FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have never surfed before, Do you have a program for someone like me?

About 80%-90% of our students have never surfed before so don’t worry about being the only beginner. The only experience you need is to be comfortable swimming in the surf zone and be able to tread water for a minimum of 5 minutes.

I have some surf experience and want to work on more advanced maneuvers, do you offer programs for this?

Yes we work with students on intermediate and advanced levels of surfing including competitive surfing tips. We primarily use video to work with the more experienced students and also take them to other advanced surf breaks such as Trestles.

Can I bring my own equipment?

Yes, you are welcome to bring your own equipment if you have it in fact we recommend it. For those who need equipment we do provide surfboards and wetsuits. Lost Surfboards has provided us with some Demo Boards for our experienced surfers to try as well.

What is the ratio of students to instructors and what are the qualifications of the instructors?

Our student to instructor ratio varies depending on the students ability level. If you are a first time surfer we try to keep a ratio of 3-1, in some cases 1-1. Students with existing surf skills have a higher ratio of student to instructor. All instructors have years of surfing/ teaching experience as well as CPR certification. Instructors are handpicked and trained by surf camp director Professional Surfer Jason Senn in all aspects of surf training, including water safety techniques. Jason was the Presenter of the International Surfing Association Surf Coaching and Instructing Courses here in the United States.

Is there a lifeguard at the beach you use, I am worried about some of the safety aspects of surfing?

The beach we use is located in a California State Park and they do have lifeguards on duty at our location all summer. We also keep one of our instructors on the beach at all times to act as a lifeguard/instructor from the sand. If the conditions are too dangerous, which is rare, we don’t go in the water and have other activities. We are usually the only crowd at our beach so we don’t have to worry about locals or other surfers coming into our area.

What are the ages are of your campers? Am I too young/old to attend one of your programs?

The average age of our surf campers during our all age weeks are between 11-18. You are never too young or too old to learn to surf. We have taught people to surf as young as 6 and as old as 60. We now offer 3 adult only sessions a summer which are becoming quite popular, but we do have adults who attend our all age sessions as well. Our age limit this year will be 11 and up, unless otherwise specified.

What is the typical daily amount of time spent surfing?

This depends upon the student and their stamina. We are down at the beach about 6 hours a day and you are welcome to surf the whole time if you wish. We have 2 supervised instructional group sessions a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

What kind of supervision is there?

At night there are 2 overnight counselors who live at the camp with the students and supervise them at night. We are also located in a State Park Campground which has a 24 hour Ranger Patrol with whom we work closely with. All attending students are also required to sign, return and follow our camp guidelines (rules) which are sent out with our confirmation letter. If any rules are broken or any disruptive behavior takes place students will be sent home with no refund, no exceptions.

What airport is best to fly into, and do you provide a shuttle service?

The best airport to fly into is the John Wayne Orange County/ Santa Ana airport which is located around 30 minute from surf camp. We do have a curbside shuttle service which will meet you or your son/daughter in baggage claim. The cost is $65* each way, for an extra Fee they can meet you at the gate. Los Angeles and San Diego Airports are located 1 1/2 hours away and the shuttle cost is $85* each way.(*prices may adjust due to rapidly increasing gas prices)

Is there a place to put my valuables while I am at camp?

Yes, if you want to put your wallets, airplane tickets, passports or anything else in a safe place we can lock them in our motorhome. We accept no responsibility for valuables. We except no responsibility for any electronic devices, computers, phones or camera’s at surf camp. Bring these at your own risk.

Surf camps start on Mondays, when and what time do I need to be there if I am traveling from a long distance?

Surf camp sessions begin on Monday at 8am. Overnight campers should arrive between 7- 8am on Monday. Overnight campers traveling long distances by air can arrive on Sunday evenings. If arriving on Sunday evening you are responsible for your own dinner, we will order out pizza for dinner since our cook takes the night off. Departures can take place on Saturday morning.

What separates this surf camp from other surf camps?

We have been in the business of teaching people to surf for 22 years and have developed and perfected our teaching methods. This is one of the only surf camps run by a professional surfer who still competes on a top level to this date. Camp Director and professional surfer Jason Senn has devoted his life to introducing people to surfing and improving their skills. What started as a summer job for Jason has turned into a full time passion. Today many of our former students are winning competitions nationwide. One big difference between our camp and others is the beach we use.Our location is one of the least crowded waves in Southern California (shhhh! don’t tell anyone) making it easier and less intimidating to learn to surf. Since we are usually the only ones surfing at our beach you don’t have to worry about advanced surfers or angry locals flying past you. Another aspect that separates us from other camps is that all of our instructors are adults many of whom are or once were professional surfers themselves. We have developed a strong reputation via word of mouth that has even sent actress Julia Roberts our way for private lessons.

What is there to do after we are done surfing? What is there to do at night?

After a long day of surfing we head up to our base camp to relax and eat some snacks. A couple of times a week we go into town to visit surf shops and do some site seeing. At the base camp we have plenty of games to play such as Ping Pong, Foosball and other board games. After dinner we put in the video of the days surfing action that we caught on film then we watch a feature movie. Some nights we also have a campfire and recollect our days surfing stories.

Surf Camp Daily Schedule

TIME ACTIVITY
7:00 AM Wake Up
7:30 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Get Ready to Head to the Beach
9:00 AM Morning Instructional Surf Session
11:00 AM Free Time to Practice & Play Volleyball / Sun-Bathe / Relax
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Afternoon Instructional Surf Session Activity
3:30 PM Pack Things Up and Head Up to Camp
4:30 PM Free Time to Relax / Read / Play Ping Pong / Foosball / Skateboard / Go on Surf Shop Tour
6:30 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Watch and Review Video of Days Surfing Action
8:00 PM Watch Feature Movie
9:45 PM Get Ready for Bed / Tent Check
10:00 PM Sleep / Lights Out

Note: Daily schedule may vary due to surf and weather conditions (tides and wave size). We will have a surf shop tour one afternoon during the week. Weekend schedule varies with more outside activities planned. If you have any further questions that we have not answered feel free to E-Mail Us.