We were looking for the ultimate California surfing experience for our family: Mom, Dad, two boys 10, 13 and daughter, 15. All were first-time surfers. I was concerned about finding a good teacher (and not just some “dude” at a surf shop) to make sure everyone had a good first experience. All five of us took a group lesson from the Van Curaza Surf School. They made it super easy. They had wetsuits and surfboards for all of us right there at their shop, which is about about a 200 foot walk from the Pismo Beach Pier which is some of the best surfing for beginners on the Central Coast. After suiting up in the shop, we learned a lot about what to look for in a good surf spot, how to stay safe (in my view, this alone was totally worth the cost of the lessons,) and a specific process for standing up on your surf board. Van’s been teaching for 25 years and it shows – he really knows his stuff, and kept the kids engaged the whole time with his good sense of humor! Van breaks down the process of standing up on the board into a series of steps that everyone mastered on land before we went to the water. Believe me, without that process, I would have been a thrashing mess without lessons. We had two instructors for the five of us, Van and Mike, and our whole family was able to stand up for multiple rides, and had a great time we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. I highly recommend the Van Curaza Surf School!

– Steve Tennant & Family, Orinda, CA

"Van is great! He is fun to be around with and he got me to stand up on the board my first time! Oh, and he convinces me to do stuff and I try my best to do it and when I don’t do what he says he explains what I did wrong and helps me get it right."

– Ethan Moffitt, 8 years old, Los Angeles, CA

"I'm still riding my adrenaline rush from an AMAZING surf lesson with Van. He said it would be life changing, and it certainly was... as I'm getting close to my divorce being final and my 37th birthday is fast approaching... this was the best thing I could have done to put closure to one chapter of my life and celebrate a new beginning. I was ready and fired up (and scared) to give this a try... Van guided my best girlfriend and I to trust him, and most of all, ourselves. That morning as our lessons ended, we walked away ecstatic surfer chicks with a newfound strength and pride in ourselves. That was as Van says, priceless – and then some. He instructs you on not only how to hang ten, but gives you the fundamentals of the ocean currents and waves so you will be smarter and safer once in the water. He's the best; a true professional, he eases any anxieties, you quickly trust him, and he makes it a a great time! We're hooked and ready for our next lesson! Hope to set up another lesson soon."

– Stephine Leal-Collier

"As someone approaching her 37th birthday, learning to surf was not something I expected to do. And yet I found myself in a wetsuit with a surf board along side my best girlfriend learning to surf. It was an amazing experience, more so than I ever expected. I'm one of those people who is always thinking, usually of five things at a time. When we were finished with our lesson, the first thing I thought of was... 'Wow, we did it!' Then I realized while I was out in that water I thought of absolutely nothing but surfing. That is truly a gift, one that I hope to experience again. There are many reason why I did this; to give my kids the courage to try and for myself, to show I can do things outside of the box. And for anyone else wanting to learn, Van is a wonderful teacher. You will not be disappointed."

– Renee Wilhite