Washington Surf Academy

I had a really great first time SUP experience here! The instructors are great and very helpful! They also have a shop full of anything that you could possibly need if you happen to forget something at home. Super cute clothing and a «locker» area to safely leave your car keys and not loose them in the water.

I really wanted to try Stand up Paddle boarding so signed up for a class.
The instructors were great and made sure we all got up and had a good time. They showed us neat things about the area and even brought us over to view to bald eagles.
I thought the instructions and customer service was great. I feel really confident going out on my own with the tips and tricks they shared.
They were always pleasant and helpful, It never felt rushed and was relaxed and tons of fun.
Highly recommended.

My husband turned me on to a GroupOn for this venue. $ 38.50 for a 2 hour stand up paddle (SUP) lesson for one. I’ve never been paddle boarding before, but have always wanted to try it. I was hesitant in choosing Washington Surf Academy (also called Surf Ballard) after reading other Unilocalers’ experiences, but decided to give them a try anyway. I’m really glad I did. This experience exceeded my expectations from beginning to end. I booked my lesson for this morning, a few days in advance. Andrew (I think he’s the owner) was polite and professional. Our group of 10 students were fitted for appropriate size paddles and boards. They offer wetsuit rentals for $ 5 if you want that. If the sun is out and the water is calm, skip the wetsuit. It was cold this morning, but within 10 minutes I was sweating and panting. Paddle boarding is quite the core workout! The instructors, Logan and Julie, were very down to earth and attentive the entire session. They had us up on our boards and paddling like pros very quickly. We saw bald eagles, herons, lots of crabs, jellyfish, star fish, and other marine life. A harbor seal followed us for part of the journey. I was so enamored with the SUP lesson, I ended up renting a board for another 2 hours as soon as we got back. It cost $ ⁴⁰⁄₂ hours to rent boards. Andrew told me if you are a frequent flier (I might be), you can buy a card for $ 250 that lowers the rental to $ ²²⁄₂ hours. After 4 hours of SUP, every muscle in my body is sore and I can’t stop smiling. Some tips to make your experience go smoothly:
1) Be there on time. Better still, arrive 15 minutes early to get signed in.
2) Have your voucher and release form ready to go. You need to bring the actual voucher so they can scan it. The acknowledgment email isn’t the same thing.
3) Listen to the instruction. They know what they are talking about.
4) Bring your own water. They don’t sell beverages and on sunny days like this, you definitely need to hydrate.
I highly recommend Washington Surf Academy for SUP newbies and seasoned pros alike. So fun!!!

Bought another Groupon for our «50 new things to try» list and the class was fine.
The shop is very casual (it’s a surf shop for heaven’s sake!) and so are the instructors. I was nervous about falling in the (freezing) cold water and rented a wet suit which helped alleviate that worry (Did not fall in, though hubby did).
I found the paddle boarding itself to be dull and boring, definitely not on my list of things to repeat but I would be open to checking out this place again for surf lessons.

I’ve been wanting to learn how to paddle board for the longest time and after yesterday I finally got the chance to go take a lesson from the owner and instructor Andrew who is an amazing instructor who teaches the step by step basic paddle boarding. Everyone always has some form of weakness when trying something for the first time and Andrew knows how to correct those to give you a fun experience with paddle boarding. I’m not gonna lie I did fall in the water within the first 10 minutes because a boat sped by and created a wave across the calm water and I was not prepared to know how to deal with that situation. Luckily Andrew told me to stay away from the poles full of barnacles before my fall or else I would have fallen on the barnacles and scratched up my back. What’s really cool about paddle boarding in the northwest was the wildlife that was swimming around us from Sea lions to jumping wild salmon. I would definitely take another lesson from Andrew just to continue to learn and sharpen up my balance on the board.
I encourage everyone to try this at least once in your life time. You will not regret it!

Bought a Groupon for a 2 hour introductory paddleboard lesson and tour. My husband got online to make a reservation and it said if you were calling about paddleboarding, call this number. So he did. What he got was a very thorough chewing out from the guy on the other end about how this was his cell phone and basically, how dare we call his cell phone. Somebody needs to check what they post on their own website. If you don’t want us calling your cell phone, DON’T POST IT ON THERE AND ASK US TO! After eventually scheduling our time, we showed up. We got there about 10 minutes later and a very pleasant lady was already there. She invited us in, sized me up for a wetsuit, and was extremely polite. So far, so good, until… cell phone guy showed up. At least, that’s who we think he was. He sticks his head inside and barks at the lady who was helping us and another couple, «What are you doing? We’re not open until 11!» then slammed the door. He then opened it about 30 seconds later and told our stunned group, essentially, that we had about 30 seconds to clear the premises because he had a class returning shortly and we were in the way. All this was said in a «get the hell out of my business» tone and body language. Then he shut the door in our face for a second time. Rude doesn’t even begin to describe it. So, we headed outside and waited very politely and patiently for his class to clear out. Then we were directed to come back inside by the nice lady again to watch a video instruction. Afterwards we were given boards and paddles by a nicer guy and sent on our way. Don’t know what the whole «tour» and «introductory» aspect of our groupon was because all we got was the 3 minute silent instruction video (which was all on how not to piss off the already pissed off jerk) and then sent on our way. No idea which direction we should head once we got in the water. Basically, we paid $ 35 to rent boards and paddles for two hours. We had a pleasant time and after meeting the jerk with the cell phone, I was quite glad he did not take us out in the water as I think I would have accidentally wacked him with my paddle once or a hundred times. Would never rent from this outfit again. The owner guy is just a complete jerk and needs to crawl back into whatever sewage drain he came out of… and take his cell phone with him!

Eh. Bought a living social deal to take a SUP lesson one Saturday morning. It was okay. Not too much instruction and it felt like a very «let’s just get through this lesson and move on with the day» mentality. Like, I’ve seen other SUP classes — you start on your knees and then move to your feet slowly. You learn to turn around. There was none of that here.
I just felt like the guy running the lesson didn’t really care if we had a good time or not. I was not good at SUPing from the get-​go, so I was told to «hurry up» several times. At one point I asked if I could turn around b/​c (quote) «this sucks», and then I got a slightly softer tone from the instructor. The assistant instructor was very kind and really made the whole situation better.
In their defense, to take classes there, you have to go through a line of boats trying to get through the Ballard Locks, so I just think that your first lesson should not be in Puget Sound. Just my opinion. I think you should be able to handle some wake before you go out on the Sound.

I finally used my Living Social pass at the Washington Surf Academy.
I decided to pay an extra $ 5 to rent a wetsuit. I wasn’t scared of falling off as much as I was scared of being cold in my swim suit. The wetsuit was worth it. Half my group ended up falling into the water, so I suggest it.
The shop as a cute surf town vibe. They have a great selection of Surf Ballard gear as well as name brand gear.
The tour guides were funny and helpful.
Stand-​up-​Paddle board was a great workout for your legs and arms.
I highly suggest you try this out. We went on the sunset tour and it it was GORGEOUS! It is also a great activity for out of town guest!
PS grab some paseo sandwiches before your session ;)

I was looking forward to learning how to paddle board once I had purchased my Groupon. I called two months prior to the Groupon’s expiration date to book a lesson appointment with my friend who had purchased it as well. My response from the dude on the other end was, «I’m not going to waste my time with only two students. I can give you the equipment and you are welcome to go out there on your own.» We are novices! He basically stated he would take a group of 4 (requiring us to find others to pay FULL price for the experience we were promised) or wait till it warmed up and others would sign up (meaning our groupon savings = $ 0; we would have to pay the full price since the Groupon would expire long before then).
Pretty much unprofessional and disappointing all around.

Bought Groupons for my partner and my son to do the paddle boarding lessons. Though I’ve been great friends with the truly laid back surfers, I’ve experienced plenty of times where they can be quite cocky, so I came secretly prepared just in case. I was so happy to find out pretty much immediately how cool Andrew and the crew was. Andrew (same name as my son) was very personal and introduced him individually to everyone, even me. And he treated my son as I requested– an adult in a kid-​sized body. He didn’t make him feel like too much of a child.
And when Andrew asked me if I were going with too (since they had 9 out of 10 people), I said no– I didn’t have money or my swimsuit. He offered me a wetsuit and to send a check. It was somewhat tempting, but it was a hot day and I still couldn’t afford $ 70 right now. That was really nice of him, though.
The only disappointing thing is that the 2 hr lesson & tour ended up only being about an hour physically on the water. Not sure if that’s normal, but was curious.
My boyfriend and I will definitely take up on the 2-​hr paddle board rental for $ 30 sometime, though, for sure. Being there brought back fond memories of my younger years and I really want to get back to my roots.

what a FUN experience with gorgeous views of all the amazing homes offshore!
Paddleboarding is great for beginners, no need for a wetsuit really. maybe a life jacket.
The living social deal was $ 35 for a 2 hr lesson and we went on the perfect day with blue skies, 80 degree washington weather and earlier in the day so the boats weren’t putting in too many waves.
I was surprised I caught on to it pretty quick, instructors are fast but helpful. Just be sure you know how to stop and turn back around lol

My friend and I were looking for something laid back but active and the Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board Lessons fit the bill perfectly.
I was also impressed with their care to customer service. We also happened to pick a date when the Fremont festival was going on so the staff reminded us via phone call to come early because of all the detours to get there.
Just a few practical recommendations: bring a change of clothes and a towel and perhaps choose an earlier time than 7 pm because the water gets cold towards the end (around 9 pm). But if 7 pm is the only time in your busy schedule, I’d still sign up for it.
P. S. I’d definately revisit paddle boarding again in the future. Maybe even venture into surfing.

Come for surf lessons or just to buy gear and expect great customer service. The lower level of the cute little surf shack has swimsuits, wetsuits, sunglasses, even clothes and sandals!
Out front you can find some paddle boards and surf boards for sale too.
Wet suit rentals are available (for cheap) with the surf lessons and classes are detailed, easy and fun.
What’s not to love?

The zen of water sports, Paddleboarding is a super chill way to enjoy the blue waters of Puget Sound.
After some brief instruction and water safety tips, our group hit the water with a $ 5 wet suit rental.
2 instructors per group– ready and willing to tow you in if needed or offer instruction along the way. Come with a good attitude… and plan that you might fall in. *Bonus* Outside hot shower on site.
Fun course through the marina or to the Ballard locks depending on conditions.
You+ 1 paddle+ wide board= paddleboarding. Try these guys out. Their place is easy to find, parking is free.

Extremely friendly service and great prices as well! When I got there, there had been a little glitch in the system so they didn’t have me registered for my lesson but they were super cool about fitting me in anyway and getting me hooked up with equipment. My instructors were Jeff and Erik (pretty sure Erik was his name) and they were super friendly, laid back, approachable and awesome. There’s not a whole lot to paddleboarding (the lesson I was there for) truth be told, but I felt like these guys could answer any question I had. Our little adventure included a trip around from the beach we launched at to the Ballard locks and back. Awesome and relaxing; we even had a harbor seal come up to say hi. I DID fall in twice but most people in the class didn’t at all, and honestly I didn’t even mind. I had a blast! I would definitely come back here again, although since I live in west Seattle I think most of my paddleboarding will be done around Alki from now on — now that I have the confidence to get out there.

making review from Surf Ballard available here too… Took the paddleboard lessons this weekend. Nice job of making adjustments on the fly to account for extra people. Quick to get everyone suited up. I have done a bit of surfing and paddleboarding before but it was the first time for my friend. He thought the quick pointers on land were clear and useful and then learn in the water by doing. I really liked how the tour was organized to allow everyone to enjoy the day: fast-​slow and everyone in between. Knowledgable, friendly staff. Very helpful and very mellow (a surfshop is not a department store or a fast food place). Definitely will be back to the kiddos hooked. er if you need a strong cup of joe, there is a good place across the street.

I gave my mom some group coupon for this group lesson deal .lame idea
UMMM! I dont know what your supposed to learn from the «pro surfer» that is in charge but my mom went to take a paddle board lesson and the guy freaked her out so bad she thought she would drown and was clinging to board during lesson. Not Cool. My mom wont paddle board now.

Very friendly service, laid back «surfer attitudes», good instructors that are patient and make you feel comfortable. Paddle boarding is a whole new way to experience the water. It is absolutely beautiful to get out on the open water in such a way that you can enjoy the calm of the marine environment. Highly recommended!