What’s Up Paddleboard Surf Company

This place is out if business and now is called OCEANSIDE PADDLEBOARD. Located in the same location but a different owner and staff. They are awesome… try them.

I think this business is closed. I called the # listed here on Unilocal for it, and also which was on a Groupon I bought for the company a while back. Jim, who apparently has been mentioned in prior reviews as the owner, answered the phone with just a gruff «hello». When I asked him if this was the «What’s Up Paddleboard Surf Company?» He quickly and rudely just said no and hung up. LOL.

First time paddling for my boyfriend and I. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. Ramona is fabulous and gave us great advices. The area is very pretty, charming and relaxing! I highly recommend this place for whom want to share a nice outdoor activities!

We’d never been paddle boarding before. My wife & I are… let’s just say, middle aged. Our two young nephews were visiting from out of the area. The water was too cold for a trip to the beach, so paddle boarding was perfect.
Ramona met us at our assigned time, gave us brief instructions, answered all our questions and off we went. The equipment was in excellent condition and easy to manage. Ramona took us on a tour of Oceanside harbor. We saw plenty of sea lions and even one dolphin.
By the end of our 1 hour tour we felt comfortable as beginning paddlers. The duration was just long enough to be fun but not tiring. Ramona was cheerful, helpful and encouraging. I’m planning on bringing more family for paddling when they visit this summer. Great fun and amazingly affordable.

I was pleasantly surprised by how great my experience was. The reservation process was easy. Finding the location was simple and saved time since they are located right by the water. Stand-​up paddleboarding is fun and also a good workout. This was a great choice, especially since it was my first time trying it and they taught me everything I needed to know. The owners were so patient and helpful. Thank you!

Made a reservation with Jim by phone for a lesson for a group of 4 and was a little apprehensive since he answered the phone rather casually and I initially thought I’d dialed a sleeping person, not a business. Based on the call alone, I probably would’ve opted for another operation, but my first option was already booked for the weekend.
SO — we arrived on-​time to discover that our reservation had been given away to another couple that arrived shortly before us. I was confused since we had a reservation for 4, but there was only 2 of them, but Jim told us he asked them where the other 2 were and they said they only had the 2 of them. (How this explanation holds any water makes no sense to me.) He further explained that he didn’t have any print-​out or information (like my full name and phone number) to verify with this couple. Not a smart way to run a business if you ask me.
Also, they aren’t located where their address and website advertises — so, they’re no longer in the Jolly Roger dock, but further south in front of the Dominic’s dock. They have no signage or «storefront» except to find them at the end of the dock. Jim told me to look for him or his wife Ramona at the end of the dock — so, when I encountered a woman at the end of the dock, I asked, «Hi, are you Ramona?» and she gave me what came across as a nasty look and practically snarled, «Jim will be back!» When Jim got there, I figured out why I received such a frosty reception from Ramona — because she was busily getting the couple who took our reservation (AND our paddle boards) on their way and couldn’t be bothered with the group that had actually made a reservation.
As a result of the mix-​up, Jim didn’t have enough paddle boards for our group of 4. (You guessed it, because he’d just given away 2 of them!) So, we had a good time watching him run around to the rental company sharing the dock trying to hustle up some extra paddle boards. Nearly a half hour later — he’d managed to get some that had (luckily) come back in.
The lesson itself was marginal (i.e. Get on the paddle board and stand up. There’s not much else to it!) — maybe 5 minutes tops? Plus — the paddle for one of the boards he gave us was NOT for paddle boarding making it quite difficult to turn. Two people in our party had a challenging time (to say the least) navigating due to the marginal lesson and the group was broken up with one person making it to the mouth of the harbor, another making it ¾ way to the mouth and 2 barely making it halfway out (and one of these 2 stuck in a dock for some time.)
Net — this is a VERY new business that isn’t equipped to deal with a lot of people. Beware of reservations not being honored on time (if you’re pressed for time). And — if you’re seeking a real «lesson» in paddle boarding, this may not be the best value given the other options available. You’ll just have to book earlier than the week before.