Surf lessons · Thalia Street · Since 2005
Learn to surf where the locals learned.
That is Troy MacDonald — your instructor — in the barrel at Thalia Street reef.
95% of first-timers are on their feet inside the first lesson. You will be too.
Board, wetsuit and twenty years of local wave knowledge — all included.
Troy MacDonald · Thalia Street reef · shot from the water
The whole point
0% stand up in the first lesson.
That is a first-timer on her feet, on a real wave, inside her first ninety minutes. Troy picks the wave, times the push, and tells you the one thing to think about — and then you are up. You will be too.
Lessons & pricing
Four ways in.
Book
Pick a morning.
Your instructor
Troy MacDonald
“He will not put you anywhere you should not be.”
Born in Laguna, raised in a surf family, in the water here since before he could drive. He has been teaching this beach for over twenty years — long enough that the parents booking lessons now are people he taught as kids.
He is calm, he is patient, and that is most of why the first lesson works.
Reviews
Troy had me standing up and riding waves in my very first lesson — mind-blowing. His calm, encouraging teaching style and focus on safety made it not just informative but genuinely fun.”
★★★★★ · Google review
Booked a private group for my daughter's birthday. Four eleven-year-olds, all four of them up before the hour was out. Troy is unbelievably patient and the kids have not stopped talking about it.”
★★★★★ · Google review
I have surfed on and off for years and plateaued hard. Two advanced sessions and I am finally making the section instead of straightening out. Worth every dollar.”
★★★★★ · Google review
Where we meet
Bottom of the Thalia Street stairs.
Come down the stairs, turn left, and wait under the building overhang. Troy is the one with the boards. Street parking on Thalia and Glenneyre — give yourself fifteen minutes on a summer weekend.
- Address
- Thalia Street Beach, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
- Lesson times
- 7:00, 8:30 and 10:30 in the morning, 3:00 in the afternoon
- Bring
- A towel, sunscreen, and a swimsuit to go under the wetsuit
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before. Troy calls off bad days himself, at no charge
FAQ
The things everyone asks.
Do I need to know how to swim?
Yes. You should be comfortable in water over your head. You do not need to be a strong swimmer — the lessons run in waist-to-chest-deep water and Troy is next to you the whole time.
What do I need to bring?
A towel, sunscreen and something to wear under a wetsuit — a swimsuit or board shorts. The board, the wetsuit and the rash guard are included.
How old do you have to be?
Six and up for a private lesson. Group lessons start at eight. There is no upper limit — the oldest first-timer so far was seventy-one, and she stood up.
Will I actually stand up?
About 95% of first-timers do, usually inside the first forty minutes. The ones who do not are almost always trying to stand too early, and that gets fixed in the second lesson.
Where do we meet?
Thalia Street beach, Laguna Beach. Come down the stairs, turn left, and wait under the building overhang. Troy is the one with the boards.
What if the surf is too big or too flat?
Troy calls it the morning of and moves you at no charge. He has surfed this coast for twenty years — if it is not safe or not worth it, you will not be in it.
Is parking hard?
Street parking on Thalia and Glenneyre. Come fifteen minutes early on a summer weekend and you will be fine.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free up to 24 hours before. Inside 24 hours it is a reschedule rather than a refund, unless Troy is the one calling it off.