About
Adventure Out offers surf lessons and surf camps, including Teen/Adult Surf I, II, and III, Kids Surf 1 (12 & Under), private surf lessons, a Teen 4-Day Surf Camp, a Kids 3-Day Surf Camp (12 & Under), and a Yoga & Surf Workshop. The program also offers stand up paddleboarding, paddleboarding, beginner SUP wave-catching (SUP surfing), rock climbing classes such as Rock Climbing 1, backpacking trips, mountain biking, wilderness survival instruction and courses, wilderness medical instruction, adventure tours, corporate retreats, and a guide training program. Private surf lessons are available 365 days per year.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Adventure Out has been in business since 2004, and since its founding in 2004 its stated mission has been “to help people fall back in love with nature.” The program’s mission statement is: “We provide a program & environment that empowers and supports people of all walks-of-life to achieve their wildest adventures in the outdoors, while fostering a respect for and connection to the natural environment.”
Instructors are licensed to teach at their beaches, lifeguard and first-aid certified, and trained in the Adventure Out instructor program. The minimum requirement for Surf Instructor and Rock Climbing Instructor/Guide positions is First-Aid/CPR Certification, which can be acquired upon hiring. Desired skills for Surf Instructor positions include a minimum of 5 years surfing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, and a passion for the ocean. Desired skills for Rock Climbing Instructor/Guide include 5 years climbing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, a passion for climbing, and climbing certification (SPI or greater) is described as a huge plus, and these instructors need transportation to and from the park in their own vehicle for the daily commute. Head Climbing Instructor and Guide Mimi Fenech has completed both the Single Pitch Instructor and Rock Guide Course through the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). Head Survival Instructor and Program Director Jack Harrison holds a Track & Sign Professional and Specialist Certificate through Cyber Tracker International and spent a year at the Wilderness Awareness School, described as one of the only accredited wilderness studies programs in the world. CEO and Founder Cliff Hodges holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and has been featured in international publications such as Outside Magazine and Popular Mechanics, and was the co-host of the TV show Remote Survival on the National Geographic Channel. Manager Alan Yu utilizes an EMS background to train lifeguards and prepare individuals for unforeseen life-threatening emergencies. The leadership team also includes Alan Yu as Manager of Pacifica Surf School, SF SUP, and Wilderness Medical; Jack Harrison as Head Survival Instructor and Program Director; Mimi Fenech as Head Climbing Instructor and Guide; and Chase LaRue as Santa Cruz Surf Instructor Manager.
Adventure Out is described as the Bay Area’s premiere surf school and the ONLY NSSIA Accredited Surf School in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area. The program states that instructors are professional outdoor guides rather than teenagers or beach bums and that Adventure Out has a perfect safety record.
Adventure Out donates a portion of reservation fees to environmental conservation in the wild and natural places visited with them. It operates as a network of outdoor schools, guide services, and wilderness education programs across the country that are dedicated to quality of service and programming, as well as fostering environmental stewardship in all clients and students. Affiliates become part of a community of like-minded adventurers and business owners and can use the “Adventure Out” brand under an affiliation (not franchising) model. The first 20 affiliated programs receive a founding partner rate of $250 per year for affiliation, guaranteed for life, and after the first 30 affiliates are accepted, the cost of affiliation for new affiliates will increase to $750 per year. Affiliate benefits include marketing support, client referrals, advertising assistance, website assistance, and a one-on-one business consulting session with Founder and CEO Cliff Hodges, as well as pre-negotiated group buying power that provides discounts on outdoor gear and access to discounted business services such as insurance premiums and website construction negotiated by Adventure Out Inc.
Last updated March 18, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Adventure Out has been in business since 2004, and since its founding in 2004 its stated mission has been “to help people fall back in love with nature.” The program’s mission statement is: “We provide a program & environment that empowers and supports people of all walks-of-life to achieve their wildest adventures in the outdoors, while fostering a respect for and connection to the natural environment.”
Instructors are licensed to teach at their beaches, lifeguard and first-aid certified, and trained in the Adventure Out instructor program. The minimum requirement for Surf Instructor and Rock Climbing Instructor/Guide positions is First-Aid/CPR Certification, which can be acquired upon hiring. Desired skills for Surf Instructor positions include a minimum of 5 years surfing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, and a passion for the ocean. Desired skills for Rock Climbing Instructor/Guide include 5 years climbing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, a passion for climbing, and climbing certification (SPI or greater) is described as a huge plus, and these instructors need transportation to and from the park in their own vehicle for the daily commute. Head Climbing Instructor and Guide Mimi Fenech has completed both the Single Pitch Instructor and Rock Guide Course through the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). Head Survival Instructor and Program Director Jack Harrison holds a Track & Sign Professional and Specialist Certificate through Cyber Tracker International and spent a year at the Wilderness Awareness School, described as one of the only accredited wilderness studies programs in the world. CEO and Founder Cliff Hodges holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and has been featured in international publications such as Outside Magazine and Popular Mechanics, and was the co-host of the TV show Remote Survival on the National Geographic Channel. Manager Alan Yu utilizes an EMS background to train lifeguards and prepare individuals for unforeseen life-threatening emergencies. The leadership team also includes Alan Yu as Manager of Pacifica Surf School, SF SUP, and Wilderness Medical; Jack Harrison as Head Survival Instructor and Program Director; Mimi Fenech as Head Climbing Instructor and Guide; and Chase LaRue as Santa Cruz Surf Instructor Manager.
Adventure Out is described as the Bay Area’s premiere surf school and the ONLY NSSIA Accredited Surf School in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area. The program states that instructors are professional outdoor guides rather than teenagers or beach bums and that Adventure Out has a perfect safety record.
Adventure Out donates a portion of reservation fees to environmental conservation in the wild and natural places visited with them. It operates as a network of outdoor schools, guide services, and wilderness education programs across the country that are dedicated to quality of service and programming, as well as fostering environmental stewardship in all clients and students. Affiliates become part of a community of like-minded adventurers and business owners and can use the “Adventure Out” brand under an affiliation (not franchising) model. The first 20 affiliated programs receive a founding partner rate of $250 per year for affiliation, guaranteed for life, and after the first 30 affiliates are accepted, the cost of affiliation for new affiliates will increase to $750 per year. Affiliate benefits include marketing support, client referrals, advertising assistance, website assistance, and a one-on-one business consulting session with Founder and CEO Cliff Hodges, as well as pre-negotiated group buying power that provides discounts on outdoor gear and access to discounted business services such as insurance premiums and website construction negotiated by Adventure Out Inc.
Last updated March 18, 2026.
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