Ventura Surf Shop

I have never seen such rude staff members. There were four guys doing absolutely nothing, and not a sinlge one offered to help. After not finding what I wanted, I decided to leave the store but was held against my will while the staff falsely accused me of stealing and demanded that I open my backpack. It was downright offensive. I regret not calling the cops on the spot. Also should have sued for slander and harassment. What a bunch of jerks! Update on my recent review: I am the author of a review on your store in which I mentioned an episode where I was falsely accused of stealing. The owner's response said:  "Hey, I think you may have the wrong store. We never did this, i just talked to my employees and that never happened here." Well, it did happen in your store.  This occured in spring 2022. I assume you're Bill (Blinky) Hubina.  If so, and judging by your photos, you weren't in the store on that occasion. I'll fill you in on the details: It was late afternoon and I was the last customer in the store. There were four guys apparently in their 20s or 30s who either worked in the store or were friends of the guy in charge (also in that age bracket).  There was also a young mother with her infant child, probably family members of one of the guys at the front of the store. I was looking for Solite surf booties.  I was told they didn't carry that brand, but there were other brands at the back of the store.  Nobody offered any help.  I went to the remote corner of the store, tried on a few different pairs but wasn't satisfied with the fit. Upon leaving, I was blocked at the door and one of the dudes demanded that I open my backpack.  In spite of the guy's offensive attitude, I kept my calm and asked him why he wanted to see the contents of my backpack. He said he expected to see a stolen pair of booties. I was pissed, but emptied my backpack on the floor so he and his buddies could verify that no such thing had happened. After that, I was allowed to leave the store. The fool didn't even apologize. So yeah, it did happen in your store.  If the manager in charge was so concerned with shoplifting, why didn't he go back to where the booties were?  He wasn't doing anything useful anyways. He could have offered help, or even pretend to help while keeping a watchful eye on the suspect. He could have also sent one of his cronies to keep an eye out. But no, he preferred to be lazy, chat with his buddies and then accuse me of stealing. So rude and unprofessional!

Ventura Surf shop has gone to shit since Blinky sold it to Gary (from Seattle). No longer a local business. We were in last week although the staff were friendly however it sucked to see the shop sell out. Talked to some of the shapers and you can tell that they are starting to pull their boards because the shop isn’t selling. They carry overpriced clothes, the shop was filled with more men’s clothes than surf stuff. Basically ONLY MEN’s clothes. Sorry to see that the store is not what it use to be. Your best bet is going to somewhere else with your business. It’s a Kook shop.

People here are so nice. Had the best experience renting a board from them for a price better than what I’ve found anywhere else in California. Will be back for sure! I only wish they also rented wetsuits; I’d rather give my money to them than RipCurl

A truly spectacular surf shop, with even better people behind it. Their board selection is top-notch and fairly priced, rentals included. The boards they craft are absolutely stunning — a true reflection of their deep passion and lifelong commitment to surfing. It's rare to find a place that feels this authentic and rich with history. I'll definitely be back!

They're such a great group of folks running this place. Has a comfortable environment with a lot of board selection. This is my second bonzer that I've purchased from them. First one is still magic and this one looks like it'll be too. Awesome thanks to Rob / Guy who always put their best foot forward when it comes to treating customers right. THANK YOU!!!!

Wonderful friendly service! Got my buell suit and surfboard sock + sandels from here! Would highly recommend and come back in the future! Absolutely amazing 👏 service!

Very friendly and helpful staff. Affordable prices and rent. Would recommend this place for friends. Wish all the best for your business!

Super helpful people, great boards and gear.

What can I say..but a fine surfboard shop...a fine surfboard shop. Been to many surfboard shops since the early 80's. Never encountered this kind of epic service. A friend and I chatted with Blinky for about 20 minutes. He broke down and explained a lot about board design. What a treat. He's been doing this so long and he's still stoked and friendly. The rest of the staff were also very friendly. Amazingly a yelper below complained because they don't have enough apparel and bikinis. How ironic is that? There are hardly any real surfboard shops left, since most shop floor rooms are covered with "apparel and bikinis", which carry higher profit margins than surfboards. That person should visit one of Socal's many fine mall surfboard shops and they'll find all the bikinis they need.

After having been in the surfboard business many years ago, I know there are surf shops that are all about clothing and there are surf shops that actually are about Surfboards. Ventura surf shop is about the boards, great place, knowledgeable people you can't go wrong here

Agree with this company treats people with no respect. I have bought from them previously and transaction was ok. Recently purchased a lot of gear from them and first was misquoted an item so then missed the opportunity to get it from another supplier at a lower cost. I was told more than once that the shipping would take no more than five days and I made it clear when ordering that the address they were delivering to I would only be there for a few days so it was important that it be delivered in no more than five days. I ordered it nearly two weeks before I arrived at the location so I allowed for seven day delivery even though they told me no more than five. This is the only reason I ordered from this company, because they promised I would have my gear the few days I was at the beach. I was told I would receive a tracking number the same day and did not receive it. Then I reached out to them to confirm that it would be sent in the under five days they promised. No response. I received a tracking number the next day and the delivery date showed up the day after I was leaving the shipping location. I left a voicemail and never got a response. I reached out to the owner by email and said I needed to cancel, because I was not going to be at the location it was set to be delivered to. In addition the date he promised was not met. He was very rude and took no responsibility for his actions. A simple apology and a cancellation would have been enough to satisfy me. . I did everything in my power to get it to you as quickly as possible. This is his response. "It's out of my hands. Super bummed your treating me this way. This is a toy coming from another country not paper towels from an Amazon order. Please be civil." I was asking him to either cancel it or see about getting it to me in the time he suggested. He said he could not cancel the shipping, which I found out later was untrue. I never write reviews, but these folks are not trustworthy. The gear is two hours away now and the owner said they will not pick up that it's my responsibility to drive four hours round trip to pick it up and return it to them. I will be turning this over to my credit card company. Beware of this company.

Awesome products and people...this is on our list every time we are in the area. It's an institution!

A cute shop in the big city of Ventura! Came over here for a mini road trip to Mondos and stopped in for some surf board rentals. The owner was really sweet! He helped me put three 7ft boards on my Mini and was so helpful to give us tips on best spots and just overall great conversation. The prices were so reasonable and it was minutes away from the water. A total gem in Ventura and much needed in LA!

Super nice shop. Easy to navigate. My boyfriend found a new wetsuit that he loves. They had a large selection of used boards for sale. Their t-shirt designs were really cool. My boyfriend got his dream shirt- a dog surfing.

Love this surf shop!!! Had to get my son a long board immediately for a competition! Everybody was sold out because of quarantine. Would take months, because of shortage of materials. I called everywhere! They had just gotten new boards in stock! Had a great selection and they even sent me pictures because I live over 45 minutes away! I drove out and I am so glad we did. These guys, Jordan and Rob were some of the most helpful, kind and knowledgeable surf shop people I've ever met!!! We took a long time to make a decision and they never got impatient or pushy, and that was refreshing!!! We got the most beautiful William Dennis board! They are made on-site and you can't get them anywhere else! I definitely recommend going to see them.

This is a great local shop that has quite an extensive inventory. I needed to rent a board for a photo shoot and it was simple to do as well as inexpensive. The staff was super friendly & helpful. Highly recommend.

We rented some soft tops to get in the water and catch waves at ventura beach. Service was overly helpful and very friendly. They even helped us tie the boards down to the car. We paid $15 per board to rent and went out for about and hour or two. Super easy and cheap.

I just wanted to give a shout out to the Ventura Surf shop. Last week I lost my house, my truck and almost all of my belongings in the Thomas fire in Ventura. Then my only pair of sunglasses broke when I pulled them out of my pocket and they are essential to me. When I went into the shop and explained what happened, I was offered a very generous discount on a new pair of sunglasses. Plus I was told to come in and they would give me a free surfboard rental, wetsuit and whatever I needed to get back in the water. I grew up in Hawaii, so I can say that the spirit of aloha is alive and well here in Ventura. The Ventura Surf shop is truly a part of our community.

I been going here since I was like 7 and the shop was over on front st. Great store great staff! When i moved back to Ventura after years away one of the first places I came to to get my surf gear and they were super helpful and it felt like coming back home. Pretty cool. Don't get that genuine feeling from business ever if at all. Thanks guys!! The soft top review below is hilarious!!!!!!!

Shout out to Jake! Thank you for taking the time today and providing excellent customer service. I appreciate it and will look for you next time I'm back in the store.

This shop is awesome. I've read reviews of other places where total beginners feel a little vibed out when going to surf shops, and the first time I went here I was prepared for that. However, every time I've ever come in, I've never felt vibed out and the staff was always happy to answer questions for me, no matter how dumb they were ("Wait does the wax go on top or on the bottom?"). I came in the store probably 4x/week for a month, pulling in with a Wavestorm foamie board poking out the back of my truck, to check out their stock of used boards. What I thought was cool was that the staff didn't pressure or bother me, and just let me browse all the used boards, occasionally checking to see if I had any questions. When I was starting to like surfing more and more, and was getting ready to buy a used board, I have to admit that I felt overwhelmed - single fin or thruster? Pintail or square? How long? How wide? How thick? The staff here walked me through everything, and pointed out some new and used boards that may be good for me. Again, they never pressured me to buy, and were super friendly and happy to explain everything. Eventually I bought an awesome (to me) longboard from them for a reasonable price, and they even got it all set up for me and threw in some free wax. All in all, great experience, and an awesome shop with a good selection of used and new boards. I'll be back here soon for my next one.

SERVICE: Very helpful staff, friendly, knowledgable, etc PRODUCTS: This place will meet all your surfing needs! A large selection of used and new surfboards, wetsuits, wax, paddle boards, and rentals. You name it, they got it, and they'll help you find it and use it.

I am so happy Ventura Surf Shop. Rob was amazing! So helpful and kind. He really cares about your surf experience and how well the board fits you. He will help you find the perfect board. I would highly recommend getting a board from Ventura Surf Shop! Such an amazing shop. I am so happy with my experience here.

If you want a Campbell Bonzer look no further! They have dozens in stock when I was there. That might change as you all know they're a pain in the ass to come by. Anyway, Guy was helping me get set up with a new order of Campbell's Bonzer Egg. He was very helpful and he showed me several of the different boards Campbell makes and educated me on their features. He also went the extra mile to contact Malcolm Campbell himself to get a few of my questions answered (I've had no luck getting in touch with Malcolm. I don't blame him. He's probably shaping through the wee hours). It's been a few weeks since my order, but I've expected a much longer wait. And ya'll know how it goes when you order a board ;) Can't wait to pick up my board. Thanks again Ventura Surf Shop!

I was really excited to try this place after hearing such great reviews! However, i've had nothing but bad experiences with this shop. I wanted to buy a board for my daughter. I called the shop, told them what I wanted and they said they'd set it aside for me to come look at. I get to the shop and a different sales person says that he has no idea what Im talking about. He bashed on his coworker claiming they 'just dont talk' to each other. So I asked to see any foam boards around 6ft and was told they dont have any. A couple days later I get a not-so-nice phone call from the shop asking why I never showed up to look at the board I originally called about! I told him that I came in and was told there was no board! So I go back in.....yet again..... a different person tells me there is no board on hold for me to look at. Everyone I spoke to treated me like a fool. I was warned that if I wasnt 'local', or one of their buddies, they would treat me unfairly. I have to agree. I will NOT be going back! I did end up finding a beautiful board for my daughter at another shop!

This is hands down the only surf shop to go to in Ventura. I rented a board and a wetsuit for half the day, and being it was my first time surfing, everyone here was extremely helpful, friendly, and went out of their way to make it a great experience. They have a great selection of other things you might need in the shop that are affordable, and they are also the cheapest place in Ventura to rent and have MUCH better customer service than the other bigger rental shop in the area.

The best surfboard selection in Ventura County. Longboard selection is insane! A surfers candy store!

I luv Blinky, Robert and the entire staff at Ventura surf shop! My last three boards are all made by Blinky, and I also picked up on a great deal on a used stick. Whether it's a short board or some of the amazing longboards boards at the shop, if you happen to be in Ventura you've got a stop by this local and check out a piece of history and some amazing people & boards.

Great local surf shop. Staff was friendly, selection was good and pricing was better than others in the area.

People have been hanging ten here since 1961. Some of my family members are part of that crowd. Ventura Surf Shop is legit. Take one part tradition, one part cool t-shirts, one part groovy boards, and a lot of laid back, friendly customer service and you have the makings of a surf shop worth your patronage. Recently, stuck in town and heading to a BBQ, we discovered that we were overdressed. Oh no! No worries. There is nothing better at a beach BBQ than a Ventura Surf Shop t-shirt. We drove up as a guy was just about to close the door. A t-shirt? No problem, he says. Come on in. Showing true hospitality, he didn't look at all rushed. He let us browse and was friendly when we took a few minutes picking just the right t-shirt. The middle of the store is lined with rows of nice boards. Just about every accessory you could need is here. The beachy vibe that still holds sway in Ventura is certainly alive and well in this surf shop. Even if you can't catch a wave, at least get the look with a t-shirt from the real Ventura surf stop.

Great large surf shop off Thompson in Ventura. Large selection of new and used boards and wetsuits. Just about every surfing accessory you can imagine, and clothing as well. Abundant parking in a private lot, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a large building size to fit all this cool stuff. Me and the guys walked in to purchase raffle tickets for a surfboard give away that will happen on Sept 14th at the Ventura Classic Surf Contest at C-Street. A few years back one of my buddies won the board, this year's is a 9' quad-fin longboard built for speed. If you want to try out surfing in the Ventura area, you can rent boards and wetsuits here for a small fee. Good luck see you out there.

Just spend over $700 on a board and they wouldn't throw in a bar of wax. Last time I buy a board here.

Love this surf shop, nothing like walking in to your favorite shop and seeing friendly faces. The staff is awesome and extremely helpful. Lilly always greets you with a smile, makes you feel like family. Getting to talk story with William "Blinky" Hubina is also a great time. They have everything you need, from Wayne Rich surfboards, William Dennis and many others. Best shop around.

I do like this surf shop, I do wish they had more of a kids section also. I would give it 3.5 stars. I like the boardshop in the back, they do a nice job. I wish there was some mooooore apparel and cute bikinis... ;p

Helpful shop, lots of good deals on wetsuits, boards, and other surf/skate stuff. Great location close to beach.

"Theres no place like home"... Thats truly how myself and the other locals in Ventura feel about Ventura's original surf shop. Ive been a friend and customer since the fall of 1974 when I started surfing. Every employee at Ventura Surf Shop still gives a warm welcome and personalized "down to earth" service (especially Asst. Manager "Lilypad" Gibner, Alex and Manager Rob "lil Blinky" Dennis). "Blinky"(Mr. William Dennis) and his team have always offered more than fair prices and top quality products. The good old days of the 60s - 80s still live on in the shop. When you need your surf gear or advice, this is the surf shop to visit. Thanks guys! Scotty

This was my first visit to Ventura Surf Shop. I want to get back into surfing so I was looking for a suitable board. The gentleman I spoke to, an older guy- maybe the owner, was very helpful. He gave me some great recommendations. (He even recommended a local place to buy supplies for repairs to my old boards.) If I need any last minute items the next time I'm in Ventura, I'll definitely stop by. It looked like they had everything you need to get set up from short boards, longboards, wetsuits, fins, sandals, bags, some clothes and even some decent smelling candles.

Al and Tony are super helpful. They didn't have the board I needed , but told me where to find it.

Cheap, quick surfboard rentals right next to da beach! We got so pitted bro! And the chick working have me a little discount on some sweet shades

It's a great please for all your surf need and if you just want to be cool they have the best selection of flip flops at a reasonable price.

Five Stars for Blinky and the crew. The employees are more like family and friends. Always have stories to tell and expert advice to give when asked. A surfer's surf shop, they have it all Modern and old school log boards, performance short boards, novelty boards, and the largest used board rack in town. And that is just the surf boards. For wetsuits they cary over three major brands from spring suits to cozy 4/3's booties, board bags, grip, wax and clothes. They have everything as surfer needs and more. Wether you are just stopping in for some wax, a gift, or a major purchase for the next surf trip, make sure to stop by VSS. Where you are not just a surfer, but you are part of the family.

These people must get enough business already since they clearly don't want mine. I would give them negative stars if I could. We are local to the area and have purchased multiple brand new boards here. Never again. I would rather burn my money. After purchasing multiple boards, when I go in; they still don't give me the time of day. The (owner?) sits and watches tv without acknowledging. They refuse to help you with any issue with your purchase. And I know because I have had a few. They are absolutely worthless as far as customer service is concerned. You can get the same gear at Val surf or shops just around the corner like Ripcurl, so you might as well save yourself the sanity and start there.

I had a practicly brand new board with an FCS II fin box that buckled and needed to have it replaced. When I got the board back the repair job was seemless and looked like new again. I dropped it off on a Sunday and it was ready that Thursday, so it was quick turn around. Also, the people in the shop are very helpful and friendly. Why go anywhere else.

Ventura Surf Shop Saved my Christmas! I have a small Ford focus hatch, and this year, I have been blessed with taking care of my roommates dog while he is deployed in addition to my own. My family lives in San Diego and I needed to put my Inno roof rack back on the car and cargo basket in order to have enough storage space for all the presents, luggage, and two LARGE dogs, in addition to a slew of tools for some car repairs I'll be doing on family vehicles. Come to find out, I was missing a part from my rack which made it impossible to mount. I RUSHED over to VSS and they had nothing on the floor and they told me that they hadn't carried anything from INNO in quiet some time even though they are listed on the INNO site as a dealer. The helpful young man went up stairs to where I assume where dead-old-stock gets pigeonholed (like all small businesses have) and he searched for several minutes. To my elation, he came down the stairs holding an INNO box with the just the parts I needed! To further my excitement, the part was handed over to me and the gentleman said "Merry Christmas". I put the rack on the car, basket on the rack, and filled it, and the trunk to capacity with just enough room for the two dogs. THANK YOU VSS! I would have been screwed without you!

Great place to buy your surfing gear, great customer service and an amazing selection. The employees there will always set you up for success. Don't hesitate to shop here.

My son just got into surfing and he loves it, so I decided to shop around for surfboards and a wetsuit of his own. Before walking into Ventura Surf Shop, we visited a more well-known named store where I was helped by a teenager who couldn't really answer any of my questions. I left that store because I wasn't about to spend that kind of money somewhere where I had no clue what I was purchasing. So glad we walked into Ventura Surf Shop! Mike helped us out and he knows pretty much everything about boards and what each of them are best used for and by who. All of the board talk was like Japanese to me but he was patient and helped me out a lot. Showed us all of our options and really hooked my kid up with the best bang for what he wanted. If you don't know much about surfing like me, go see Mike! We ended up getting him a wetsuit for under $100 (which I feel great about) and the surfboard....well, I won't tell you how much I paid, but my next website I go to is going to be listing my kidney for sale on the black market to pay off that credit card bill! But hey...if the kid is happy, I'm happy...anything to get him away from the PS4 LOL!!

great shop has a little bit of everything.... big selection of used boards...

Rented wetsuits and surfboards for two days here. Customer service was on point and they really know what they are talking about. Made our surf trip memorable. Will be back.

Great surf shop. Plenty of boards, good prices, friendly staff that is willing to spend the time to get you in the right gear

We came in needing a fin for a foam board and they were very helpful with getting us a fin that worked for our board. Extremely pleasant group of people in the shop! We aren't just numbers to them, we were people.

Very friendly & helpful even though I don't look like a surfer chick & am older. Went out of their way to show me their stock & make recommendations.

I like the local vibe and friendly nature of this shop. Their used surfboard rack was the PERFECT place for me to grab a board for my son who is just now ready for a fiberglass board. At least a dozen boards to pick from in the small/grom sizing. Maybe more, actually. Felt like x-mas in July when we got him his board. Easily 3 or 4 dozen used boards for adults too. And the NEW boards? Tons to choose from. Short boards, long boards, every accessory you could need. All there - and friendly staff too. Love stopping in with my little groms (kids) to take a look at equipment and build the stoke for our ocean and sport of surfing.

Came here to buy and sell a board. Staff were great, helpful but also laid back. The store has a great selection, and the owner has been a shaper for decades so he really knows his stuff. Way better than the LA shops where we live.

Great surf shop and only a few blocks from Surfers Point in Ventura California.

I came in with a broken fin. Instead of trying to sell me a new one, they advised me on how to fix it and gave me the part I needed for free. Then, after I made the repair, they helped me install the fin. All for no charge. These folks are well-informed, generous and friendly. I'll be back any time I need anything, and definitely when it's time for my next board.

I love this shop.. the rental prices are very reasonable and the friendly staff will go out of their way to meet your needs.. I'm a beginning surfer and got some great advice on board repair as well as how to ride them waves. All businesses should be this customer-oriented. I wish could find a similarly awesome shop in Northern California!

Great shop with lots of new and used boards. The customer service was awesome. They are very willing to help and educate you on places to ride and what board is best for you. Thanks for the help!