Beginner Spot/Lessons in Califronia

[CaliBound]

My fiance and I are going on a honeymoon roadtrip from San Fran down to LA and want to take some surfing lessons on the trip. Any recommendations? Neither of us have surfed before but are both pretty athletic. Thanks.

[billie_morini]

Santa Cruz is an excellent place to learn to surf. Suggest you get lessons form Richard Schmidt (http://www.richardschmidt.com/). Richard promises to get you standing up. He did it with my very own wife, too. You can get semi-private lessons or private lessons.

Some general rules:
1. The farther south you go, the warmer the water becomes. Santa Cruz is almost as cold as San Fran, but I really liked it when I lived and surfed up there
2. It's warmer here in the Central Coast (Santa BArbara & Ventura), but the surf is small to none in summer
3. a lot of water in Los Angeles is polluted. There is clean water with good surf north of LA, but you must know how to surf in order to go there
4. Do some surf lessons in Santa Cruz with Richard. Then do some more in Malibu. Water is warmer. CAll Zuma Jay's in Malibu to inquire about instruction. IF they do not offer any at this time, then inquire who may be good for you.

[RinkyDink]

Linda Mar in Pacifica is a great beginner spot, as far as I remember. You can try it before you cruise down to Santa Cruz.

[billie_morini]

Rinky,
Pacifica is really very close to San Fran. So, probably not far enough from Calibound's starting location. Yes, there are 2 surf schools really close to Linda Mar in Pacifica, but it's not really a good surfing spot. I used to surf there some winter evenings when I lived in NorCal. I remeber a lot of sloppy conditions.

No offense toward you, but there is so much better in the travel range Cali ound has planned.
billie

[RinkyDink]

Rinky,
Pacifica is really very close to San Fran. So, probably not far enough from Calibound's starting location. Yes, there are 2 surf schools really close to Linda Mar in Pacifica, but it's not really a good surfing spot. I used to surf there some winter evenings when I lived in NorCal. I remeber a lot of sloppy conditions.

No offense toward you, but there is so much better in the travel range Cali ound has planned.
billie

It's all good. I just suggested Pacifica because it would allow them to surf in the morning and still do the San Francisco sight seeing thing in the afternoon.. Santa Cruz is too far away from SF to allow you to do both. Ocean Beach is not a great place to learn, in my opinion, because the current is so strong.