Esplanade Surf School, St Clair, Dunedin | Fees, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

I had a great experience participating in a Private Surf Lesson for two people with Louie at Esplanade Surf School. My friend and I were greeted by Toby who promptly provided us with beginner boards and wet suits to enjoy our time in the water. Their van is conveniently located near the beach and a changing room provides a sheltered place to change.

Louie was an excellent and enthusiastic instructor. He asked about our surfing experience, I had zero experience and my friend had limited experience, so tailored the lesson accordingly for each of us. The lesson started on the beach to teach us the basics of the board and the skills we would need to stand successfully in the water.

With Louie’s patience and skilled guidance, my friend and I were each able to successfully stand on the board and enjoy surfing in the shallows. Louie celebrated our successes and offered constructive feedback on how to improve our skills. At the end of the lesson, Louie allowed us to catch a few waves on our own.

During our lesson, Toby was thoughtful and took photos of my friend and me learning to surf. I am thrilled and sincerely grateful to have photographic memories of my surfing experience with Esplanade Surf School.

I strongly recommend Esplanade Surf School to anyone keen to learn a new skill and find new fun on the beach while in Dunedin. Thank you, Toby and Louie!

Isaac was really great at communciating with us about the possible dates/times that we could get out surfing, due to the weather. When we got out there, we had an amazing time on the waves with him – he was super friendly and enthusiastic. We were complete beginners and he catered to our ability perfectly.

Would 100% recommend and go back if we’re ever visiting again. Really great value for money – best thing we did in Dunedin!

Thanks again for fitting us in 🙂

Instructor didn’t show up!
The surf was nuts that day so I suspected that the class was cancelled. Called them multiple times in advance of lesson- no answer. Would be fine if they’d have flicked me a cancellation email, but it was radio silence. By the time the lesson was due to start there was no one around the van and 20 mins later no one is picking up my calls. Got a response a week later from owner. Have requested a refund, will see if they pull through. Such a shame as they are the only surf school in Dunedin! should’ve checked reviews

An epic lesson! We were very much beginners and left feeling confident! Thank you so much Isaac for an awesome time 🙂

Booked and pre-paid for a surfboard hire, but they never showed up. It seems my experience is not unique, wish I’d checked the Google reviews first.

I showed up at my rental time and there was nobody at the van, but there was a sign in the window saying that they were open. I was there with a friend who had their on gear, so my friend went surfing while I called the number on the van. Over the next hour I called them no less than 19 times, emailed them and texted them, but no response. I just sat there and watched my friend surf.

That evening I got a text saying that they hadn’t checked their bookings and did I want to come back another day. Unfortunately I had left Duneidn that evening, so I couldn’t. They didn’t offer me a refund either, but I got one eventually through the bank.

This was extremely disappointing. I had really been looking forward to trying out surfing in Dunedin and it looked like a great day. I only had a short visit so it was annoying to waste an afternoon like this.