, it means you should avoid placing this activity on the final open morning of a short visit if missing it would ruin your plans. Keep another option available.

Who Will Get the Most From This Experience

This lesson fits adults and children age seven or older who have basic swimming ability and want hands-on coaching. It is a good match for the person who has always wanted to try surfing but does not want to learn alone with a rental board.

It also suits an intermediate surfer who wants a focused session. The instructor can adapt the amount of beach training and move more quickly toward the lineup when that is safe and suitable.

The experience may not suit someone who is uncomfortable in the ocean or unable to swim. It is also a poor fit if you need a fixed, weather-proof schedule. The beach, waves, and conditions can change the plan.

Families should pay attention to the minimum age. Children under seven cannot participate. The activity is not described as a special children’s program, so parents should consider the child’s swimming ability and comfort in open water before booking.

Instruction is available in English and Spanish. That can make the safety briefing and technique explanations easier to follow for Spanish-speaking participants.

Practical Tips for a Better Lesson

Wear swimwear under the wetsuit and bring a towel. You will also want sunscreen and water. These sound like small items, but forgetting any of them can make a two-hour beach activity less comfortable.

Arrive with enough time to find the parking lot and the correct van or bus. The meeting instructions are specific, but Los Angeles traffic and unfamiliar streets can still slow you down.

Check the meeting beach before the day begins. Santa Monica, Venice, Redondo, and Torrance are all part of the possible setup, and the distance between them matters. Use the confirmed location when planning parking and any activities afterward.

Do not judge the lesson only by the number of waves you catch. Listen closely during the sand lesson, especially the safety section. Good positioning, a proper pop-up, and knowing what to do around the board will help you long after this single session.

If you are booking with a friend, agree on your goals first. One person may want a gentle first taste of surfing, while the other may want to improve technique. A private lesson can handle different ability levels better than a standard class, but clear expectations still help.

Should You Book This Surf Lesson?

Book it if you want a personal introduction to surfing, need equipment included, and like the idea of learning at your own pace. The private format, two-hour schedule, multilingual instruction, and choice of one or two participants make it more useful than a simple board rental.

The strongest case is for first-timers who want reassurance in the water, or intermediate surfers who do not need a full beginner class. The beach setting also lets you pair the lesson with time around Santa Monica or Venice.

Skip it if you cannot swim, need a guaranteed schedule, or want a longer surf session at the lowest possible price. For everyone else, $99 is a reasonable cost for focused instruction and the chance to learn safely with a board and wetsuit already arranged.

FAQ

How long is the surfing lesson?

The lesson lasts two hours. The amount of time spent on the sand and in the water depends on your experience and the conditions.

Where does the lesson meet?

The stated meeting point is 20 Bicknell Avenue in Santa Monica. The activity may also meet at Venice Beach or Redondo and Torrance Beach, so confirm the exact location for your booking.

What vehicle should I look for at the Santa Monica meeting point?

Enter the parking lot from Bicknell Avenue, turn right, and look for a white Ford E-250 van or a blue surf school bus on the right side.

Is surfing equipment included?

Yes. The activity includes an 8- or 9-foot surfboard and a wetsuit.

Do I need to know how to swim?

Yes. Basic swimming ability is required to participate.

Can two people take the private lesson together?

Yes. You can book the lesson for one or two people. Private and small-group options are available.

What happens if the surf or weather is poor?

The activity may be rescheduled or canceled because of surf and weather conditions. You will be contacted the day before if this happens. You can also cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.