Whitlock Surf Experience

Just got back from an amazing surf lesson for my daughter with Carl. She had such a fun time and learned so much. He was encouraging and patient with her, teaching her lots of skills. Thanks again Carl, you were awesome! Would definitely recommend to others :-)

These guys deserve way more than 5 stars!!! They treated us like we were their long time surf buddies, not total strangers who’d never surfed before, and just bought a groupon to get started. They made all of us feel totally at ease and we had SO MUCH FUN! THese guys clearly love what they do and they’ll make you love it, too! We all got up and rode waves on the first day and now we have enough confidence to go out and keep surfing every chance we get. Plus we got a nice little historic tour of Oceanside and restaurant recommendations. Carl told us all about the Thursday evening street fair that happens every week right near the shop, so we hung out after our lesson and had a really good time the rest of the evening! Carl is right, surfing DOES make food more awesome! I cannot recommend this place highly enough! My hubby and I had our own wet suits, because we recently moved here and are taking up surfing. We didn’t rent theirs, but they gave a some tips about caring for our suits and making sure we and them are surf ready at all times! We even got a little lesson on surf board shaping in their shaper studio at the back of the shop. GREAT PLACE!!!

The friendly crew at Whitlock kept us coming back all through our Spring Break. My fiancée and I loved learning with them — they were passionate and very thorough. We took a two-​hour class from them and rented our boards and suits from them after that. The guys had us catching waves in no time so I have to say that it was a very successful experience for us! They also gave us a fun tour of the town and tips on local eateries so that was an extra plus.
We loved our time in Oceanside because of them and will be sure to swing by every time we’re in the area. If you’re looking for experienced and patient teachers (Adam and Carl were ours), look no further! Whitlock Surf Experience far exceeded any expectations we had about surfing lessons and we would recommend them to anyone.

Awesome experience here and awesome staff! Got me up and surfing in no time! Definitely recommend this place to new surfers– check them out on Groupon for some sick deals too!

Corey and Karl are awesome. We were running super late for a lesson and they waited for us. They were just all around really friendly guys and great surf instructors. They even gave us a little tour of Oceanside after the lesson! Highly recommended!

These guys are great. My husband and I had so much fun learning to surf. I definitely feel more comfortable in the ocean that I ever did before. We are going to go back and try an early morning surf class.

My experience here was a 6 star! I was a walk-​in. I was just strolling down town Oceanside. I peaked insde was gretes with a smile and a Hand shake right away. It turned out I was in a screan printing company with their surf company couple doors down. They stop what they were doing to give me a full tour of their facility. I could not be more impressed with their company. These guys are any business owners dream. Employees who understands customer service. I wish you guys the best. Will see you soon!

I came on a business trip to Carlsbad and couldn’t leave without taking a surf lesson. I saw all the great reviews of Whitlock and they didn’t disappoint! Carl was awesome and so patient! He helped me on every wave and walked me through each step over and over haha It was a beautiful day and so much fun… couldn’t have asked for a better experience!!! I will definitely be back next time I’m in the San Diego area!

I totally recommend Whitlock Surf Experience. They really take care of their customers. The surf instructors were all great and super chill. I’ll definitely come back again.

I would absolutely recommend the Whitlock Surf Experience. This is a family who knows what they are doing. Cory is an exceptional surfer and a genuine person, along with his whole family. You’re in great hands with these guys! I highly recommend them!

Rodney and Carl were both so great! I had a blast out there today! Thank you both for teaching me to surf! :)

I took my boys, ages 11 and 14, on a vacation to Southern California in July. We took a surfing lesson with Carl and Rodney. They promised that we would all get up on the board, and they did not disappoint. They made it seem easy — first by teaching us the technique and having us practice on the beach before getting into the water, then by looking for the right waves for us to take, and giving us a little shove at just the right moment so all we had to do was to focus on getting up on the board using the technique they showed us. Rodney took photos of us and emailed them to us afterwards. It was a wonderful experience that my boys and I will not forget. I would highly recommend their classes to others.

We had a 1 pm appointment for 2. We arrived really early — like 11:30am — and Carl and Rodney were just great. They got us checked in, fitted for a wetsuit, and even had us park our car in the free lot behind their store!
They told us where to meet them on the beach (north side of the pier, before guard station 2, for us), and we just went down and enjoyed the sun and sand before the lesson.
At 1:05 they met us with our other two classmates (it’s a 5 minute walk from the storefront to the beach), and Rodney got right in to water and board safety.
There were a lot of boards for people to learn on — my sister and I had great big stand up paddle boards because they’re sturdier and easier to learn on — and Rodney did a great job of sizing up our skills and assigning boards.
The wet suits they provided were clean and dry and freshly washed. Yeah, there may be sand on them, but that makes sense — it’s a beach. Sand is literally everywhere.
The lesson was great. Rodney would go through one at a time and help us with everything from how to manage your board with waves coming at you, to adjusting how we position on the board to make sure we were getting better rides. He’s a funny dude, a jovial mix of flirt, jokes, and ensuring everyone is having a really good ride. He also made sure we got out periodically to rest and drink water, and offered us all kinds of great snacks.
We got a groupon and paid $ 82 for 2 two hour lessons, but they really suggest going right to the website to get the same kind of deal and they won’t lose a portion of the sales. Seems like a win win to me!
They also have return user discounts, so if you’re a local that could be great.
They also sell locally made clothes, bathing suits, board shorts, jewelry, and other necessities/​perks.
Really recommend these guys!

Rod Olea and the rest of the crew at Whitlock Surf Experience went out of their way to make my family’s lesson an amazing, fun time! I have a destroyed knee and I thought I would never stand up on a board. Rod had me up and standing the very first time! He patiently helped all four of us have an outstanding time! The lessons were a treat for my daughter’s birthday and he had her laughing and enjoying the water so much she wants to go surfing tomorrow! Thanks for a great experience!

I came to San Diego for a solo weekend trip and decided to take a surfing lesson. I’m not a great swimmer and was very nervous, but Rodney and Carl made me completely at ease. They’re very easygoing and great instructors so I knew I was in good hands. Both Carl and Rodney worked with me over the course of the lesson to help me get the mechanics and movements down. It was absolutely one of the greatest feelings when I stood up on the board and rode the wave all the way in!
I loved the experience so much that I convinced a friend to come to SD with me in a couple of weeks to take a lesson with these guys!

We just completed our first ever surf lesson with instructors Carl, Rodney and Mia. My wife and I both caught waves and had a good time.
There were 6 in our group and everyone got up and rode waves. I believe instruction on the beach before hand and going over safety was very important in not only learning how to surf, but being respectful of others.
I look forward to going back and trying a smaller board for my next experience. Thanks again to the entire staff at Whitlock for a memorable adventure.

RW Experience was awesome!
4 surfers, 3 instructors, lots of one on one instruction. Had a great time and learned a lot!

An excellent experience! I definitely recommend this shop for a surf lesson.
Prior to my 2 hour surf lesson, I got to catch a glimpse behind the scenes at their factory location. Printing their merchandise and making some boards, they welcomed me with a smile while I waited to start my lesson.
My instructor accurately evaluated my skill level and he drove us to the ideal stretch of beach for me. Using an 8′ board we set put on the waves and to my pleasant surprise, I was able to stand on my second wave; thanks to the on land instruction.
The whole lesson, I learned a lot! With tips and snippets of information as we swam, I learned not only how to ride, but how to evaluate opportune areas to surf. My instructor was also eager to answer all of my random questions about surfing. It felt more like a friend was teaching me how to surf. I look forward to have many many more surf experiences, thanks to this lesson!

My niece came out from Ohio and wanted to try surfing. I found Whitlock on a website. The staff at the office on Mission were very helpful and explained everything very thoroughly. We went down to the ocean where the instructor was very nice, helpful and walked through everything step by step. She had a great time and turns out she was pretty good at it!
Highly recommend for anyone looking for lessons. Ask for «Bruce Willis!»

If you ever wanted to surf, Whitlock is the way to go. So fun!
I took a surf lesson for the first time with Whitlock this weekend. It was soooooo awesome!
I always wanted to try, and Oceanside is a perfect place to surf. You meet at their store on Mission St, grab a wetsuit and get to check out some sweet surf boards. There’s even a super small board that was the first board Cory, one of the owners of this family run business, had — at age 2. It was a nice touch.
At the beach, we spent a couple minutes learning some basics like how to stand and lay on the board, and then we went into the water. We started on beginner boards which helped to learn to stand up. I was standing after a couple waves! Rodney, the instructor, had a great way of teaching how to stand up. I’m not super athletic, and it was really doable. He is a great instructor, and really knows his stuff. He teaches in a really easy to get way. And was giving more advanced people in the group great tips for their level.
It was seriously so much fun, getting out there, standing up and riding the waves in. Awesome surfing experience!
I also got to check out their workshop, where they make RW Surfboards. These are all hand crafted, and there’s obviously so much care that goes into making the custom boards. It was really awesome to see these too.
The whole thing from start to finish was such a great experience. I’d recommend them to anyone who wants a great surf lesson! These guys are awesome!