Kapowui Surf School: Best in Venice Beach 5 Years

Join Kapowui’s award-winning 2-hour surf lesson in Santa Monica. Experience the Aloha spirit, expert instruction, and guaranteed wave-riding success. Embrace the true surfer vibe.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Professional guide
  • Surfboard, wetsuit and instructor
  • Local taxes
  • All activities
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Kapowui has been recognized as the best surf school in Venice Beach for the past five consecutive years.
As a family-operated business, Kapowui stands as a symbol of Southern California.
We live, breathe, and dream surfing, teaching it to share our passion and excitement for the sport. It’s a lifestyle choice that brings meaning to our lives.
All of…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(95 Ratings)
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Cclark1219
Oct 12, 2024
Great surfing lessons! - Will was a great instructor! Very patient and friendly, surf was manageable for beginner, overall fun experience. Would surf with them again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H2762sbjamesf
Dec 10, 2023
Almost literally walking on air - A 2hr lesson where at least 50% of the waves were way above my very basic level (and only a few others even trying on the whole stretch of beach). But got the patience, advice and inspiration to stay on and eventually complete a full ride from a way out all the way on up to the beach that was topped off with some claps from some passers-by and the instructor giving the surfers thumb/finger wave thing 🤙. It was over a month ago and I’m still riding high. Thanks Kapowui.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joshuahw6035pr
Jul 19, 2023
THE place in LA to try surfing - Fun Surf LA is all-around great. Our instructor Fernando was outstanding. His passion for surfing came through in everything he did, and he communicated all the key points in clear, easy-to-understand terms. The instructional portion of the lesson was fast-paced, but not overwhelming. And once we got in the water, he was the perfect mentor. He knew when to step in and when to hang back -- he was as good at reading his students as he was at reading the waves. We were a group of 3 beginners -- two adults and one 17-year-old -- and we all stood up at least a couple times by the end of the lesson. All 3 of us left feeling like we wanted to go surfing again as soon as possible. We’re hooked -- thank you so much, Francisco! We would recommend anyone who wants to try surfing for the first time, or anyone wishing to brush up their skills, to do it through Fun Surf LA. Our entire experience was great. I booked the lesson at the last minute without carefully reading the "at least 24 hours in advance" policy. Actually, we were too late to take a lesson the following morning. But when I called that day, the person I spoke with was extremely helpful and accommodating. They found several slots for us and gave us options with the minimum of hassle. It was clear they wanted us to have a good time. Can’t recommend Fun Surf LA highly enough. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
461rachellea
Jun 29, 2023
Brilliant surfing lesson - Our son had a surf lesson with Liam and the photos done by Marjan. He had an absolute ball learnt heaps had fun. The photos were plenty and brilliant. All instructors friendly and fun. It was everything we had hoped for. Would highly recommend and definitely would do again if back in town
Review provided by Tripadvisor
858rosannaa
Jul 13, 2022
A moment of happiness - It has been a fantastic experience to be able to ride on the waves. This was my favorite thing. I would advise anyone who want to put himself in the game to try this experience with the help of instructors qualified, very kind and enthusiastic like those I found in the Kapowui surf school.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharonmm9836pp
Jul 13, 2022
Amazing surf experience - All 3 of our kids had a lesson with Liam and they loved him! They were all riding the waves within a short period of time! The staff at Kapowui is legit-they all love surfing and we’re passionate about our kids loving it as well. We loved seeing Liam cheer the kids on! Thank you Martin and Liam for an awesome experience yesterday! We will be back!!! 🏄‍♀️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karenhm5606el
Jul 13, 2022
Fantastic Experience! - Absolutely unforgettable experience! My sons ages 14 and 16 had a blast with Liam, who was engaging, knowledgable, enthusiastic and made sure the boys had the best time ever. It took a lot of energy to keep up with both boys at once, but Liam was amazing. If you want to learn to ride the waves, Kapowui is your company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brianlq4695vr
Jul 10, 2022
Awesome Surf Lessons - Ryan was patient with me and my 2 boys and made sure that all of us were able to get up and succeed. Highly recommend them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brantm33333333333333
Jul 1, 2022
One of the best experiences ever!! - This company is AWESOME! We are from Michigan and our 15 year old son had a two hour lesson with River. He learned a lot and was able to showcase what he learned in the water as well. He had never surfed before and after the quick lesson on the beach, he was able to catch a bunch of waves. River gave a lot of tips and was very encouraging as well. River brought his board out into the water to visually show our son his surfing techniques. Coming from the teaching world it was great to see an I do, We do, You do gradual release teaching approach! The company greeted us like we were family from the beginning. Every employee there was super welcoming. They even gave us an option of utilizing a board afterwards, if he wanted to surf some more. They provide everything and as parents we could watch from the beach.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Plandrito
Jun 27, 2022
Two thumbs up! - I received a 2 hour gift certificate for 2 people for Kapowui, and I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. PAT was so awesome and an outstanding teacher. We took 30 minutes going over the parts of the board and practiced our surfer stance repeatedly until we got it perfect. Then we had 1.5 hours of surfing in the water. With PAT's excellent teaching skills, we were able to successfully catch a few waves. It was so much fun. We fell in love with surfing and can't wait to surf again. If you are looking for a place to learn to surf, I highly recommend Kapowui. It was easy to book on their site. Communication on where to park and where to check in was clear. My sister (the person I took the lesson with) had previously taken a surfing lesson at another company in norcal and said that Kapowui was so much better in matter of instructor. Thanks Kapowui & Pat!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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