Surfing

Planning a first surf lesson? These guides cover whether anyone can learn, how hard the pop-up is, swimming, clothes, cost, kids, lesson versus rental, and how surfing is not paddleboarding. Search a ZIP when you are ready to find an operator.

The first-timer product is a foam-board lesson in small broken waves. It is not a shortboard at a famous point on a good swell.

Start here

• Can Anyone Learn to Surf?
• Is Surfing Hard?
• Surf Lesson vs Board Rental
• Can You Surf If You Can’t Swim?
• What Does Surfing Feel Like?
• What to Wear Surfing
• What to Bring to a Surf Lesson
• Common First-Time Surfing Questions

Planning

• How Much Does a Surf Lesson Cost?
• Surfing With Kids
• Where to Learn to Surf in the United States

Quick Facts

• Experience needed: none for a beginner lesson
• First board: large foam soft-top
• Swimming: you should be able to swim
• Lesson beats a naked rental on day one
• Conditions cancel — that is normal
• Best first step: Can Anyone Learn to Surf?