What is the best surf camp for adults who are just learning to surf?

Question

What is the best surf camp for adults who are just learning to surf?

Answer 1

Check out Surfer magazine---this month they have a whole section dedicated to surf camps.  Ask your local shop, too.  Private lessons are a great way to go.

Surf Diva is pretty popular, and though it's mostly for women it also does a co-ed program as well.

Answer 2

Check out Richard Schmidt's camps - Santa Cruz in summer, Costa Rica in winter.

Consider buying his video first, available on his site for ~$30;

that's  at www.richardschmidt.com

or, try Chipper Bro in the Ventura area, another neat guy, at www.surfclass.com.

Call them up and and see who sounds more like your type of person.  Either way, get going on swimming distances, 1000 yds or more per session,  preferably freestyle, before showing up at a camp, or your upper-body muscles will fade faster than your enthusiasm.  

Or, if you are local to some other surf spot, see what's doing there - this is best if feasible, since, unlike skydiving or hang gliding, which can be learned in a few intense days, surfing is a gradual development cycle involving not only the physical stuff but immersion into and adoption of an entire subculture; more like skateboarding, or rock-climbing, except that water is soft.

Go for it!  Remember - everybody dies; not everyone lives first.

See you in the lineup sometime!

Answer 3

I guess that depends upon where you live.  Best bet is to go to your local surf shop and see if they offer adult camps.  If you are planning on taking up surfing you are going to need to be familiar with your local shops anyway.  If you don't live near the beach and are looking to travel to camp do a quick search on line or pick up a copy of one of the surfing magazines.  There are lots of good beginner surf camps out there both in the US and in some pretty great locations like Costa Rica.