How to Surf for the First Time in Venice Beach: A Beginner’s Guide

In this guide: Why Venice Beach · When to come · What to bring · Wetsuits and water · Where we meet · What happens in a lesson · Choosing a lesson · First-wave tips · FAQ · Ready to book

So you want to learn to surf in Venice Beach. There’s nothing quite like the first time you feel the rush of a wave lifting you up and shooting you toward shore, and Venice is one of the best places in Los Angeles to make it happen.

This guide walks you through everything a first-timer needs to know: when to come, what to bring, what actually happens in a lesson, how we’re different from other schools, and how to stand up on your first day. We’ve taught thousands of people to surf at the Venice Pier, and most of them are up and riding whitewater within their first session.

Why Venice Beach is a great place to learn to surf

Venice has at times gotten a bad rap for being crowded, touristy, and dirty. But let’s tackle why it’s actually ideal for learning.

Sandy bottom, no rocks or reef. When you fall (which you will), you’re landing in sand and soft water, not on coral or rocks. That makes learning a lot less intimidating. Surfing is far less painful than a lot of other board sports, like snowboarding, and knowing you’re falling into sand and water removes much of the fear of injury so you can focus on your technique.

A very active, exposed beach break. Unlike many places around the world, Venice is exposed to many swell directions, which means we have waves year-round. We’re not prone to flat spells or long lulls, so every session is full of opportunity. When the waves are bigger, whitewash is still a great place to find your stoke, and if the beach is busy, a short walk usually brings us to a spot with fewer people and plenty of waves.

It’s right in the heart of coastal Los Angeles. No two-hour drive up the coast. If you live in Los Angeles, you can learn to surf before your workday starts. If you’re visiting, we’re 15 minutes from LAX and about 7 minutes from the freeway, and there’s almost always parking available. We’re also not on the boardwalk, so we avoid much of the weekend traffic that plagues that area. If you want to visit the boardwalk after your session, we’re about an 8-minute walk away, and about a 4-minute walk to the canals.

A real surf community. Venice has been a surf town for decades, so learning here means learning where locals actually surf. Beyond that, Venice Beach Surf Club hosts plenty of social events and the occasional international surf retreat for our clients and former students, so if you’re looking to make new friends around your level, we’re here to help.

Water quality. There was once a time when Venice was genuinely dirty and water quality was a real concern, but today that’s largely an old trope from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Beach cleanups happen regularly, often including events hosted by Heal the Bay (you can sign up for a beach cleanup here). We also encourage our students to pick up a piece of trash at the end of every lesson. On top of that, the Ballona Creek interceptor has been a revelation for water quality across the Santa Monica Bay. If you’re still skeptical, check the Los Angeles County beach water quality report card or Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card, where you’ll find that the Venice Pier rates an A grade most of the year.

When to come: the best time of day and year for beginners

Time of day: Mornings, almost always. Early in the day the wind is usually light and the ocean is at its cleanest and calmest, with glassy or offshore conditions. By afternoon, onshore wind tends to pick up and chop the water up, which makes it harder to read and catch waves, so if you can, book a morning lesson. For this reason, our latest start time is generally noon, with two morning sessions at 7am and 9:30am. Wind is usually better in the morning, but the tide can sometimes make the early sessions a little more difficult, and checking our surf forecast will help you sort through it.

Time of year: Spring through early fall (roughly March through October) generally brings smaller, mellower waves that are gentler for first-timers. Winter can deliver bigger, more powerful swells that are better suited to experienced surfers. That said, Venice is beginner-friendly year-round: with the right instruction, we pick the best spot and time based on the day’s conditions, and we never run classes when it isn’t safe to do so. Summer and fall tend to have warmer water.

Check the forecast first. Conditions change daily, so before you come, take a look at our free Venice Beach 3-Day Surf Forecast. It shows wave height, wind, tide, and beginner-friendly skill-level grades, so you know what you’re wading into. You can also book your lesson on the forecaster so you pick the perfect time.

What to bring and what we provide

Good news: the gear is handled. Every Venice Beach Surf Club lesson includes a surfboard and wetsuit at no extra cost, so you don’t need to buy or rent anything to get started.

What you should bring: a swimsuit to wear under your wetsuit (board shorts, bike shorts, or a one-piece all work great), a towel, water to stay hydrated, reef-safe sunscreen (the SoCal sun is no joke, even on cloudy days), and, optionally, a change of clothes and a bag for wet gear.

What to leave at home or in the car: jewelry and anything valuable you don’t want getting sandy or lost in the water. If you need to leave personal items with us, or even just your car keys, we have a bin in the truck where you can store them safely while we’re out, and the truck is locked when we’re not there.

Wetsuits and water temperature

The Pacific can be colder than people expect, even in summer. July, August, and September are generally in the high 60s to low 70s. October and November vary a lot depending on the year: big wind events can really chill the water, but in a calmer stretch temps can stay relatively warm deep into fall, ranging anywhere from the high to low 60s. December through February tend to be in the low 60s and high 50s. March is often the coldest time of year, with water generally in the high 50s. From April to June, the water gradually warms back up toward summer temperatures.

That’s why we provide a wetsuit with every lesson: it keeps you warm so you can focus on surfing instead of shivering. Wear your swimsuit underneath and we’ll get you suited up before you hit the water. If the water is warmer and you’d rather go without a wetsuit, we also provide rash guards at no additional charge.

Where we meet and where you’ll surf

We meet in the parking lot on the south side of the Venice Pier, in Venice Beach. Your instructor will be there with the boards and wetsuits ready to go, so just show up in your swimsuit with a towel. We generally park near the permanent bathroom structure. During weekends in the busier months (June through October), we’ll park across the lot from the bathrooms, perpendicular to the other parking spaces. You’ll be looking for a burgundy Dodge Ram with a black camper shell on it.

Getting there and parking: We always park in the paid parking lot at the end of Washington Boulevard, right where Washington terminates into the Venice Pier. The lot doesn’t have its own address, so the closest one is Nalu Vida, at 1 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292. Once you arrive at that address, you won’t be able to miss the parking lot. When you enter the lot, you’ll see the Venice Pier in front of you, and you’ll head to the left, which is the south side of the pier. If you’re having trouble finding us, send us a text at (424) 321-8272 and we’ll send you a picture of where we’re parked so you can find us easily. If you pay for parking in the same lot it covers a whole day of parking. its generally cheaper to buy in the mornings

What actually happens in a beginner surf lesson

If you’ve never done it, here’s the play-by-play so there are no surprises.

Meet at the truck. Try to be there 5 to 10 minutes before your start time so we can take care of all the little things before the lesson begins. We’ll sign waivers, size you for a wetsuit and board, and get you suited up.

Land instruction (about 45 minutes to an hour). Before you get anywhere near the water, your instructor covers the fundamentals on the sand: how to lie on the board, how to stand on it, how to paddle, how to pop up (going from lying down to standing in one smooth motion), timing basics, and of course; ocean safety.

Into the water (1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes). With an instructor guiding you, you’ll put everything you learned on land into practice in the water. As you start to get the hang of it, we’ll give you more and more independence to try on your own. If conditions allow and you’re getting the hang of it, your instructor will hop out and take pictures so you can keep the memory forever, at no additional cost.

Head back and rinse off. We’ll head back to the truck, and you’ll rinse the wetsuit at the public shower to help us keep our gear clean and fresh for everybody. Then we’ll say our goodbyes.

We keep our groups small (max 6 people) so you get real, individual attention instead of getting lost in a crowd of 10 or more. If we start a little late we try and still make sure everyone has a full 2 hours of lesson time. We also take free photos of your session, so you’ll have proof of that first ride to show everyone, plus, probably, a few funny wipeouts.

Group, private, or semi-private: which lesson is right for you?

Group lessons ($75): the best value and a great place to give this your first try. Small groups (max 6), boards, wetsuits, and free photos are all included, and it’s a fun, social intro to surfing.

Private lessons ($140): one-on-one with an instructor. It’s the fastest way to improve, whether it’s your very first time or you want focused coaching on a specific skill.

Semi-private lessons ($180): bring a friend or loved one and learn together, still with plenty of individual attention. One booking covers two people.

Not sure which fits? A group lesson is the perfect place to start, and you can always level up to private coaching once you catch the bug. There are also package deals on private lessons, which can make things more economical if you really want to progress.

Book your Venice Beach surf lesson now

Quick tips to stand up on your first wave

Build the process one step at a time. Your first few waves will probably feel chaotic. A lot of beginners try to do everything all at once, and it ends up a jumbled mess. Focus on one step at a time and it gets a lot easier to move through them.

Pop up in one motion. The two things we look for in a quality pop-up are whether it’s efficient and whether it’s consistent. We often get students who learned a pop-up with three or four steps somewhere else, which just means three or four different failure points. We teach a quick, efficient pop-up that emphasizes consistency and sets you up for long-term success.

Take the time to lie on your board properly. How you lie on the board is foundational for everything that comes after it. If you’re not balanced, nothing else in the process will be balanced either, so be intentional about how you get on and lie on the board.

Commit. Mistakes are part of the process. When it’s time to go, just send it. Hesitation leads to falls, and falls are going to happen anyway, so you might as well give yourself the best shot by fully committing.

Relax and have fun. Everybody falls. The people who improve fastest are the ones who laugh it off and head right back out for the next one.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any experience to take a lesson?

None at all. Our lessons, especially group lessons, are tailored for total beginners, and the majority of students are standing up on their first day. If you don’t stand up the first day, don’t worry, we have many students who have become competant surfers who didnt find immediate success with their pop-up.

Do you provide the surfboard and wetsuit?

Yes, both are included in every lesson at no extra cost. Just bring a swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen.

There are a lot of surf schools in the area. Why should I choose Venice Beach Surf Club?

It’s true that there are a lot of surf schools in Venice, and many of them are very similar. Here’s what a lesson at many of these schools looks like: you show up, you get into a wetsuit, and that’s already eating into your lesson time. You get a 20-30 minute land lesson with very little insight into how or why you’re doing what you’re doing. They give you what we call a “one-size-fits-all” pop-up, which usually means getting up onto your knees first, or a pop-up with so many steps that, if you fall in love with surfing, you’re left with bad habits that can take years to unlearn. Because the lesson was so light on instruction, they won’t give you much freedom in the water to try things on your own. At the end, they’ll offer you photos or video for around $30, and then quietly hope you never come back looking to progress towards being an intermediate.

Here’s what we do instead: we take the time to properly explain everything and get you doing things the right way from the start. We work to get you to a point where you can do this at least a little on your own, because we’re confident letting you try once you’ve learned enough. We teach toward a bigger system, and we’re genuinely excited when students come back, because it means we get to build on what you already know instead of going backwards. Our biggest focus is moving students from total beginner to intermediate on the shortest possible path. Beyond that, we invest in our students and our community: we love facilitating lasting friendships and helping surfing become a lifelong passion, while being a positive contributor to the surf community at large. It’s worth mentioning that many of our regular clients came to us only after trying two or three other surf schools in the area, and once they did, they stayed. In short, we’re not trying to be a gimmicky experience. We’re trying to build real surfers.

Is Venice Beach a good place to learn to surf?

Yes. The beach break by the Venice Pier offers plentiful waves over a sandy bottom, with many potential takeoff zones, which makes it one of the more beginner-friendly surf spots in Los Angeles.

Is there a place to store my belongings?

Yes, we keep a bin in the truck for your personal items, and while we’re out surfing the truck stays locked.

Can my young child participate?

We generally accept children 12 and over, and for kids younger than 12 it’s on a case-by-case basis. The ocean can be intimidating even for adults, so if your child isn’t familiar with it, they may find it overwhelming even on a very small day. We do teach younger students, but we always ask that parents let us pull them out of the water if they’re feeling uneasy. We’re not interested in pushing anyone past their comfort zone. For younger kids, we’d suggest a private or semi-private lesson so you can be right there with them, or a private group lesson for the whole family. If you’d like to enroll your child, we strongly suggest reaching out so we can find the ideal conditions to give them the best possible experience.

Do I need to know how to swim?

No, though we strongly recommend it before taking a lesson. If you don’t know how to swim, reach out so we can plan to take you out at low tide, where the water won’t get deeper than thigh-deep. That way we know in advance and can make sure you’re never in a precarious position. Safety is our number one priority, and we do not provide life jackets.

Is there a place I can shower after?

Yes, there’s a public shower right near where we park.

How long is a lesson?

Two hours: the first half on land, the second half in the water.

How do I book?

You can book right on our website, or call or text us at (424) 321-8272.

Ready to catch your first wave?

Learning to surf is one of those things people put off for years and then wish they’d done sooner. Venice Beach is the perfect place to finally do it: great waves, the right gear, and instructors who are genuinely passionate about teaching first-timers.

Book your first surf lesson at Venice Beach Surf Club

We’ll see you in the water.