Club Ed FAQ

Yes. Every surfer signs a liability waiver before getting in the water, and surfers under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign it for them. The waiver comes with your booking confirmation, and your coach checks it on the beach before the lesson starts.

Book online and pay at checkout — it is the fastest way to lock in a spot and a time. If you want to surf today, call (831) 464-0177 and the office will tell you what is still open.

Yes, under the same policy as a cancellation: more than 48 hours ahead is free, 24–48 hours gets half of your payment back, and inside 24 hours there is no refund unless you have a doctor's note or a documented emergency.

In summer and on weekends, book a few days ahead. Spring, fall and winter are quieter, and lessons run daily, year-round, so you can often book the day before. Summer camp sessions are the exception — the first week usually fills by January.

Lessons make a good gift, especially for a birthday or a first visit to Santa Cruz. Call the office on (831) 464-0177 and we will help you arrange it and get the details to the person receiving it.

A swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen, a water bottle and warm clothes for afterwards. That is it — wetsuit and board are provided.

A swimsuit or boardshorts. Cotton underwear or a t-shirt under a wetsuit gets cold and chafes, so come dressed to swim.

No. Every Club Ed lesson includes an O'Neill wetsuit in your size and a board matched to your level — a soft-top for beginners, fiberglass for experienced surfers.

Leave valuables in your car or at home. Your coach will keep the group's keys in a dry bag at the meeting spot, but the beach is a public place.

Contacts are fine if you are comfortable with them getting splashed. Glasses should stay on the beach — a strap will not save them in the whitewater.

Tell your coach. Club Ed wetsuits are thick enough for Monterey Bay, but if you are shivering the lesson stops and you get warm on the beach. Nobody is expected to tough it out.

You surf. Rain is normal on this coast and a wetsuit keeps you warm. Lessons are only called off for unsafe conditions — big or messy surf, lightning or a water quality advisory.

Your coach picks the break for your group's level, and there is usually a sheltered option on a big day. If no break suits the group, Club Ed cancels and you choose a full refund or a new time.

Yes, with a certified coach and the right break. Club Ed instructors are lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certified, teach one coach per four surfers, and start every lesson with a beach briefing on rips, paddling out and falling safely.

Not right now. Club Ed does not currently run lessons at Cowell's. Our coaches choose from five other Santa Cruz breaks based on the day's conditions and text you the meeting spot the evening before.

Your instructor texts you the break name, exact meeting spot, parking notes and what to bring by 6pm the evening before your lesson. Reply to the text if you get lost.

More than 48 hours ahead: full refund. 24–48 hours: half back. Inside 24 hours: no refund unless you have a doctor's note or a documented emergency. No-shows are charged in full. If Club Ed cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new time.

Group and semi-private surf lessons are for ages 12 and up. SUP lessons are for ages 11 and up. Private lessons are open to all ages, and small children can ride tandem with a coach.

Yes. Parents are welcome on the beach, and a parent or guardian needs to be there anyway to sign the waiver for anyone under 18.

Yes — school trips, Scout troops, birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, wedding groups and corporate team days are regulars. Private groups start at three surfers ($130 per person), and groups of 10 or more get a discount. Call (831) 464-0177 to plan one.

Surfing is a physical activity in open water, and every lesson involves carrying a board, paddling and getting through the shorebreak. Tell us about your needs when you book and we will be honest about what we can support safely. If you are not sure, call the office before paying.

Yes. A private group lesson keeps your family together with your own coach for $130 per person, with a minimum of three surfers. For a family of two, book a semi-private lesson; for one child, book a private.

Club Ed camp is built for kids and teens. Tell us your camper's age in the booking notes and the office will confirm the session is a good fit before you pay.

A tent, a sleeping bag, swimsuits, towels, warm clothes for the evenings, sunscreen, a water bottle, any medication and quarters for the hot showers. Boards, wetsuits and meals are provided.

Yes, by phone reservation only. Call (831) 464-0177 at least a day ahead with your dates, board size and wetsuit size. Softboards are $30 a day, fiberglass Pearson Arrow boards $50, SUPs $60 and wetsuits $25.