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San Clemente Journal

Four Local Surf Schools, Helping Students to the Next Level

Jun 26, 2019 01:55PM ● By Rebecca Parsons
by Rebecca Parsons

It’s no secre
t that San Clemente is a surfer’s paradise. With six miles of pristine beaches and world-renowned surf breaks like Trestles and San Onofre, the ocean is a draw for locals and tourists alike. Although Orange County essentially has perfect waves on tap, many of us have never had the opportunity to give the classic California sport a try. Whether you’re looking to get on the water for the first time or simply enhance your skills, here are four surf schools that can help you do just that. 

Aloha Surf Camp

 Aloha Beach Camp

Founded in 1999, Aloha Beach Camp was designed to accommodate surfers of all abilities and skill levels. They offer four, one-week youth summer camp sessions, with the option to enroll in the morning session (9am-12pm), afternoon session (12:30pm-3:30pm), or the entire day (9am- 3:30pm). The camp is located in front of Tower 7, at the south end of T-Street Beach—the sandy bottom makes it an ideal environment for learning. 
Lead instructor Matt Colapinto has been surfing for forty-eight years, has been a beach lifeguard for forty, and worked as an elementary school teacher for twenty-five. Surfing groups are a 1:2 instructor to camper ratio, while body boarding and beach activities are a 1:5 ratio. Hard boards, soft boards, wetsuits, rash guards, shade, and juice are provided and trophies are awarded daily. The main focus during each camp session is water safety, ocean currents, wave judgment, understanding changing ocean conditions, and self-confidence in and out of the water. 
Call 949-370-8913 to reserve your spot.


San Clemente Surf School

The San Clemente Surf School was founded in 2007 and is a year-round surf school that offers lessons to both beginners and advanced surfers. Owner Chris Iltis has years of experience surfing and has developed a close-knit team of instructors and coaches who are thoroughly trained and screened in an effort to provide the best possible experience to his clients. In every lesson, the top priority is safety, ocean awareness, surf etiquette, and respecting the ocean environment in order to provide a safe and fun experience for all. 
San Clemente Surf School offers surf lessons, a summer surf camp, rentals, and runs the Dana Point Surf Team where kids have the opportunity to surf in a competitive environment. Private and group lessons are available and each lesson begins with 10-15 minutes of land instruction, ocean awareness/wave judgment, surf etiquette, balancing exercises, paddling, and dropping in. In addition to traditional lessons, the San Clemente Surf School offers photo and video packages to compliment their lessons. Options include a private photo session, advanced photo session, and GoPro video, all of which include high-resolution edited images. 
Call 949-334-7649 to reserve your spot.

 Aqua Surf School

Aqua Surf School was founded in Santa Monica in 1997 but has since expanded to include locations in Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan, Venice Beach, Huntington, Laguna, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and San Diego. Aqua Surf School has a team of professional and talented instructors that teach beach safety, water safety, proper surfing techniques, surfing etiquette, environmental conditions, ecological conservation, local beach knowledge, and surfing history and culture in order to ensure their guests have a great time both on and off the water. Aqua Surf School offers surf lessons in San Clemente year-round as well as summer camp programs for kids in LA County.
Lessons are open to beginner, intermediate, and advanced surfers and anyone age four and up are invited to participate. Group and private lessons are offered and wetsuits, foam surfboards, and professional surfing instruction is provided at each and every lesson. Lessons are available Monday through Sunday, from 6am to 6pm all year long.
Call 310-902-7737 to reserve your spot. 

 Endless Summer Surf Camp

Founded in 1992, the Endless Summer Surf Camp is able to accommodate surfers of all abilities and skill levels through personalized surf instruction and professional photography and video analysis. Camps run all summer long at San Onofre State Beach and include day camps and overnight camps for both kids and adults. Camps are run by professional surfer Jason Senn, who has devoted his life to sharing his love of surfing with others. 
Days are spent on the beach at an uncrowded secret spot, while evenings are spent at a deluxe campsite at the San Onofre State Park Campground, complete with carpeted tents, fire rings, a game area, and a television and video-viewing lounge. Camps are all-inclusive and include surfboards, wetsuits, lodging, surf instruction, and meals prepared by an onsite chef. In addition to local camps, the Endless Summer Surf Camp offers Costa Rica teen trips for youth with a case of wanderlust.    
Call 949-498-7862 to reserve your spot.