Kapowui Surf Lessons Santa Monica / Venice

Cannot give Kapowui enough praise. Liam was amazing, patient, kind, funny and very knowledgeable. We had two adults and two children and he went out of his way to make all of us comfortable and paid extra attention to the kids making sure they were safe and got up on the board. Keeping them safe means him diving under the waves to them after a wave goes over to make sure they’re okay, helping to hold their boards when a wave would come, holding their board through the wave so they could be stabilized and feel confident. When I got tossed in a wave myself he came over immediately to check on me, give advice on how to prepare and handle a larger wave coming at you and your board and then pumps you up to try again! He was truly just lovely to be around. We all had a blast and it is now our favorite family memory. Ask for Liam if you can but also the other instructors seemed just as nice and knowledgeable, I don’t think you can go wrong with any instructor at Kapowui. The van is easy to spot and there’s lots of parking by it. You’ll have to carry your board a decent distance to Lifeguard stand 29 but Liam showed us two ways to carry the boards so switching it up every so often helps the carrying of the board. You’ll get sized for your wetsuit at the van and if it happens to be chilly out like it was for us..the wetsuits warm you up as soon as you put them on and you can’t even feel the cold water it’s great. I’d give 1000 stars on the review if I could ⭐️

This was a veryyyy good lesson, one on one! My kid really got the hang of it this time! I've been getting him a lesson every time we visit the ocean and he loves it, this was by far the best! His teacher was amazing!

It was epic! Taylor is a fantastic teacher! She knows how to put you in confidence and explains very well. A good team. I wasn't expecting riding a tide at the first time, but I did! Hardly recommand! Thank you guys!

First time private lesson booked with Tyler. Great experience! Everyone was very friendly. Clear directions and easy to find. First time teenage surfer got up on board within first 20 minutes of the lesson. Tyler was very personable and encouraging. Highly recommend for families. Met the owner who was very personable as well.

This was our first time. My son is 9 and Liam was so great with him and patient with me! I would highly recommend this company to anyone! We did the 90 minute lesson and it was perfect! We will be using Kapowui every time we visit!

I had an incredible experience surfing with Rever! As a beginner, I appreciated the opportunity to learn the essential skills and gain the confidence needed to surf the waves in the beautiful morning setting of Santa Monica. I highly recommend getting your surfing lessons here. The lessons are conducted from a charming vintage VW OG Van by a team of passionate and skilled surfers. Despite booking on short notice, I was thrilled that they could accommodate me for a morning appointment with just a few hours' notice. Their flexibility and dedication to ensuring a great experience were impressive. Overall, a fantastic experience, and I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you so much for the amazing experience! Clay was awesome, my daughter was able to get up right away thanks to him. Would totally recommend anytime your lucky enough to pass through Venice Beach. Everyone was super friendly, including the sweet pup! Hang Ten 🤙🏾

Liam was a fantastic instructor for our family of four (13&15 yo boys). Good short teaching session on the beach and then was able to guide us in the water so we all got up on some waves. Definitely recommend if you are in Venice or Santa Monica. If your kids want to do it, you should do it with them

Great teachers!!! I had never surfed before and after 15 mins of training how to pop up on the sand, i was able to get up standing on my first try ever!!! First Wave!! Overall great people , great lesson, highly recommend

This past Friday I took a surfing lesson from Clay at Kapowui. I am 65 years old and never have been on surfboard ever. Clay and the whole staff were fantastic. On my last try I did get up on the bard and it was so fun! I can't recommend Clay and Kapowui strongly enough. Clay was very thorough ion the beach describing how the board functions in the water, how we were going to get out beyond the waves, how the wave sets progress,and most importantly how to pop up on the board. Which was much easier in sand than on the water. :) Can't wait to try again soon.

If I could give 10 stars I would!! I am so grateful to have gone through with signing up for surfing lessons and even more grateful I went with Kapowui. Their website was easy to navigate and book lessons. Their equipment, boards and wetsuits, were in great condition, and lastly, my instructor Liam was a great teacher. I initially booked 3 lessons, got bit by the surf bug, and booked 3 more!! Per my observation all the instructors were chill, nice, and the owner could not have been more welcoming. I did surf one time prior to this and wanted to get lessons to learn how to surf the right way. I am so glad I chose Kapowui as Liam and all the instructors teach and demonstrate the fundamentals to surf. I was surfing by my 1st lesson. I know I have a ways to go but I have a good foundation to start my surfing journey. Art-

I see why KAPOWUI has perfect reviews. I received a 2 hour gift certificate for 2 people for KAPOWUI , and I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. PAT was so awesome and an outstanding teacher. We took 30 minutes going over the parts of the board and practiced our surfer stance repeatedly until we got it perfect. Then we had 1.5 hours of surfing in the water. With PAT's excellent teaching skills, we were able to successfully catch a few waves. It was so much fun. We fell in love with surfing and can't wait to surf again. If you are looking for a place to learn to surf, I highly recommend KAPOWUI. It was easy to book on their site. Communication on where to park and where to check in was clear. My sister (the person I took the lesson with) had previously taken a surfing lesson at another company in norcal and said that KAPOWUI was so much better in matter of instruction. THANKS KAPOWUI & PAT!!!

So on my birthday or around my birthday I try to do new things and have new experiences. That's how I like to celebrate life. This year, I was finally able to check off surfing from my bucket list. Fortunately, my friend really loves the ocean and was more than happy to go to a surfing class with me. Just trying to get into our wetsuits made me laugh! I knew that surfing was bound to be exhausting, but just getting our huge, heavy surfboards balanced on our heads or carrying them under our arms while walking on soft sand was tiring enough. By the time we got to the meeting spot, we both wished we had taken our water bottles also, but then that would have been one more thing to carry. The class on the beach itself was good. It was a relatively large class with I'm guessing around 20 students with 3 instructors. Each of the instructors took turns. One taught the terminology and parts of the board. Another taught how to get up on the board and how to keep your balance. Another gave safety tips. Getting into the water was a whole different story. First of all, no one tells you that when you wipe out, the waves will pummel you and make you feel like you're going to drown and die. There were several times the waves simply washed me off my board, took me under, and I was literally spinning in circles underwater not knowing which way was up or down. My only saving graces were: 1) I know how to swim, and 2) We were in shallow enough water that my feet could touch the ground and kick myself back up to the surface. I can't imagine taking this class without knowing how to swim. *I* know how to swim and I was terrified! I also now wish that I had taken private classes instead of being in such a big group because with so many students and so few instructors to go around, I felt a bit neglected. I didn't know what I was doing, my board and I were literally all over the place, and I didn't have many chances to actually try getting on my board. Towards the end, one of the instructors saw me just sitting on the sand wet, sad, and pathetic and was like, "I'll stay with you until you get all the way out there." By "out there" he meant past the strong incoming waves because I couldn't even get past that part. Then, they yelled at me to get off my board which we didn't even go over in class. Apparently, when a wave is really big, you're supposed to just jump off, but I was too scared to because that was my huge flotation device. The last thing I wanted to do was get off it! That's when I wiped out and span around in circles underwater. Then a 2nd instructor got my board and got me on it and at this point I was terrified and exhausted and said to him straight out "I don't want to do this. I just want to go to shore." All he said in return was "I'll get you a nice wave."And sure enough, he yelled "Get up!" and I popped up on my board and rode my first wave! It was only a few seconds, but I did it and it made it even better to see my classmates on shore clapping for me! So the good part is that I finally got that off my bucket list and I was able to get up at least once. The bad part was that I truly felt like the ocean was trying to drown and kill me and for that reason this may be my first and last time trying surfing. If I do try it again, the waves have to be teeny tiny, practically imperceptible or it has to be one of those indoor man made wave machines that are only ankle deep so that I definitely won't drown in it! Either way, it's definitely an experience I won't soon forget and I thank the instructors for maintaining their encouragement even when I was flat out ready to quit. For that, I give you my heartfelt thanks!

Stood up on the board in one lesson! If you really want to learn to surf and have fun learning, then take your lessons from Kapowui in Santa Monica. CA. I took a beginner adult only class on a Saturday morning & it was an amazing experience. My instructor was Clay and he was awesome. He took the group through a very detailed guide of the board, explaining both the mechanics, weight distribution and safety in the water. We practiced our pop-up before going into the water. It took a few tries, but Clay was very patient and worked with me until I finally made it up on the board. Now I know why surfing is so addicting, it is an epic feeling to be riding a wave. Thank you to all the instructors - I will be back for more lessons.

I had the most amazing time surfing with Kapowui! As a first timer, I was a little nervous going into this as I did not know what to expect at all. Our instructor Todd was incredible! He was patient, knowledgeable and had the best energy! The waves were rough at times and I was out of breath quickly, but this experience was one I will never forget! I highly recommend Kapowui to anyone looking to try something fun and new!

I had an awesome time. Marty and Fairfax were amazing. My daughter and I had a phenomenal time. Will definitely return and recommend this to anyone.

They did a great job teaching surfing! I was standing up on the board quickly. Super friendly and encouraging!

Me and four coworkers took a 7am group beginner surfing lesson and had a total blast. Our two instructors were punctual, organized and had a positive, can-do attitude. I had some trouble getting back out in the water due to some big waves but another teacher from kapowui who was teaching a smaller group saw me struggling and helped me get back in. Overall a great group of teachers and I'd definitely come back out for more lessons if I lived closer! This was a great first intro.

I pass by these guys all the time, and they are always blocking the handicap spots. There are plenty of spots elsewhere. Having handicap parents this pisses me off. When the lot is full they hit the spots that are not made for people that are super active! All the locals make fun of these guys and call them out walking by, but they still keep doing it for years. Don't support these guys.

I know this may sound dramatic, but stumbling upon Kapowui has been a life changer. I haven't surfed in over 18 years and re-learning all the basics has been a humbling experience. I haven't surfed the beaches in LA before and decided to take a few lessons to get back into it. How has this been 'life-changing?' It has reignited my passion for surfing. The mere experience of being in the water with such great instructors has been incredible. I've had the privilege of learning from Marty, JC, and Ryan on separate occasions. This can be a unique, scary, yet exhilarating experience for many, and they make it fun and safe! I will disclose, my favorite member of all is a little Cavalier King Charles named Lily. You'll often see her sleeping in the van or chasing feathers along the concrete. Also, the Aloha spirit of Kapowui attracts the best return learners. I can honestly say that I've made a group of friends who I know will be friends and fellow surf buddies for life (another life changer). We still return to take lessons with Marty. He holds a wealth of knowledge and is really passionate about making sure you learn and have a good time. It's one thing to be able to surf like a pro, yet another to be able to teach it well. And I would say Marty and all of the instructors I've taken lessons with are the greatest teachers. They work very hard in the water to make sure you are safe and having fun; so while tipping is optional, I think it's good juju to say mahalo and give a little extra for all they do. I initially found Kapowui surf through yelp due to the stellar reviews, and I'm so glad I did. I wanted to return the favor by leaving a review that would hopefully encourage others to try them out like I did. I know YOU WILL have the best experience. Cheers!

I have signed up my 12 year old twins for two days in a row for beginner surf lessons on 8/12 and 8/13. First day with Nick Brandt was excellent. He talked a lot to the kids educated them well and showed them how to do the right move multiple times. My kids learned and enjoyed the fun. 5 stars for Nick for sure! However when it comes to scheduling, it wasn't pleasant. I had confirmed my next day lesson will be with Nick again before we left but it was another instructor. I called the office and they said yeah, it was Nick. I had received confirmation message with Pat, then they said they will check and call me back. Never call back. Next day with Pat was not so good. I admitted the wave wasn't good that day. My daughter cried because of the rough waves. Pat did not do anything and just let her rest the whole lesson. I encouraged her to try for last 5 mins and Pat said no. He did not try to encouraged kids also ignored parent's effort in doing so. My 1.5 hour lesson also ended earlier for no reason. Very disappointed on 2nd day lesson. Contacted office afterwards and said could offer me extra time with Pat next time.

Awesome 2nd lesson with River. More challenging than the first which is exactly what we were looking for!

This is the BEST surfing lesson you can find!!!! All the staff are so kind, friendly, and great instructors. They have lots of boards and are right next to the beach. Their service is incredible. I walked right up and was helped immediately. I am a new surfer and they were extremely accommodating to my skill set. I got up on my first try with the help of my incredible instructor Nick!!! He was so awesome, great surfer, and taught me so many new tips and tricks. This surfing service is perfect for anyone and everyone of all skill levels. Whether you're a pro surfer or looking to get out on the water for the first time-- this is the best place you can go. With the bright orange van and everyone around it with smiling faces, Kapowui is the best!!!!

We did a beginner lesson with Taylor Higgins, loved and highly recommend! Very thorough and fun!

Clay was a great instructor. With his help, I was able to ride several waves as a beginner. Thanks again for a fun time!

Pat was great. He helped my friend a lot who had no surf experience, and gave me some really great tips even though I've surfed av bit more. Nice guy, very congenial and knowledgable. You won't regret booking with him!

I sincerely love this place! I've had 5 lessons here now. Every one of my instructor's was awesome (Connor, Ed, and Dale). You can clearly see how passionate they are about surfing. I will definitely keep taking lessons with them. They helped me go from a total beginner to catching green waves on my own! I feel like a real surfer because of their help! Mahalo boys!

I have brought friends here a few time snow so they can join me when I surf and EVERYONE here is amazing! They really make sure everyone is going to get the best and they give land lessons that are super hpful especially if you've never surfed before. I've come here in the morning around 7 am and the service is super prompt - but even when I came around 10 am and a lot of the boards had been rented and their instructors were busy with other clients they did everything they could to get my friends boards and wetsuits and let them hop in on lessons (the more people the cheaper). I absolutely recommend this place for new surfers and anyone who needs boards to rent. They are AWESOME!! Also the owner brings his dog, Lily, and she's the sweetest.

Had an awesome time surfing with Juan, such a great guy and an awesome instructor. This was our second lesson (first was with different folks in OC) and this time rode most of the waves even without being pushed into them, but relied on Juan's guidance for which wave is the right one and when to paddle/stand up. Now time for practice! The whole crew was awesome, really fun team and made the experience easy and fun. Once I get some practice under the belt, will come back and get another lesson to refine skills from these guys.

Great place to learn surfing . Tyler really took his time to teach me to learn bottom turn down the line of the way .

Taken four lessons with these guys so far! Caught a wave my first lesson and girl I'm not a natural. Ryan is probably my favorite instructor. You can even combo privates to make them cheaper. Highly recommend!!

YEW! Fantastic lesson and instructor (shoutout Tyler!) had me surfing in no time and adapted the lesson to my disability no problems. Super great vibes all around, thanks Kapowui!

First timers of surf and WOW was it an incredible experience. Todd was an amazing instructor and made surfing easy! Absolutely must come back!

Top notch surfing school. My daughter has never been on a surfboard before, but she isn't afraid of a thing. They start with a 30 minute safety class and then head to the ocean. Once in the ocean the trainer did his very best to train her. She's 11, but thinks she's 20 so she kept trying to stand up and the trainer did his best to redirect her. My point is the are a top notch surf school and will meet a surfer right where they are at. Thanks guys we will see you soon

Ryan was amazing!! I haven't surfed in a decade and was nervous jumping back in, but Ryan helped me catch great waves to ease back into it and I stood up most times. He knew which waves to catch and which ones to avoid that were part of an intense set. His fun attitude helped me fall back in love with surfing. Would highly recommend to anyone starting out or just wanting to build up the confidence again.

My friend and I got a two hour lesson two weeks ago, and Todd was a great instructor! He walked us through the fundamentals during the 30-minute dry lesson and helped us catch many waves during the rest of our session. We came back today for board rentals only since we got wet suits, and the staff was again very friendly and welcoming. They're also conveniently located right next to the boardwalk. I definitely recommend Kapowui your learning or rental needs!

Learned super fast! Great two hours, parking right there and fantastic location. Loved our instructor

We did a 1.5 hour two person lesson with Dale. It was our first time surfing and he was super patient and informative. He broke it down for us and we were catching waves in no time. It was a very fun experience for the two of us and would go with Kapouwi again.

This surfing school is one best that I have ever been too. So far I have had many instructors and I am so happy with the progress I have made. I have only been surfing for a month and a half and I am really far into my learning. If your looking to learn and have fun, this is the place to be!!!! I have mostly been surfing with Claudio and JC and I highly recommend them.

Had a private lesson with Alex yesterday, and we had such a great experience. Alex taught in a way that was easy to understand, and we were able to surf several waves all the way in-- and it was our first time surfing! It was $200 for a 1.5 hour class for 2 people. Alex was very patient and kind, and the process of getting the lessons was super easy. The orange and yellow VW bug that the operation is run out of is super cute too. We will be sure to be back.

Had an amazing time learning to surf with Tyler!! He made everything so fun, and I learned a lot! Highly recommend!!

They say you find a way to make a living doing what you love. If this is not a manifestation of that very ideal, I don't know what is. I genuinely forgot that any part of this experience was a business transaction (we literally could recall if we had paid by the end of the session). My husband and my son were first time surfers and the team really cared about that. Their demonstrated awareness of conditions, assertiveness of their clients and overall enthusiasm has made us lifelong members. Learning to surf with Mike was like sharing life experience with a cousin you had not seen since childhood. The entire staff made us feel like family. I don't think that I could put a fair price on the experience that Mike and the rest of the Kapowui staff gave us as first time surfers. I may even venture to say that we made new friends. There is a valid reason for this company to have achieved five stars across the board...it is a rarity. Mike, thanks for going the extra mile to warm our little munchkin up to the water. You are an awesome person, instructor and surfer... #OutOfManyOnePeople #TheMurphys

Really awesome staff. Todd was a total bro who had nothing but positive energy, and gave me and my girlfriend a really awesome time and good tips for the future. Highly recommend!

Such a great spot to grab a quick lesson. We spent some time down in Venice a few months back. Wife decided to sign me up for a lesson. Nick some ripped young dude was my guy. Wife wanted to stare at him all day as I was splashing around like a half dead whale. I was able to stand up on a few waves. We got the Instagram pic needed for about 17 likes... Waves were only like 2 feet but it was still fun. Super cool gift for the kids at the end of the lesson... Definitely recommend this school if your looking for a lesson....

First time surfing and Kapowui made the experience unforgettable. Attended an affordable group lesson on Saturday morning. The instructor was patient and extremely knowledgeable. I was standing up and riding waves in no time. I highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in learning to surf. My next time I will likely fork out the extra $ for a personal session. Now that I have the basics down the one on one session would be helpful. Cowabunga dudes and dudettes!

Love this place! Everyone is super friendly, and they even give you cute little Volkswagen keychains at the end of your lesson. I did a 2 hour, 2-person lesson with Clay! It was our first time surfing but we were able to get the hang of it with his help. When we were out on the water, the other instructors also helped my sister and I get out when we were getting murked by the waves. Highly recommend and will probably come back!

I was in a group of 6. Our instructor was Ed. We all were surfing beginners: 2 of us had tried surfing only once before and the rest had zero experience. Ed was good-natured, very friendly, and a great instructor. We paid for the GoPro option, which is attached to one board and we rotated who used that board. The most intense workout aspect was just carrying the surfboards out to the water - they're heavy! The entire experience was super fun and I would absolutely go again!

Had my first lesson with Greg this past Sunday. I like that they offer private lessons, and Greg really adapted the stuff he taught me to me specifically, watching me every time and giving me great pointers. I learned a lot, and I am looking forward to more lessons with Greg. Their reservation system is super easy, and the easiest I've found of the surf schools online. Their equipment is nice, too, and I like that, although I struggled, my instructor kept trying to get me to do better and adapt to the board (which was smaller than the ones I'd used previously) instead of just handing me a life raft-sized enormous board just to get me to pop up once or twice. Excellent experience in a super fun location.

Such an amazing experience. My friends and I had so much fun and we learned a lot. Will was so friendly and helpful. He kept giving us feedback I. How we can improve each time. I can't wait to get another lesson so I can become better

Had a private lesson with Alex a few days ago and it was an excellent experience! Going in my gf and I hadn't really surfed before and only after a short 1.5hr lesson we were both able to catch little waves and stand up on the board. Alex was a great teacher and we highly recommend him! We had such a positive experience that we are going to take surfing up as a hobby this summer and we will def be using them in the future. Can't wait to do it again!

I had a fantastic first surfing lesson with Kapowui's instructor Michelle today. After reviewing safety and drilling surfing motions, we hit the waves and she patiently stuck with me, encouraging me not to give up and correcting my technique until I was finally able to ride a wave. I couldn't ask for a better first lesson!

Awesome location, easy to get to, great parking around! Madeline was very helpful and clearly love what she does. More than happy to help about with any and all questions surfing related. Was able to learn all about the fundamentals and form and was able to get standing within the lesson. Definitely will consider more lessons in the future to quickly develop the fundamentals of surfing! Would recommend to anyone who is looking to learn and get started!

With my recent move to the West coast, I was super excited to try out surfing! Kapowui had great reviews and had a really easy online booking service so I went with them. I had the two hour session with some friends and they went over the basics and safety precautions before we got out to the water. Edwardo was a super fun instructor and he did a great job of helping us get up on the boards during our first lesson! Boards and gear were all provided! Would definitely come back for future lessons!

Love love loved surfing with these guys ! They Were so supportive and encouraging and fun. Shout out to Tyler and Ryan

Hi! I just had an awesome lesson today - my first!!! My instructor was Connor and I can recommend him to everyone. What else?:) easy to find place, great staff, answering the phone calls if you get lost on the way... everything is very professional and easy. I'll be back.

I booked this for my boss who wanted a great time and he was not disappointed! He called me the same day to tell me how amazing it was and how great his teach Nofar was. She even got him to stand on the first one. He can't recommend it highly enough, it made his whole weekend, and he can't stop talking about it at work! Thank you :D

Todd was an amazing instructor, he was very friendly, kind, and provided great feedback during the surf lesson. He did a great job of answering every questions I had and provided positive feedback every time I got up and rode the wave. I would highly recommend him for surf lessons and I can't wait to go back and learn more.

Amazing experience from start to finish. Super friendly staff. My son and husband took surfing lessons for the first time with Conner he was awesome and informative throughout the full lesson. We will definitely be coming back for another lesson.