Beginner Surf Lessons In Tamarindo - Shared Or Private

Our instructors were excellent. We were all beginners, ranging in age from 10 to 44 and they got all of us up on the boards right away! Very fun experience, would highly recommend!

Recently visited Costa Rica for a girls trip (all of us in our 40s), 3 of us decided to take surf lessons. We booked through natives way and did a 2-hour lesson with Ronaldo. He was absolutely amazing and had 2 of us standing up on our boards riding waves in no time (the 3rd decided to be our photographer). He was so patient and kind and you could really tell that he enjoyed what he did. This was probably the highlight of my trip and I am so grateful that we had Ronaldo as our instructor!

Excellent experience ! Ronaldo was a patient and helpful instructor, my friend and I had a blast! Would do again.

It was my first time surfing and was not disappointed. Annie was a good teacher! Of course, as a beginner, I had struggle but finally could stand on the board thank to her advices :)

WE LOVE RONALDO !!! Had such an amazing time surfing. It was all of our first times and he was a great instructor who supported yet also challenged us. Would try again and again

Annie was our instructor and was amazing! After a short walk from the shop to the beach she made she we had our positioning down and felt confident in the water

My new wife and I took private beginner surf lessons. The instructors were young and friendly, and knowledgeable. We did dry land practice then surfed. We managed to get up quite a few times! Waves were smaller that day, perfect for beginners. A lot of fun. Oh btw I'm 67 and my first time surfing and with bad knees. If I can do it you can too! Go for it!

This was a great experience. David and Ronaldo were patient and excellent teachers. All five family members were successful in surfing - ages 29-65! Would highly recommend to a friend.

So much fun and help! The instructors were great and provided newer tips as this wasn’t our first time surfing. Water and waves were perfect for beginner and intermediate surfers. A bit busy but that’s the holidays for yah.

Our kids had a very good experience with Steven, their surf instructor. The kids were complete rookies, never been on a board before. They had two lessons in December, 2025, and they were able to get up on the board and ride it all the way in during the first lesson. He even helped teach them how to switch feet while riding the wave (idk, maybe that's basic, but it seemed cool to me). The first lesson, for some reason, was only 1.5 hours, but (after we mentioned it) Steven made sure we had the full 2 hours on the second day. The beach at Tamarindo seems great for beginners and there were a lot of other lessons going on (Christmas is a very busy season there), but the beach was big enough for everyone. Kids had a great time, would schedule again.

The instructors were amazing. They all fit for each of our family members. Our whole family was up on the waves and they even had us trying some small tricks like flipping. My youngest says surfing is now one of her sports. Thank you very much to the team.

We had a wonderful surf class with Ronaldo, a Tamarindo local. He went over the basic skills with us on land and took our family of 4 out in the water and had all of us up and able to stand and ride waves! We have varying skills, with fit skilled people, active teenagers and mom nursing a sore shoulder. Ronaldo very quickly understood each person's capabilities and sent them on the best waves for them from just giving verbal instructions on timing if needed, to more holding and sending the board off when needed. Highly recommend. Go during mid high tide, the waves are great for beginners.

A 51 year old and his two sons (19, 21) took the beginner's two-hour private lesson. They assigned three friendly and capable instructors (Ronaldo, Alex and Steven), all with good English and ample patience. One-on-one instruction definitely made the first hour much more productive. We went from immediately falling to pretty consistently riding small waves to shore. It’s a physical activity and even the young men were ready for a beer and break at the end of the lesson. The 51 year old asked for ibuprofen the following day. Tamarindo was the perfect place for a first lesson. Good waves, no rocks, in-town. A photographer provided good photos for a few more USD. Easy walk from the tour operator office, which had lockers and a shower. If you’ve wondered if you could learn to ride a small wave in two hours, this is a great way to answer that question.

The surfing was amazing and our instructor was great. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun. The problem came after the session with the total shakedown from some random homeless looking guy who apparently was taking our pictures on the beach. He offered to transfer the pictures to my phone which he did and then demand that I pay him $60 for like 50 pictures. When I explained I didn’t have cash he marched me down to an ATM. The ATM was out of service so then he proceeded to drag me through town to a bank where I could withdraw money and pay the ridiculous service fee to withdraw money from an international bank. I should’ve absolutely refused to pay or asked to see a price list or demand only pay by credit card. That experience honestly stripped away the happiness I had from the surf lesson. And I say it’s a shakedown because the photographer and my surf instructor were communicating so it was basically a way for those two to split a tip, which is unfortunate because I was going to tip my surf instructor Anyway. In fact, that was the only cash that I brought with me. I just left a really bad taste in my mouth and I’m guessing the owner of the outfit doesn’t realize that that is happening because photography and pictures was never even mentioned as an optional add on for the service.

Ronaldo and I can’t remember the other name (I’m so sorry!) were awesome! They took my 2 sons and I out to surf and my only goal was to just stand up once! They were super patient and got all of us on our boards. We could have rented boards and tried on our own but I wouldn’t have come close to being in the right spot on the board. We loved every minute of the two hours. Highly recommend this lesson!

As a fit 60 year old, Ronaldo had me surfing in no time at all. Clear, concise instruction, and focused attention was perfect. It did feel like a two hour cardio/core workout however but if I can do it so can you! Highly recommended.

5 of 5. We had a great time as a family and everybody was able to get up very quickly. Ronaldo was very patient with the kids. I would highly recommend.

Our family of 5, with zero surf experience, had an amazing time and were all able to surf thanks to the wonderful team of instructors! Our kids are age 15. 14, and 10.

Great experience. Luka was fantastic and made sure we all got up. Luka was absolutely a blast to learn from and would highly recommend this exoerience

I think I would give this a 5 star review except after our 7 yr old grandson was successful 1 time staying on the surfboard all the way to shore, 1 hour in to the 2 hour lesson, the instructor quit. I was a bit surprised and didn't ask why because I thought my watch was wrong. But it wasn't. So, the lesson really only goes until 1 successful run

Great instruction from Gonzalo. He really helped us learn and have fun. Lots of help to tell you what to do. Thank you!

Great time! We all caught waves and a big shout out to our guide Martias (sp?) from Argentina. He ws kind & very skilled. My teen boys loved him. He even gave us great tips for food nearby. Definitely wd recommend him to anyone.

Our surf instructor Luca was an amazing teacher! Neither me or my partner had ever surfed before and we were both able to stand up on the board and make it to shore by the end of our lesson. Luca was patient with us and very encouraging. I felt very safe out in the ocean with him guiding us on which waves were better for me vs for my partner.

Martin is a fantastic instructor with positive, passionate attitude towards surfing. Thank you Martin!

Patsy was such an amazing instructor! She was extremely patient and very knowledgeable, as well as being very easy to talk to. We were slightly late but she was very accommodating and calm. Me and my sister were both surfing small waves on our own by the end of the 2 hours and neither of us had ever surfed before. Thank you Patsy!

Martin was awesome. The only thing about the beach we surfed (main beach: tamarindo beach) : it was crowded and loud. Wish it was more at a secluded beach. Otherwise, learned some great tips from Martin.

Our instructor was fantastic. He worked with our family of 4 to teach us the basics and get us up and riding waves. He spent time making sure my son felt confident, gave my daughter the next level instruction she needed and was super patient and supportive. We had an absolute blast and all four of us got up and rode waves. A perfect way to wrap our Costa Rican vacation.

The coach Martine was really helpful. Even if you have zero experience, he’ll help you get on the board and have some fun! I was able to stand and surf many times with his help. Great experience!

This was the perfect beginner surf lesson. Instructor was awesome. Very encouraging and supportive. Everyone in family got to participate to their desired level. Three even got up on their feet and surfed. Two hours was plenty.

We loved the surf lesson! It was the first time surfing and we were able to stand up and catch waves by ourselves. Our instructor, Luca, was making sure we have the best time and giving us constant tips. Totally recommended :)

My daughter in law and I took private surf lesson , such an amazing experience. First time for both of us and Lucas and Yan were Fantastic instructors. Highly recommend.

Standing up on the surfboard. I’ve always wanted to try surfing and this was a great experience. Luca was a great teacher.

Annie was fantastic as my surfing teacher. She had a clear passion for surfing that was infectious. This was my first time surfing so she was very patient. Ultimately I stood up on my first wave ! It was a very memorable experience !

My friend and I visited Tamarindo during rainy season and it was really nice to be able to book a surfing lesson day of. It was easy to contact Native's Way Tamarindo through their WhatsApp. We arrived and were greeted by our instructor Ronaldo. They have lockers, a shower, and a separate bathroom on site. Ronaldo gave us clear instructions and had us practice on shore first. It was just the two of us in class and he was so patient with both and would be with one of us one at a time. I was surprised how quickly I was able to hear Ronaldo call out when to paddle, stand up on the board, and just go with the waves. I was able to stand up on the board on my second try! It was such an exhilarating experience and I hope to take surf lessons again!

Loved these lessons. Easy to get to the location. Was very good for beginners. I tried my best and just wanted to experience surfing.

A really memorable experience for the whole family. Jonah and the other coach José were so good with our little ones. They made sure they were comfortable and in no time they were surfing like pros!! The rest of the staff were amazing too - even with the old man😂. We all had a blast! Thank you!

Amazing time such a good use and a def must try . Me and my finance had such a nice time and the instructor was great

My instructor, Jona, was excellent. He was patient and kind. I had low expectations going into the lesson only hoping to be able to stand up but Jona not only got me standing up but also riding waves successfully. This was a great experience and another check on the bucket list. Thank you!

Luca was great. Knowledgeable friendly great with kids. Overall great experience and exactly what we were hoping for.

Great time with patsy, we caught several waves and had a great time! Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to try surfing

My instructor was fantastic. Very personable and I was able to fully stand and surf the entire wave by the end of the lesson. This was also my first time ever surfing so I am very happy with the results.

We traveled to Costa Rice from the US with our 14 year old grandson hoping to provide him with some wonderful memories. Surfing was the last thing to do on our list after hiking in Tenorio National Park, ziplining at Witch's Rock and snorkeling at Playa del Coco. Isaac is athletic and loves the water so it seemed like he would love the chance to experience surfing. We live in New England where waves are infrequent, so this was his chance. Luca is a fabulous teacher- energetic, experienced, kind and encouraging. Isaac got up on the board on the second try and had many successes after that. It was a great day thanks to Luca and a great student!

Great lesson with a great group of instructors! Got everyone riding waves, including our 9 year old who was hesitant at first. We very much appreciated the patience and enthusiasm of the team!

Our guide Luca was fantastic! He explained everything clearly and was patient and fun. Great for both the kids and adults. Everyone was able to get up after a few tries. Highly recommend! Bring a towel.

Teachers were excellent with our kids and they made sure all the kids got up on their boards. Highly recommend

My lesson was with Jona. He was nice and gave great instructions. This is a good experience even if it is your first time surfing.

Jonas was an excellent instructor and did great with teaching our teenage daughter and nieces! They had an amazing time!

My teenaged son (16) and I really enjoyed our lesson with Patsy. Her instructions were clear and she was able to figure out what we needed to do to be successful!! Definitely recommend!

Ask for Luca! He is amazing and makes surfing super easy to learn. I stood and rode a couple of waves for my first time. So fun!! Ask for Luca every time!!!