SUMMER CAMP & ACTIVITIES GUIDE
SOUTH COUNTY SURF CAMPS As summer break begins, ditch the video games for a surfboard BY ANDREA CLEMETT
Dana Point and San Clemente have longstanding reputations for being nesting grounds for great surfers, and Southern California is a destination for the World Surf League professional championships. Whether it’s been a dream to surf, or you want to get outside or participate in new activities as a group, the diverse surf programs in South Orange County help get people in the water at all ages.
JP’s Surf Camp
949.547.2088, jpssurfcamp.com Location: San Clemente Pier Programs: $85 for a one-day session or $350 for five-day sessions After John Pierce started surfing in his early teens, he taught a few of his friends so he would have company in the water. His passion for education led him to teach third grade at Truman Benedict Elementary School in San Clemente, and it only seemed natural that he opened JP’s Surf Camp in 2001. “It’s kind of nice to have the teaching and then jumping into the surf camp in the summer; I go from being a teacher to more of a coach,” Pierce said. JP’s Surf Camp began as individual lessons and quickly grew to a full weekly camp of 20 students broken up into groups. “It’s more like small group instruction, which I think kids learn best in that environment,” Pierce said. The five-day camp sessions commence June 6 and end Aug. 1 for surfers ages 6 and older who have the ability to swim the length of a pool with confidence. Pierce, who is also CPR-certified, said the surf camp strives to teach surfers water safety, tides and daily surf conditions.
Endless Summer Surf Camp
949.498.7862, endlesssummersurfcamp.com Location: San Onofre State Campground Trail 4 Programs: $1,295-$1,395 youth five-day overnight camp; $1,395 adult overnight five-day camp; $695 “Surf & Turf” five-day camp; $595 five-day camp; $100-plus private lessons. The Endless Summer Surf Camp offers programs tailored for every type of surfer’s needs. Camp director and professional surfer Jason Senn taught surf lessons as a way to pay for college. It progressed when he opened the surf camp in 1992. Weekly overnight camps have a minimum of a five-night stay up to a 15-day stay, with an additional $150 for weekend supervision. Weekly day sessions are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The camp has three-overnight sessions during the summer for adults who are new to surfing or want to get to the next level. And why stop there? Endless Summer has a unique “Surf & Turf‘’ program in which participants 10 and older will surf in the morning and take golf lessons in the afternoon at Talega Golf Club.
Debut Surf School
714.887.3928, debutsurfschool.com Location: T-Street Programs: $375+ “Tons of Fun” weekly event during spring break for ages 6-9; $149+ private or smallgroup, lessons year-round. Jed Laidlaw, an ISA surf coach, has a solid foundation for teaching surfing, having helped pioneer a surf school in his hometown of Tynemouth, United Kingdom when he was just 18 years old. His curiosity for travel and knack to teach led him to share the “stoke” in the Canary Islands, Portugal, France and now in San Clemente. Laidlaw has found success in his one-on-one and smallgroup approaches to surf lessons for those aged 6 and older. The surf school caters to participants who are new to the sport or seek to refine and expand their fundamentals. He said he first communicates with clients to understand expectations and to outline achievable goals prior to getting in the water. Laidlaw also works to foster confidence and ocean knowledge within the rapid growth of female participation in the sport, since many of the lineups are still male-dominated.
Ladera resident Bella Duel, 13, rides a wave in front of coach Jed Laidlaw from Debut Surf School on March 12. Photo: Andrea Clemett
San Clemente Times March 24-30, 2022
California Surf Academy
949.379.2521, thecaliforniasurfacademy.com Location: T-Street, San Onofre State Campground, San Onofre State Beach or Doheny State Beach Programs: Weekend surf packages run from June through August, and $110-$130 for private instruction year-round. Owner Alek Rockrise started his surf journey as a 10-year-old grommet from Texas who would spend his summers at Endless Summer Surf Camp in San Clemente. As the pandemic changed the landscape of large gatherings, Rockrise ventured from working in larger surf schools to launching California Surf Academy in 2020 for private lessons and surf coaching. The academy offers weekend surf packages that include two surf sessions during a five-hour duration. This year, it will reserve a few weekends exclusive to adults 18 years and older. The program gives a fundamental introduction to surfing while catering to those who want individual attention. Registration for the programs will be posted on the surf academy’s website in mid-May. Private lessons are also available.
Summer Soul Surf Camp
949.702.7731, summersoulsurfcamp.com Location: San Onofre State Beach Programs: $600 four-day session Hawaii-born Josh Baxter grew up in a strong grassroots surfing family in which he was victorious in competitions in Hawaii, the U.S. and France, and he is a three-time U.S. longboard champion. A proud father of two daughters, Baxter opened Summer Soul Surf Camp more than 17 years ago. The surf camp is located at Dogpatch, the southernmost section of San Onofre Surf Beach and often referred to as the California version of the classic Waikiki Beach. Participants can enroll in weekly sessions beginning in June for both males and females between the ages of 9 and 16. The camp’s instructors share passion for the sport and create camaraderie outside the water with fun beach activities.
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