Sandbar Surf School
Sandbar Surf School – Pismo Beach, 110 Park Ave, Pismo Beach, CA 93449
About
Sandbar Surf School offers open group surf lessons, private group surf lessons, private lessons, and all-day surf camps, along with 3-day and 5-day surf lesson bundle packages. The program also offers couples surf lessons, surf gear rental, birthday parties, and corporate events. In addition to surfing, families can book cave and wildlife kayak tours and guided kayak tours through its partnership with Central Coast Kayaks.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Sandbar Surf School was created in 1994 as the ESB Surf School. The leadership team includes owner Jonny Ziegler and a large group of surf instructors: Jonny (the head dude), Shane, Josh, Ryan, Teresa, Sage, Robby, Michael, Ryley, Tyler, Obsidian, Rowan, Cat, Jack, Konnor, Micah, Oliver, and Haley, along with Bucky the Surf Doggie. The school states that it offers beginner to advanced surf lessons and that all ages are invited.
For lessons and camps, Sandbar Surf School provides wetsuits, mandatory surf leashes, and soft top surfboards, and it emphasizes three key items: a surfboard that floats properly for the student’s size, a safety surf leash, and a wetsuit. The program states that it has a maximum of 3–4 students per instructor, that it always over-staffs lessons to ensure safety, and that the low student-to-instructor ratio gives students more time with instructors. It also states that it is by far the safest surfing instruction program in the area, that it is the locals’ choice for surf instruction, and that it has over 15 years of perfect 5-star reviews since reviews began. The school notes that it does not accept payment at the beach and that payments can be made online or by calling the surf line.
Sandbar Surf School offers a “Surf for PE” program in partnership with local and regional homeschool programs, including Heartland Charter Homeschool, Yosemite Valley Charter Homeschool, and Monarch River Academy Homeschool. Its mission statement says that its specialized instruction and coaching, combined with environmental appreciation, make the school the #1 setting to learn the basics of surfing, build confidence and skill as an intermediate, or master surf techniques, all while having fun. The mission statement also says that the most important thing students learn is to have fun in a great and safe environment, that students are given tools to learn how to surf and stand up on their own and to progress to whatever level of surfing proficiency they desire, and that instruction starts at each student’s own pace. The school states that values, culture, respect, and sharing of nature are the basis of its services all year round.
Sandbar Surf School lists partnerships with local community members, the City of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department, Heartland Charter Homeschool, Yosemite Valley Charter Homeschool, Monarch River Academy Homeschool, Adventuras Surfboards, Pancho’s Surf Shop, Sea Venture Hotel and other local hotels, Pismo Coast Village, and other local state and county campgrounds. Through its partnership, Central Coast Kayaks is noted as the recipient of USA Today’s National Cave Kayak Tours Top Ten list in 2024 and “Best in SLO County” for many years for its guided kayak tours.
Parent and participant testimonials describe instructors as hands-on and friendly, and mention that the school was accommodating and allowed a returning surfer to join a beginner class and go at their own pace. One parent reports that their son attended twice in one weekend and loved it, and another notes that Jonny and his crew of instructors were wonderful with kids and adults of all ages and abilities.
Last updated July 4, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Sandbar Surf School was created in 1994 as the ESB Surf School. The leadership team includes owner Jonny Ziegler and a large group of surf instructors: Jonny (the head dude), Shane, Josh, Ryan, Teresa, Sage, Robby, Michael, Ryley, Tyler, Obsidian, Rowan, Cat, Jack, Konnor, Micah, Oliver, and Haley, along with Bucky the Surf Doggie. The school states that it offers beginner to advanced surf lessons and that all ages are invited.
For lessons and camps, Sandbar Surf School provides wetsuits, mandatory surf leashes, and soft top surfboards, and it emphasizes three key items: a surfboard that floats properly for the student’s size, a safety surf leash, and a wetsuit. The program states that it has a maximum of 3–4 students per instructor, that it always over-staffs lessons to ensure safety, and that the low student-to-instructor ratio gives students more time with instructors. It also states that it is by far the safest surfing instruction program in the area, that it is the locals’ choice for surf instruction, and that it has over 15 years of perfect 5-star reviews since reviews began. The school notes that it does not accept payment at the beach and that payments can be made online or by calling the surf line.
Sandbar Surf School offers a “Surf for PE” program in partnership with local and regional homeschool programs, including Heartland Charter Homeschool, Yosemite Valley Charter Homeschool, and Monarch River Academy Homeschool. Its mission statement says that its specialized instruction and coaching, combined with environmental appreciation, make the school the #1 setting to learn the basics of surfing, build confidence and skill as an intermediate, or master surf techniques, all while having fun. The mission statement also says that the most important thing students learn is to have fun in a great and safe environment, that students are given tools to learn how to surf and stand up on their own and to progress to whatever level of surfing proficiency they desire, and that instruction starts at each student’s own pace. The school states that values, culture, respect, and sharing of nature are the basis of its services all year round.
Sandbar Surf School lists partnerships with local community members, the City of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department, Heartland Charter Homeschool, Yosemite Valley Charter Homeschool, Monarch River Academy Homeschool, Adventuras Surfboards, Pancho’s Surf Shop, Sea Venture Hotel and other local hotels, Pismo Coast Village, and other local state and county campgrounds. Through its partnership, Central Coast Kayaks is noted as the recipient of USA Today’s National Cave Kayak Tours Top Ten list in 2024 and “Best in SLO County” for many years for its guided kayak tours.
Parent and participant testimonials describe instructors as hands-on and friendly, and mention that the school was accommodating and allowed a returning surfer to join a beginner class and go at their own pace. One parent reports that their son attended twice in one weekend and loved it, and another notes that Jonny and his crew of instructors were wonderful with kids and adults of all ages and abilities.
Last updated July 4, 2026.
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