Most booked
Group surf lesson
Four surfers, one coach, everyone learning together. The classic Club Ed lesson — and the easiest way to catch your first wave.
- 2 hours
- 1 coach : 4 surfers
- Ages 12+
$120 per person
Santa Cruz, California · Since 1983
Surf lessons in Santa Cruz since 1983
Group, semi-private and private lessons at five Santa Cruz breaks, taught by lifeguard-certified coaches who have read this coastline for four decades.
Your break is picked the night before
Meeting spot texted by 6pm
Lessons daily, year-round
How we choose your break →
01 — Pick your lesson
Three ways to learn. One booking.
Every Club Ed lesson is two hours in the water with a coach who is lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certified. Wetsuit and a beginner-friendly board come with it.
Most booked
Best for two
Semi-private surf lesson
Bring a friend or a partner and share a coach. Twice the attention of a group lesson, without the crowd.
- 2 hours
- 1 coach : 2 surfers
- Ages 12+
$150 per person
Fastest progress
Private surf lesson
Just you and your coach, working on exactly what you need — from your first pop-up to your first turn.
- 1–2 hours
- One-on-one
- All ages
$150 per hour
Surfing with three or more people? A private group lesson is $130 per person, and groups of 10 or more get a discount — call us and we'll sort the logistics.
02 — Where you meet
Your break is chosen the night before.
Santa Cruz is a dozen different oceans in one town. Tides, swell direction and wind decide where the water is right — so we decide the day before, not six months in advance.
Club Ed holds surf school permits at five locations around Santa Cruz. The west side shelters you from a big south swell, the east side points hold shape when the bay goes soft, and the beach breaks south of town stay friendly when the wind backs off. Your instructor picks the break that gives your group the best waves and the safest water, then texts you exactly where to be.
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Book your time
Pick a lesson and a start time. Lessons run daily, year-round, whenever the ocean is safe for beginners.
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Get the text
By 6pm the day before, your coach texts the break, the meeting spot, parking notes and what to bring.
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Meet and paddle out
Arrive 15 minutes early. We fit your wetsuit and board, brief you on the sand, then head out together.
03 — Summer surf camp
Six days on the Manresa bluffs.
Our overnight camp runs on a bluff above the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary at Manresa Uplands State Park Campground. Morning sessions start at 7am, sunset sessions close the day, and dinner is cooked on site. Campers bring a tent; we bring boards, wetsuits, meals and coaches.
- 6 days, 5 nights
- $1,500 per session
- 9 sessions, June–August 2027
- 10–20 campers
04 — From the lineup
What families say after the first wave.
Four decades of first-timers, birthday groups, Girl Scout troops and grandkids learning alongside their grandparents.
"I took a private lesson with him this summer and was up on the wave the first go! I'm hooked!!"
"Just had another great day surfing with Club Ed. We were a group of six. This is my 3rd outing in the last 1.5 years and all have been so enjoyable, well-executed and we all learned to surf."
"The people were all very laid back and friendly. We had 4 or 5 instructors for our group, and everyone got up on a board."
05 — The family
Ed has been teaching this coastline since 1983.
Ed Guzman paddled out at San Francisco's Ocean Beach in 1969, at twelve years old, and has surfed almost every day since. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1986 and has been in the water here ever since — on a longboard at the points, on a shortboard when it gets good, and out on the big-wave slabs when it gets serious.
Club Ed started as one coach and a stack of boards. Today it is a family school with a team of coaches, many of them surfers Ed or his staff taught as kids. The rule has not changed: safety first, fun second, learning third.
06 — More time on the water
Paddle, rent, repeat.
Stand-up paddle lessons
Learn to paddle the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on flat water, or take the next step into SUP surfing with a coach beside you.
- Group $120
- Semi-private $150
- Ages 11+
Surfboard and wetsuit rentals
Boards by Pearson Arrow, soft-tops for the kids and O'Neill wetsuits in every size — reserved by phone for the day you want them.
- Softboard $30/day
- Wetsuit $25/day
- Board + wetsuit $50
07 — Before you book
The questions everyone asks first.
Short answers here; the full list — waivers, weather, ages, camps and meeting spots — is on the FAQ page.
Do I need to know how to surf?
No. Most Club Ed students have never stood on a board. Your coach starts on the sand with the basics — where to lie, where your feet go, how to pop up — and then gets in the water with you.
What should I bring?
A swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen and water. We provide the wetsuit and the board, and there is a rinse-off at the beach.
Where do we meet?
At one of five Santa Cruz breaks, chosen the day before for the best conditions. Your instructor texts you the exact meeting spot, with parking notes, by 6pm the evening before your lesson.
What happens if the weather turns?
Rain does not stop us. If conditions are unsafe — big swell, lightning or poor water quality — Club Ed cancels and you get a full refund or a new time. If you cancel more than 48 hours ahead, you get a full refund; 24–48 hours, half; inside 24 hours, no refund unless a doctor's note or documented emergency.
Live your dream to surf.
Lessons run daily, year-round. Pick a time, and we'll text you the break.