Group Surf Lessons
All the information about joining a large group lesson is right here below.
For information on doing a group lesson with your own group, such as for a birthday party, school scholarship group, international group trip, etc. please see our section all about Beach Events.
Having spent years as a surf instructor and beach go-er here in Los Angeles, I've witnessed firsthand the chaos and danger that often accompany large group surf lessons. It's disheartening to see students getting hurt, aggravating locals, alarming lifeguards, and ultimately tarnishing the beach experience for everyone involved. You know how many ankles I've seen the LACO lifeguards tape up? Sadly, many surf schools know do it anyway. It's easy money.
This scenario remains all too common, just ask the VSA!.
- Personalized Attention: In a private or small group setting, instructors can focus their attention on individual students, tailoring their guidance to each person's skill level and learning pace. This personalized approach fosters a safer and more effective learning environment compared to the one-size-fits-all approach of large group lessons.
- Safety First: Surfing inherently carries risks, but these risks are significantly heightened in crowded waters where inexperienced surfers struggle to navigate amidst a sea of others. Private or small group lessons minimize these risks by providing ample space and supervision, reducing the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
- Respect for Locals and Our Ocean: Large group lessons often draw complaints from local surfers and beachgoers due to overcrowding our breaks, disregard for etiquette, and just teaching wrong. Do you know how many good, or even decent surfers I know started with a group lesson? Honest answer, ZERO.
By opting for smaller lessons, surfers demonstrate respect for the local community and the natural environment, fostering a more harmonious relationship between visitors and residents. - Quality Learning Experience: Learning to surf is a skill that requires time, patience, and individualized feedback. Private or small group lessons afford students the opportunity to receive comprehensive instruction, practice techniques in a supportive setting, and progress at their own pace, ultimately leading to a more rewarding learning experience.
In contrast, joining large group lessons can be characterized as imprudent, perilous, and counterproductive. The overcrowded conditions and lack of personalized attention not only impede learning but also jeopardize the safety and enjoyment of everyone involved.
So, if you're considering embarking on a surfing journey, I urge you to prioritize quality over quantity. Invest in private or small group lessons, where safety, personalized instruction, and respect for the sport and its environment are paramount. It's not just about learning to ride the waves—it's about doing so responsibly and with reverence for the ocean and its community.
The reward for reading all this: objectively speaking, doing a regular private surf lesson is not that much more. Now subjectively, if it really is too much for you, please give us a call and I will see what I can do for you. I'd rather see you get a better for lesson for less with my school than do a group lesson and risk going through what you just read here.
Beach Events
Before you read the following pitches, know this: if you're doing a beach event where everyone is surfing with us, we will ensure it gets done in a safe manner, where everyone catches waves instead of dodging boards and struggling at the shorebreak. We have a whole page about the way you won't see this surf school do them here.
Jump down to see the logistics on how we DO provide group lessons for your own family, company, birthday party, travelers, etc.
Picture this: You're stuck in your office, drowning in paperwork, and dreaming of catching sick waves. Sounds scary, honestly. BASS is here to rescue you from the corporate grind, plain old sightseeing, or being stuck inside for a special occasion. So flip the script on those boring boardroom meetings and trade them in for meetings on real boards.
surf lessons do this for your team:
- Builds relationships between people, both personal & professional. Fun experiences bring people together!
Call us to share your ideas, number of surfers, and rates!
If you're looking for a birthday party for your grom or grom-to-be, you've come to the right place! Kids' birthday parties are the event version of Surf Camp LA, so it's something we do all summer. Check out that page if you want to get an idea of what that's like! It's pretty much the same idea, plus cake and ice cream, obviously.
Why surf lessons are a great birthday activity:
-Healthy Outdoor Activity. Surfing encourages kids to engage in physical activity outdoors, promoting a healthy lifestyle.
-It's a full workout! Nothing is better for a parent than a kid who's ready for bed at the end of the night.
-Promotes social interaction! Kids already interact at parties, but this gives them common ground to talk about. Sounds just like adults!
-It's memorable. "Mom, dad, remember the surf birthday?!" when your kid is in college will always be a fun conversation.
What a great idea for a party. And we have the staff to pull it off. So ditch the indoor drudgery for this birthday, and call BASS to set up a stoke-ful birthday beach bash!
PS: we bring games, boards, wetsuits, sports stuff, personality, anything else we normally offer at Surf Camp LA—we've got the tents, too!
What better way to mix up your schoolwork and schedule than to go surfing? Let your students take a break in the ocean from their academics so they feel fresh when they get back to them. Surf lessons provide a platform for students to develop lots of skills in a supportive and adventurous environment.
Surf lessons do the following for students:
- Set up a sport for life. This is the age where those between adolescent and young adults have the greatest chance to not only fall in love with surfing, but have the physical capability to get good at it.
- Stress Relief. It's hard being a student these days. Probably harder than ever. Promise that getting the stoke on a surfboard will make your student not even think about work.
- Life Skills Development. Surfing teaches valuable life skills such as perseverance, resilience, adaptability, all while stepping out of comfort zones.
- Team Building. Forget group projects, surfing is something students will actually want to do in a group.
This may be the one we've done for the longest time. We've done beach events for Los Angeles RoboTech Camp, UCLA Anderson School of Management, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Marshall School of Business, & Keck School of Medicine, Pasadena City College Outdoor Club & School of Dentistry, and tons of International Schools.
- Cultural Immersion. Experiencing different cultures firsthand fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world, promoting global citizenship among participants.
- Language Acquisition. I know when I travel, doing a different type of group activity is the best way to listen to and comprehend my Spanish or French. We also don't only speak English!
- Personal Growth. Navigating unfamiliar environments and encountering diverse perspectives challenges individuals to step outside their comfort zones, fostering personal development and resilience.
- Bonding Experience. Sharing unique travel experiences creates lasting bonds among group members, fostering memories and camaraderie.
