Beautiful bright coral reefs, dolphins, and tropical fish are just a few examples of exotic wildlife that home in the warm, clear blue, glittering Puerto Rican sea. The beaches attract thousands of tourists every year looking to escape their realities and step into a blissfully relaxing dream filled with sun, sea, and sand.
If you’re looking to get up close and personal with the ocean, surfing is definitely the way to go. The warmth spreads all over your body as soon as you step into the water, feeling the ocean between your fingers as you paddle out to sea, the saltiness in your hair as you ride a glistening blue wave under the Puerto Rican sun.
Finding a legitimate and professional surfing school can be difficult. If you’re worried about your lack of experience, your children’s safety, or if you’re an experienced surfer wanting to improve your own technique, it can be hard to find exactly what you are looking for. Well, worry no longer, because we’ve done all the hard work for you!
Below are the 10 best surfing schools Puerto Rico has to offer, each detailing what each school has to offer so you can find the best school to fit your needs. These surfing schools are very welcoming to all ages and experiences so that you can find the right one for you that meets all of your needs.
Located in the beautiful scenic beach town of Rincón, Rincon Surf School provides expert ISA-certified (International Surfing Association) coaching to help you surf to the best of your ability with both land and water training to maximize your confidence in the water.
You have the choice of booking a group, private group, solo, or experienced surf lessons, allocating you to the right coach for maximum enjoyment in learning the art of surfing. This idyllic setting will transport you to paradise, and the expert coaching will help you gain the confidence that you need to reach your full potential and be the best surfer you can be.
Having been voted as Traveler’s Choice in 2020 and awarded a Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor in 2019, Rincón Surf School’s stellar reputation and dedication to going above and beyond in your surfing experience will nourish your body, mind, and soul.
Pros
ISA-certified instructors
Traveler’s Choice in 2020
Certificate of Excellence 2019
A variety of lessons to choose from
Cons
30 minutes of dry land training before getting in the water may feel too long for people
WOW Surfing School in San Juan promises to get you in the water 30 minutes into your first lesson, allowing you to experience the sport to the full and build your confidence up. Found at Isla Verde and San Juan, WOW has two sites for you to choose from at your convenience.
The expert team has over 30 years of experience in surfing and this family-owned business knows the ins and outs of Puerto Rican waters, leaving you in more than capable hands. WOW also offers open group lessons where you have the opportunity to meet new people, private group lessons for your family or friends, and one-on-one lessons for focusing solely on your own skills.
WOW also offers the chance to hire stand-up paddleboards and surfboards for your own use, building your confidence in surfing whilst having the safety of WOW just a stone’s throw away.
Pros
Choose between the group, private group, and one-on-one lessons
Based at two locations for your convenience
Surfboard and paddleboard rentals
Cons
The school is based in 2 locations which could cause confusion
Coastal town Luquillo is home to the Surfing Puerto Rico school on La Pared beach, renowned by surfers as one of the best surfing beaches in the whole of Puerto Rico.
At Surfing Puerto Rico, you will be coached by Brian Ramos, 2008 Champion of the Puerto Rico National Surfing Championships. Brian’s expert guidance and knowledge will be shared to make sure you are getting the best surfing experience and understanding of the sport, developing your physical surfing skills whilst your mind is fully at ease.
Surfing Puerto Rico aims to teach you the relaxation benefits of surfing, being at one with the ocean whilst your instructor supports you in your development. They also provide rental boards, but only to surfers with some experience to make sure you are as safe as possible in the water.
Pros
La Pared is an exceptional surfing beach
Coached by expert surfing coach Brian Ramos
Cons
The school is smaller compared to the rest, therefore, bookings may be more difficult
Carolina, found on the Northeast coast of Puerto Rico, is home to Water World Surfing School, one of the best beginner surf schools in Puerto Rico.
What makes Water World a great step for beginner surfers are their surf retreats, where guests stay at the PR Surf Hostel and have the chance to meet like-minded people, fully immerse themselves in Puerto Rican culture, and pay close attention to developing their surf skills.
In a maximum group of either 20, 10, or 6 people, or individual classes, Water World’s surf classes are suitable for anyone to attend to either learn new skills or develop already present experience. Last-minute bookings are available for on-the-day classes, which makes this surfing school even more relaxing!
Pros
Surfing retreats run by Water World help you focus on your surfing skills
Class sizes vary depending on how you’d rather learn
Last-minute and on the day bookings available
Cons
Bigger classes may lack personal guidance as there are more people to focus on
Spectrum Surf School is a very popular surf school as they don’t stick to one permanent location, they move to locations with the best tides. They can be easily reached by calling their office so you never have to worry about losing them!
Spectrum offers professional group and private lessons by certified coaches no matter your experience, and more experienced surfers looking to develop certain skills are able to customize private lessons to fit their needs.
A great feature of Spectrum Surf School is that they offer guided surf tours and paddle-board tours, giving you a great way to connect with Puerto Rico while seeing some of the most beautiful sights from a different perspective. As the school follows the best tides, you can always trust that you will be in capable hands.
Pros
Spectrum moves locations based on the best tides that day
Classes available for beginners and advanced surfers
Surf tours available
Cons
Moving locations could cause some transport issues for people, especially if you don’t know the area well
Pine Grove Surf Club was set up by 3 brothers who provide over 30 years of experience in surfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding to beginners and intermediate surfers in Carolina.
Surfing lessons are available for all ages and Pine Grove provides you with all the equipment you need to make the most of your lessons, which are an hour long with a certified surfing instructor.
Pine Grove also offers paddleboard, kayaking and, snorkeling tours, where you can learn an array of skills and techniques all from this one club. Surfing, snorkeling, and paddleboarding all take place at different locations, giving you the opportunity to further explore Puerto Rico whilst developing your water activity skills.
Pros
All ages welcome in surfing classes
Paddleboarding and snorkeling are available to try out
Certified surfing instructors
Cons
Lessons are only an hour-long which may be too short for surfers
Puntas Surf School, located in Rincón, is home to a very niche technique of learning to surf created by Melissa Taylor. Melissa teaches balance using trampolines, ensuring that you know exactly what to expect during your surf, and preparing you to perform to the best of your ability.
The great feature about Puntas is that they are very flexible with your students, as you don’t have to commit to time frames or the length of time you wish to train with them for. Puntas allows you to have total freedom of your time whilst supporting you on your surfing journey.
Classes are a minimum of 2 hours long and only 15 minutes of that is spent outside the water, meaning that you use your time wisely having a hands-on experience learning the tricks and tips from qualified instructors to reach your full potential.
Based in Rincón, Surf 787 provides smaller surf classes where their ISA-certified instructors can fully dedicate themselves to your personal surfing development. Group lessons contain 4+ students and 2+ instructors, meaning that you still gain a lot of one-on-one experience despite being in a group lesson.
Surf 787’s instructors are ASPR (Association Surfing Puerto Rico) certified and have in-depth local knowledge to help you gain confidence stepping into the water. Surf 787 also offers a retreat where you can stay right beside the waves you’ll surf on and discover another side of Puerto Rico from the local knowledge of the instructors.
Guided surf tours are only available to surfers with an intermediate or above level of surfing where trained instructors introduce you to unfamiliar spots. Surf 787 also has photographers to capture you in action, making it a great keepsake.
Pros
Certified instructors
The chance to have some one-on-one experience in a group lesson
Photographer to capture your surf experience in action
Cons
Guided surf tours are only available to experienced surfers, not for beginners
Along the coast of Aguadilla, Aquatica Dive and Surf School pride themselves on having waves for all levels of surfers, where you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything.
All surf coaches are both ISA and NSSIA (National Surf Schools & Instructors Association) certified, giving the coaches all of the right training to ensure that you are taught all of the correct techniques to develop your surf style.
Aquatica also offers refresher classes for surfers who have forgotten any skills and tailor classes for more experienced surfers to build on their own techniques. They offer classes to surfers with all different levels, so the experience is not an issue, whether you’re a more advanced surfer or a total beginner.
Pros
Refresher classes are offered to surfers looking to refresh their skills
Classes are available for surfers with all kinds of experience
ISA and NSSIA-certified instructors
Cons
Classes only run between 10 am and 3 pm, leaving only a short time window
Road to Happiness (RD2H) Surf School is found in Rincón and aims to provide you with all the support you need to surf confidently on your own. RD2H is all about pushing yourself to the best of your ability.
Group lessons last for a total of 2 hours where you will be in either a private, semi-private, or group training session with an USLA-certified instructor (United States Lifesaving Association), and can rest assured that you are in safe and capable hands.
RD2H instructors give you all of the training you need to take your surfing to your desired skill level, with as many or as few lessons as you want. RD2H also offers stand-up paddleboard yoga, further connecting you to the ocean and giving you the opportunity to utilize the board in a way you may not have thought possible.
Pros
All instructors are CPR and USLA-certified for maximum safety in the water
Lessons last for a total of 2 hours
You have the choice of either private, semi-private, or group classes
Stand-up paddleboard yoga allows you to improve your balance and gain different board skills
