FAQ

Which is the best surf school in Pismo Beach? Well, every surf school out there says THEY’RE the best. Duh. But which one really is? I could tell you that it’s us but everyone is already going to tell you that. We’ve been the area’s favorite for like EVER. Our surf camps are through the city of Pismo Beach and the County of San Luis Obispo and we work with the Cal Fire Fire Department and Junior Lifeguard program.

Rather, the bigger flex is that we can’t teach everyone. So there are many who we recommend locally but only one company that does surf lessons and kayaks tours that we can tell you to STAY AWAY from. And that’s because they are unsafe. They put their white box truck near Fin’s Restaurant and the big dirt lot at the end of Grand Avenue in Grover Beach at the entrance to the dunes. Why are they unsafe? Well, besides using “instructors” that can’t swim, they have been known for scamming their customers by not using safety surf leashes, using surfboards well shorter than a beginner would use and a number of other scam techniques and all to increase their profit margin.

They also use multiple “sister” surf sites to look like they are everywhere. Because they’ve been kicked out of so many areas they have to. They just rip one sticker off their truck and put up another area name a little farther south than the last. You can also tell how fake they are by all the AI and photos from other areas used on all their websites. If you don’t believe us just call the Avila Beach Harbor Master and ask. The Avila Beach Harbor Patrol won’t even let these clowns in the parking lot. Mostly because they are unsafe and steal from their clients experiences. And if some kayak company says they can take 6 year olds through the sea caves, they’re friggin crazy. That’s suicide. It’s only clickbait.

You know why we don’t really have logos on our truck? When you’re as good as we are….you don’t even need them.

We’re like surf ninjas. We leave no trace. Trust only the best….it’s YOUR vacation.

You’re darn right we do. It’s a really good question to ask because it’s the equivalent of driving a car with no brakes. Some surf schools nearby don’t bother with surf leashes. That’s straight crazy. You don’t ski down a mountain without ski brakes, do you? We here at Sandbar Surf School use surf leashes. Because we surf and surfers use surf leashes. So unless you want to be chasing your surfboard all lesson (because you WILL be falling off) go with a surf school that has leashes. Seriously. We’re thinking of you in advance.

Anywhere from 2 to 4 students per instructor! If you have a group larger than 5, we will add an instructor to keep the student/instructor ratio to 3/4 per instructor. But we usually overstaff. You’re worth it and your children are too. If for some rare reason you got a group lesson and no one else is in that group, you WILL be charged for a private lesson. (Sorry, just how it’s gotta be.)

If you have your own, you’re more than welcome to bring it and use it. Otherwise, we do provide all the gear you need: surfboards, surf leashes, wetsuits and rash-guards for any size and any skill level.

Every student should bring a bathing suit to wear under your wetsuit that we provide. Bring a big smile, plenty of sun screen, water to keep you hydrated, and a towel. We’ve got the rest!

Payment can be made online, over the phone or through our website. But because fees & stuff are monsters these days and we are not a huge company, we have alternate forms of payment now, so give us a call 8058357873 to arrange. No cash or checks can be collected in the parking lot or on the beach. Just give us a call and we’ll getcha handled.

Students meet their instructor 15 minutes prior to the start of the class by the front door of the Sea Venture Hotel in the beach parking lot at 110 Park Avenue in Pismo Beach. Look for the BIG White Box Truck, that’s us! You’ll most likely see us unpacking surfboards from the truck for your lesson and jamming out to some music.

At the end of the class, the students will be back at the same meeting point. Past this time, parents/guardians are responsible for their kids.

Instructors will wait 15 minutes for a late student, and then will head to the beach to start the class. If a student arrives after the start of the class, the instructor might not be able to let him crash (for safety reasons, the other students cannot be left without supervision).

Look for the BIG white box truck that is mostly white (right now as we’re getting our new logos together) but look on our door and there are magnets that say “SANDBAR SURF” as there are a few imitators in our parking lot you don’t want to get confused with.

Booking can only be done by someone 18 years old or older. If you’re a kid, sorry, we gotta talk to the ‘rents first.

Payment can be done by credit card if using our online registration center with LIVE availability if you want to pay taxes and fees. If you don’t want to pay taxes or fees we have alternate methods of payment so just give us a call at (805) 835-7873.

No booking/payment can be done at the beach. Unless you speak to Jonny lol. He may jump you in the class if we’ve got room.

In case of difficult/hazardous conditions (storm, pollution, beach closure…), the instructor can decide to cancel a class. In that case, we will re-schedule the class to a later date. We’ll totally refund you if you have a class on a stormy day. Those are boo-boo conditions to learn in.

If a student cannot make it to a class, as long as we have a 24 hour’s notice, we will issue a class-credit and will reschedule the class. Jonny is easy to get ahold of in the case of emergencies or needing to switch or move dates/times around. However, if you stay up too late the night before and drink to many “lemonades” and want to cancel the morning of…No diggity. If you no-call, no-show on us…again, no diggity. Every day is a special project so we have to staff for your safety in advance.