A private surf lesson with us begins by meeting your local instructor(s) at a designated spot. You will be provided with your rash guard. We will proceed to review water safety. Safety is our first priority! You will also learn or review the pop up technique, proper paddling technique, surf etiquette and other surfing techniques on land to prepare for the water with our experienced instructor. After about a half hour of land based practice, our instructor will provide you with an appropriate surf board and leash and will help you head into the water for 1.5 hours. We will be in the water with you and assist you in paddling past the breaking waves to be in the best position for catching and riding a wave. Depending on your previous surfing experience, you will be either pushed into a wave to practice your pop up and surfing, or you will be coached into catching your own wave, as per your preference and ability level. We will work with you to craft the best lesson for you and your level of surf experience. We work with all ages and ability levels. Children, teenagers, adults, special needs surfers and elders are all welcome!
I had a great experience and caught way more waves than I ever expected! Julia and Mario are so friendly and helpful and really made me feel comfortable. I highly, highly recommend!
Mario and Julia at A New Day Surf School on Tamarindo Beach run a top notch beginner friendly lesson. Julia coaches the basics on the beach, with plenty of time for your group to practice before getting in the water. Julia took photos and video while we surfed. She will also stay with your personal belongings while you’re in the water, so no need to leave anything unattended. Mario is a Master! He gave each of our three family members abundant individual time, and had all of standing after just a few tries! His coaching style is consistent, patient, and positive, and his ability to read the water and find us the right waves I believe contributed to our success. Don’t sleep on this small, family-run surf school. The instruction and experience can’t be beat!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Best Surfing Experience for My Girls! This was by far one of the highlights of our trip to Costa Rica! My two girls had never surfed before, and Mario made their very first experience absolutely amazing. He was incredibly patient, encouraging, and made them feel comfortable from the very beginning. They caught some of the best waves and had SO much fun! Mario’s passion and patience truly made this experience special and so memorable for all of us. His wife, Julia, was also wonderful—she was extremely helpful, informative, and made the booking process so easy. If you’re traveling to Costa Rica and want to try surfing, I highly recommend booking with Mario and Julia! They made our experience unforgettable, and my girls left with huge smiles and memories they’ll be talking about for years. 🏄♀️🌊❤️ Thank you, Mario and Julia, for making our trip even more special!
10/10 I had such an amazing time with Mario and Julia. They were so generous of their time and of their knowledge. It was my second lesson in Tamarindo, and this one was much better on top of being much more accessible price-wise. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely book with them!
Julia and Mario are amazing people who care about their community and making surfing accessible and affordable to everyone. The lesson for my 16 and 19 yr olds was outstanding. They are patient, effective and encouraging teachers. Both kids were up within 20 minutes and had a great time despite multiple wipe outs. Highly recommend!
We had a great time learning to surf with Julia and Mario! Everyone in my family was able to stand up and enjoy the waves with their help. Highly recommend
Chance meeting on the beach led to this excellent first time surfing lesson for my husband and 11 year old daughter. Excellent value for money, Julia, Mario and Johnathan made the whole experience relaxed and enjoyable! We would definitely recommend and will be reaching out when we are next in costa rica!
Amazing surf lesson, Julia was great at giving explanations to cover the basics before getting in the water, and Marco was very clear and patient in the water. Would definitely recommend them!
My son and I had a fantastic morning learning how to surf. Mario is a great instructor, explains well, is patient and motivating. I can recommend him to anyone wanting to learn to surf or to improve surf skills.
If you've thought about learning to surf, do it. You won't be disappointed. We didn't have a specific time we had to meet but worked with Julia on what was the best time to learn since she was more familiar with the area and the tide. She was easy to find and we quickly learned the basics of a board and the process of getting up. After each of us had the chance to practice on dry land, it was time to head into the water. Julia worked with our 12 yr old, Kendall worked with our 17 & 22 yr olds and Mario worked with my husband and me. The videos I have of my family getting up and surfing are memorable. We were so happy with our experience and never felt like we were on the clock to finish or pressured to get it immediately. Julia, Mario and Kendall love what they do and it was evident from the first time we met them.
What a fantastic experience for our kids! Mario is really a great surf teacher with a lot of patience.
Mario was awesome! We’re all beginners but have taken lessons before. Very helpful with a slower yoga-like technique for getting up. We each caught more waves than on any other beach. He was chill but also very eager for us to catch as many waves as possible—and gave us advice and encouragement throughout the session. The boards weren’t the highest quality but they fit us each well. Highly recommended!
I had a great time learning to surf again! My instructor was great and even though english wasnt his first language, he did a great job explaining everything
Amazing with kids of all ages!! Got all three kids up on surf boards and coasting to the shore. Highly recommended!!
We had a great experience with Mario and Julia. What I particularly appreciated was the personal experience Mario provided by switching back and forth (with each attempt) between my partner and myself. His assistant would help one of us back to the "starting point" while Mario was getting setting us up to catch those waves. I've taken 2 lessons in the past (years ago) and this was by far the best, highly recommend this structure as opposed to the large group lessons.
Mario was our instructor and he actually instructed! We have taken 5 or 6 surf lessons over the years around the world. Generally the instructors would show us how to stand up, then push us on to the waves. Mario and his assistant (sorry forgot his name!) went far beyond that. They were showing us how to catch the waves on our own. How to look over your shoulder and how to tell which way the wave was going. Our group has a mix of Spanish and English speakers. Mario and team worked well with everyone. Highly recommend him, his team and this great experience in Tamarindo.
First time surfing, met Julia in the beach, very easy to find. She gave instructions on the beach, and when i went into the water with Mario, she stayed and i could leave my backpack. Mario was with me 1 on 1, he was super patient with me when i made the same mistakes over and over. Felt safe all the way. There are so many surf lessons to choose from, I feel I really lucked out and found the best one.
Mario was absolutely amazing! He was patient, calm, and provided corrections after each attempt to catch a wave. My husband and I were able to catch a wave after the 2nd attempt (and multiple times after) due to Mario’s helpful instructions. Will definitely be surfing with Mario again when we return to Costa Rica!
Julieta and Mario were great! They were patient and worked with our kids to make sure they understood the concepts and had them riding waves in no time!
It was quite difficult to locate Mario on the beach so perhaps a small sign would be helpful. Once we found him my child had a fantastic afternoon with him and learned to surf, getting up first time. Mario and his wife are lovely and really good with kids. We would definitely go back for another lesson if we are in Tamarindo again
I would 100% recommend booking with Julia and Mario. Julia gave a thorough lesson about the basics on the beach (how to paddle, stand up and stay safe in the water). Then Mario did an excellent job helping in the water. He is very calm, knowledgeable and encouraging. We were able to catch a ton of waves and had a blast. There are several people on the beach offering lessons (which I have also used before) but Mario was the best I’ve had. Pro tip: book a day in advance and wait to hear from Julia. We tried to book a same day reservation and communication through Viator was a bit confusing.
Mario is an amazing instructor and Julia and him make students/beginners feel comfortable and they are GREAT teachers who know their stuff.
Marioand Jonathon were great. Very patient and polite with a family of five. Boards were good, and they swapped out for a better sizing. The waves were perfect and they made sure we were able to catch them. (Though we had our trouble staying on them!) We had a blast getting a workout in the surf! The price was right, service was top notch, and the waves made for great memories!
Julia and Mario were great. Julia’s classroom teaching background completely translated to the beach. She was clear, kind and supportive. My daughter struggled to get up at first and with Julia’s encouragement, my daughter got back on the board and was catching waves. Mario tirelessly paddled the kids into the surf for the 2 hour session.
the best place to learn and surf. A skilled teacher who is very passionate and thorough. he supports you and helps you all the way through. you get great photos taken and you can feel very safe. I feel I learned so much even though I was a complete beginner
Communication before the lesson was fast and easy, everything happened as promised, I'm glad I chose this option. I booked a private lesson for my brother and I, and Mario was a great instructor. Definitely would recommend. Five stars.
Julia and Mario were so friendly and welcoming and instantly made me feel at ease. I was nervous about surfing but they were super encouraging! Mario was so patient with both myself and my husband and after about an hour we both got up and caught waves! We highly recommend them for a great beginner surf experience!
Mario was the best instructor! I was my first time surfing and I caught more waves than I can actually believe! Definitely made a lifelong memory thanks to Mario!
Mario was the best surf instructor! He was super kind, patient and gave really good tips! He had such a chill vibe and made us feel in confidence right away! We had a good price for the low season! Definitely recommend 🤙🏻
I came to Tamarindo to get better at surfing. I’d surfed for a year on a foam board in Los Angeles but I knew I had some bad habits that I wanted to correct. In the first session, Mario worked with me and two other girls to get us comfortable in the water and up on the waves. I was able to consistently catch waves on the foam board. He did a great job with cues and really ensured that we made the most out of our 2 hour session. I loved it so much that I ended up taking 2 more private lessons. By the third session, I was able to ride the waves sideways on an epoxy short board. I would highly highly recommend!!
I have surfed 3-4 times at different places before but still a beginner. However, the experience at Costa Rica was just incredible. Mario was very professional and attentive. The method he taught us, both me and cousin who are both beginners, were able to stand up several times during our 2 hrs session. They also offer boats snorkeling tours but we didn't have time to do it this time. Would definitely be back and hire Mario and his team again to improve my surfing skills.
I was able to stand up and actually surf a few times! Happy about the instructor (forgot his name). He is encouraging and watched the best waves for me. Tamarindo is the best for beginners!
Mario and Julia were very approachable on the beach from the start. They taught us the basics of surfing and we were able to catch a few waves. Overall, a great experience! They even let us use the boards later that day to try on our own.
My family of four (children ages 11 and 10) took surf lessons with Mario and two of his staff during our stay in Tamarindo. None of us have surfed before. Mario, Jose, and Henry were patient and very encouraging. We learned the fundamentals of surfing as well as safety while surfing. Great value for the time, attention and fun we had.
Mario was incredible! I’ve never surfed before and within 30 minutes of being out in the water I was catching waves and riding them in. He is very patient and helpful. Would recommend!!
They took me in so last minute which was great! I got the chance to surf before I left Costa Rica 😄 The instructor, I forgot his name 😅(sorry) never gave up on me :,) I was doubting I could stand on the board but he kept encouraging me! I got to stand up twice, which is a lot for me 🏄♀️It was such a fun experience and def worth doing!!! If I ever go back to Costa Rica I’ll def come surf with them again☺️
We had one lesson with Mario and it was great. We are surfing beginners and Mario is a very experienced, motivated teacher. What we liked most was that he tries to keep the theory short and focused on practising. We can totally recommend the lesson with Mario! :)
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