Manuel Antonio Surf Lessons: 2-Hour Beginner Class & Board Rental

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.99 (109 reviews) 99% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration2h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Learn to Surf at Manuel Antonio's Best Beach

You get a two-hour lesson with an experienced instructor, a surfboard for the full day, and the confidence that comes from actually standing up and riding a wave. The lesson is paced for beginners, and the free practice time afterward means you can keep building on what you just learned without paying extra or renting another board.

Step-by-step itinerary

Surf lessons at Espadilla Norte Beach

Meet your surfing instructor
Learn tactics, poses, and tips
Practice water safety techniques
Take a 2-hour surf lesson
Use surfboard for free practice

The Experience

You might think surfing is something you either can do or you can't. But Glen and his instructors in Manuel Antonio have spent years teaching people who've never touched a board before, and the two-hour lesson is built around that exact starting point. You'll spend the first part on technique — the right stance, how to read the water, when to pop up — and then you're in the ocean at Espadilla Norte Beach, actually riding waves instead of just thinking about it.

The lesson itself runs two hours, and water safety is the baseline for everything they do. Glen pairs you with an instructor who watches your form, corrects your balance, and doesn't move on until you're actually standing on the board and moving forward. It's not a group of twenty people; it's tailored to where you are that day. After the two hours are done, you get free use of your surfboard for the rest of the day, so if you want to paddle back out and practice what you just learned, the board is yours.

They'll work with your schedule if the standard start times don't fit — just ask when you book. Tropical fruit and water are included, which matters more than it sounds when you're in the sun and salt for hours. The beach itself is protected, the water is warm, and the waves at Espadilla Norte are forgiving enough that you can actually focus on learning instead of fighting the ocean.

What’s included

Your lesson includes the two-hour instruction with Glen or one of his instructors, a surfboard for the full day, tropical fruit, and water. You'll learn the fundamentals of surfing — stance, timing, safety — in the water at Espadilla Norte Beach, and then have the rest of the day to practice on your own with the same board.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Travel Costa Rica Tours

Is this one for you?Right for you if you've always wanted to try surfing but weren't sure where to start. The lesson assumes you're a beginner, and the free practice time afterward means you can build confidence without rushing back to return the board.