Pura Vida Surf School instructor with a student at Tamarindo Beach

The best surf school in Tamarindo, according to the people who learned here.

A local school on Tamarindo Beach, teaching since before most of the town had wifi.

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500+

Surfers taught

25+

Countries

15+

Years in Tamarindo

100%

ISA certified

Your local surf family in Tamarindo.

We are a local school on Tamarindo Beach, recognised by students from around the world as the best surf school in Tamarindo. Our job is to share the ocean through good instruction, local knowledge, and the pura vida spirit this town runs on.

First wave or first green wave, the goal is the same: get you better, quickly and safely.

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Student in a black rash guard riding whitewater in Tamarindo

Group of surf students in the water at Tamarindo, Costa Rica

One-on-one surf coaching during a private class in Tamarindo

Beginner catching a first wave during a lesson in Tamarindo

What "certified" actually means here.

Every surf school in town says its instructors are certified. Here is what ours are held to.

ISA-certified, every one of them

Certification by the International Surfing Association is the recognised standard for surf instruction. It is not a badge we award ourselves.

Trained in ocean rescue and first aid

Tamarindo is a gentle beach break, but the ocean is still the ocean. Every instructor is trained to handle it going wrong.

Four students per instructor, maximum

Group lessons cap at four. Semi-private at three. Nobody is left paddling around while the coach works with someone else.

Stand up on your first lesson, or the next one is free

We put that in writing because we can. Most beginners ride whitewater inside their first 90 minutes.

Pura Vida Surf School student riding a wave in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

How it started.

Pura Vida Surf School came out of a love for the ocean and the want for a place where people from anywhere could learn to surf without it being intimidating. Our founders grew up surfing these waves.

What began as a handful of local surfers is now one of the busiest schools on this beach, and the thing we are proudest of has not changed: people leave able to do something they could not do before.

Over the years we have taught thousands of surfers, from six-year-olds on their first board to grandparents who decided it was finally time.

What our surfers say on Google

Read all our reviews on Google

“My husband and I tried a few other surf schools in Tamarindo… In just one hour, he explained what we hadn't managed to learn in three previous days. By the end, my husband and I were able to surf our first waves on our own.”

Rosie D., Google review

“The instructors made me feel comfortable and not intimidated at all, even as a beginner. They explain everything in a simple way and are super patient.”

Violeta R., Google review