About
Capitola Surf and Paddle offers personalized surf lessons, stand up paddle (SUP) lessons, SUP-surf lessons, and a variety of surf and SUP options including private, semi-private, and group sessions. The program also offers Stand Up Paddle excursions, surf expeditions, rentals, coaching packages, and filming packages, with all needed equipment included for each lesson type.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Stand up paddle sessions include a 15–20 minute land-based lecture on standard SUP equipment, instructions on SUP’ing, and water safety, followed by about 1.5 hours on the water
• Price: Metered street parking is available for $1.50 per hour with a 2-hour limit, and the Pacific Cove parking lot offers unlimited metered parking for $0.50 per hour, with meters running from 8am–8pm daily
Capitola Surf and Paddle is locally owned, licensed, and permitted, and offers personalized surf and stand up paddle lessons year round to all ages and skill levels. Surf lessons are only offered during certain tides when the waves will be at their best, and Capitola has a variety of surf locations and main surf breaks called First Jetty and Second Jetty. For SUP, recommended clothing includes board shorts and a long sleeve water shirt, and wetsuits, including full suits, can be provided for those who are sensitive to cold, with all students required to sign a standard liability waiver form before starting.
Surf instructors are experienced watermen and water women trained in ocean safety and certified in CPR and first aid, and the owner uses a teaching and EMT background to instruct surf and SUP lessons. The owner, Neil Sprenkel, acquired Capitola Surf and Paddle in April 2025, has worked in the surf industry since 2011, has been teaching surf lessons on and off since 2016, and has family ties to Capitola dating back to 1996. The program describes itself as a professional operation that prioritizes safety, etiquette, and fun, with a stated goal of giving participants an experience of a lifetime and encouraging each person to have their own relationship with the ocean, which it describes as a place where everyone is welcome and should feel safe to go.
Capitola Surf and Paddle has been voted the Good Times Best Surf School in Santa Cruz for 2024 and 2026 and Santa Cruz’s favorite Surf School for the 2025 Lookout List: Activities and Outdoors. It thanks the local community and beyond for these recognitions and states that it is an honor to be part of the community and to share the stoke that the ocean provides. Free, all-day beach parking is available at the Crossroads Center parking lot on Bay Ave, with a free shuttle to the Village on weekends and holidays from 10am–8pm.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Stand up paddle sessions include a 15–20 minute land-based lecture on standard SUP equipment, instructions on SUP’ing, and water safety, followed by about 1.5 hours on the water
• Price: Metered street parking is available for $1.50 per hour with a 2-hour limit, and the Pacific Cove parking lot offers unlimited metered parking for $0.50 per hour, with meters running from 8am–8pm daily
Capitola Surf and Paddle is locally owned, licensed, and permitted, and offers personalized surf and stand up paddle lessons year round to all ages and skill levels. Surf lessons are only offered during certain tides when the waves will be at their best, and Capitola has a variety of surf locations and main surf breaks called First Jetty and Second Jetty. For SUP, recommended clothing includes board shorts and a long sleeve water shirt, and wetsuits, including full suits, can be provided for those who are sensitive to cold, with all students required to sign a standard liability waiver form before starting.
Surf instructors are experienced watermen and water women trained in ocean safety and certified in CPR and first aid, and the owner uses a teaching and EMT background to instruct surf and SUP lessons. The owner, Neil Sprenkel, acquired Capitola Surf and Paddle in April 2025, has worked in the surf industry since 2011, has been teaching surf lessons on and off since 2016, and has family ties to Capitola dating back to 1996. The program describes itself as a professional operation that prioritizes safety, etiquette, and fun, with a stated goal of giving participants an experience of a lifetime and encouraging each person to have their own relationship with the ocean, which it describes as a place where everyone is welcome and should feel safe to go.
Capitola Surf and Paddle has been voted the Good Times Best Surf School in Santa Cruz for 2024 and 2026 and Santa Cruz’s favorite Surf School for the 2025 Lookout List: Activities and Outdoors. It thanks the local community and beyond for these recognitions and states that it is an honor to be part of the community and to share the stoke that the ocean provides. Free, all-day beach parking is available at the Crossroads Center parking lot on Bay Ave, with a free shuttle to the Village on weekends and holidays from 10am–8pm.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
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