The Buoy Academy

Why Buoy Academy?

Why Buoy Academy?

Surfing isn’t that hard.

The hard part about surfing is not what you think.

New surfers rarely take into account how difficult it is to not only pick out a good wave, but position themselves correctly on that wave.

All instructors at The Buoy Academy are trained to simplify the surfing experience for you by steering your focus towards technique while slowly introducing you to wave selection.

With some attention to detail and willingness to fail, most people can get to two feet just fine—regardless of fitness.

What We Offer

2 Hour Private Surf Lessons

Learn everything you need to know from getting up on the board to reading the waves. Limited to three surfers.

Pricing

  • 1 Surfer- $150

  • 2 Surfers- $135 per person

  • 3 Surfers- $120 per person

No gear? No problem.

The Buoy Academy is going to set you and all your friends up with top tier surfboards by Catch Surf and NeedEssentials wetsuits. If you fall in love with surfing after your first lesson and need some advice, ask our team! We are always happy to help.

Life Long Surfer. Lover of the Ocean.

I’m fortunate enough to say that I was born and raised in Huntington Beach where I caught my first wave almost 20 years ago.

Going to college in Santa Barbara opened my eyes to a whole new world of surfing unlike anything I had ever experienced.

Seeing wintertime swells light up every nook and cranny in Santa Barbara fascinated me after countless years spent surfing the sandy, shifty beach breaks of Orange County.

Unlike Orange County, Santa Barbara County’s surf forecast is rarely accurate and requires local surfers to reference deep sea buoy data to pick the right beach, and right time.

This is where the idea blossomed for The Buoy Academy—a thorough yet digestible surf lesson tailored to the eager-to-learn surfer.

Meet Jimmy

We’re Good at What We Do.

But don’t take our word for it.

  • "Jimmy is an excellent instructor. He teaches gently and skillfully, making it easy to catch waves even for beginners."

  • "We had Jimmy as our instructor and he was great! Very good teacher and we were very satisfied! 10/10 recommend!"

  • "Awesome experience for my kids and me! Jimmy our instructor was super friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!"

  • "Jimmy was AMAZING!! Great instruction and very patient and knowledgeable. I hope to be back again!!"

  • "Had an unbelievable experience with these guys. My daughter and I had Jimmy, super nice and passionate teacher who spent a ton of time making sure my 10 year old had an amazing experience. Highly recommend this crew, thanks again!"

Let’s Catch Some Waves

Get Our Weekly Surf Report.

We’ll be sending out a weekly surf report so you know the best time to schedule a lesson! It will be specially curated for beginners to take advantage of great conditions suited to their skill levels and will help you learn how to read surf reports.