Just took a lesson from Richard and I actually rode my first wave. I did not think I could do it, but Richard broke down how to think and made me feel comfortable and confident. The new wetsuits and boards were nice too. Well worth it and I look forward to more lessons. Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Seriously awesome.. not just going through the motions of how to stand up, but really explaining everything, each important motion, to make you successful. Top notch equipment, wetsuits.. communications, arrangements.. truly white glove service!!! Highline is where I bring anyone who wants to learn to surf safely when they visit here in sunny Cali!!!

An absolute TOP recommendation! Richard is truly the Santa Cruz waterman! Whether it’s your first time, your learning new spots, or your watching your kids grow in the sport with his instruction, this is the man and team you want to be with! He will make the experience as memorable and comfortable and FUN as ever! Top Notch Gear, Top Notch Instruction, Top Notch Experience.

I had a great experience learning from Rich. He was very informative and patient. Patience is key when teaching a city gal from Texas. I felt very calm and relaxed. His ability to quickly identify your challenges helps you overcome and get up on the board. I caught a lot of waves my first day. Foam or or not, who cares?! Enjoy the ocean and get you some.

I hesitate sharing Richard with anyone else but since we can’t hog him as much as we would like, here goes. I was looking for an instructor for my 10 year old son. I was impressed by the reviews so decided to contact Highline.

Richard called me back as he thought it important that I get to know him a little before I turned my only off spring over to him. He made me feel totally comfortable and assured me that if I or my son felt at all uncomfortable, we could bail on the lesson, no charge. I thought we might have to do that as my son is far from fearless. But, Richard got him into the water and on the board.

Thanks to Richard’s magic, my son trusted him completely. He had a great lesson and we had to go out and get him a wetsuit the following day. He was totally hooked. Only down side is that we have to hear non stop about Richard! Honestly, we love it. We feel so lucky to have had this great experience and will be back this summer:)

I’ve had several different surf instructors in the past including a 1 week surf camp but Richard has been my go to guy when I actually want to learn something. He doesn’t bother with groupon because he actually cares about his profession. All his referrals are from word of mouth. The majority of getting good at surfing is time in the water but you can drastically reduce that time by getting the right training from the start.

I highly recommend Richard because of his attention to detail from the basics of paddling, the pop-up, and surfing etiquette to wave selection, turning, braking and pivoting. His equipment is top notch and he knows the best spots for that one-on-one experience. I knew that his lessons worked the moment I caught my own waves at Manresa. I almost forgot that he works well with kids, especially with autistic kids, which I was privileged enough to witness last weekend.

When it comes to surfing, the journey is the destination.

I had one lesson with Richard while on vacation with my family and I was amazed at how easy he made surfing! I had seen people do it before but never thought it was something I’d be able to do. Needless to say, four of us spent a few hours with Richard and by the end of, I was not only surfing but surfing with confidence!

He is an excellent teacher and makes it seems so easy. He knows the perfect spots to go to that aren’t crowded with other surf schools. I would take another lesson in a heartbeat and highly recommend him. As mentioned before, the warm shower afterwards is great as well.

I can’t imagine a better surf instructor than Richard. I was a complete newbie, and it was only on the 2nd lesson for my friend, but he had us surfing right away. We caught more waves than many of the regulars out there, because Richard is so knowledgeable about timing.

He teaches safety and etiquette and how to spot the best incoming swells. If you do exactly that he says, you will be amazed at your results! Not only that, he’s a super nice guy who provides everything you need and makes you feel really comfortable.

Richard was extremely helpful and knowledgable in the session that I had with him. He pointed out numerous things and pinpointed what I needed to do to be able to catch my first wave.

It was my first time in the Pacific Ocean let alone surfing and I got a good amount of waves in our session. Not to say it’s easy but that Richard had taught me so much about the different factors and variables that go into catching that wave properly.

I would have never been able to learn as much as I did that day without Richard. He’s an awesome dude that is very friendly and humble and I recommend him 110%!

I have taken surfing lessons from others in both Santa Cruz and Hawaii and can vouch that Richard R. is the best coach out there.  He takes teaching seriously, but still keeps it fun. He gives pointers and insights throughout the lesson. I have had both solo, group and semi-private lessons with Richard.  I can’t recommend Richard enough.

Richard is the best coach in the world. He makes sure you get a ride in, is totally into the physical power of the ocean and in tune with the tide. Meaning: you are well looked after, well positioned, and you catch rides.
I went out with a friend during a high surf advisory. We were both first timers. Richard was able to keep us calm, safe, and surfing for nearly an hour of extremely rough surf during which he actually towed us through waves and dragged us along in the water when our arms got tired. It was insane, he was able to call every set and every tide, predict where we needed to be, and get us there.

We came back in one piece and were never happier to have chosen someone as our guide. I will be going again (in much calmer surf) as soon as possible.
His gear is also super – extra nice wetsuits (new) not too thick but warm as anything, booties, and surfboards with good grip.

There is nothing not excellent about Richard’s surf instruction (including his hilarious surf-soul self).

Richard was fantastic!

Not only was he reliable in checking in with me the day before our lesson, he was 30 minutes early to ensure our wetsuits and gear were on and ready to go. This guy has been surfing for 35+ years and you can definitely tell.

He really took care of us. From small gestures like offering us bottles of water because (like he said) we became super dehydrated, to letting us know the ins and outs of how to park, where to eat and hangout post lesson; we felt like we had made the best decision.

The best thing was our lesson was actually a private one, which was awesome! Not sure if anyone else will enjoy that luxury – but it made the class all the more fun and helpful!

Highly recommended!

I am a father of 7 year old twins and have been surfing a long time, but wanted to make sure my kids had a positive first experience surfing, so I signed them up for a lesson with Richard.

He was awesome!  My kids loved going into the ocean with him.

He kept them safe and having fun!  He has good communication skills to pass on his vast knowledge of the ocean and how to ride waves.  His equipment is new and perfect for learning how to surf.
My kids are stoked and can’t wait to get back in the ocean!

I highly recommend him!

I am a 56 year old woman who is recovering from an illness that has left me 30 pounds over my normal weight and completely out of shape.   i never thought i would try to surf.  My intention was to boogie board as i thought it may be something i could possibly have some fun in the ocean with.  i tried finding an instructor to take me out to boogie board, but, had no luck.  After much searching, i was told to call Richard Rodriguez and that, ” He would help me”.

i contacted Richard and expected for him to say either, ” No, I do not teach boogie boarding, or, if you would like a surfing lesson, meet me on this day at this time”.  That is not what happened.   Richard called me and spoke with me at length asking me about myself and what I was looking for in boogie boarding or surfing.  He had endless patience and compassion while I answered his pertinent questions so that he could determine if he could be of help to me.

We met for the first time and i brought my boogie board along.  i had already begun to trust Richard since we had spoken on the phone several times.  I decided to try the surfing.  Richard began with the basics.  Safety first, both getting to the water and at every stage in the water.  He reviews these safety measures with me at every lesson.  Then, he began to teach me the basics while on the beach until i felt ready to go out into the surf.   The first time Richard took me out surfing i caught several waves and managed to stand up and ride the wave just straight to the shoreline.   I was more than shocked that I could do this.  Richard was more than excited for and with me.  I already had respect for him, but as i spent my first hour in the surf with him,  I began to realize that he could possibly be one of the most wonderful individuals I have ever met.

Richard is not only an excellent experienced surfing instructor but an honor to the human race.   I have taken about 7 lessons with Richard at this point in time.  Every time I take a surfing lesson with Richard, he teaches me surfing but also shares his love of the sport and the ocean.  I now meet with Richard every week and plan to continue my surfing instruction with him.  It has been a life changing experience for me.  Richard Rodriguez is absolutely a winner.

My friend and I took a lesson from Richard this past weekend. It was AWESOME!

I come from a family of surfers but never had much luck with the sport. My friend was completely new to surfing. We were both up and riding waves after a few tries!!! I was shocked because I had never been able to stand up before.

Richard has the right equipment, is totally patient, kind and most importantly – FUN! My friend was really scared she would be cold but the wetsuits were great. The wetsuits I have used in the past left me chaffed and cold. These felt like fleece on the inside (no rash guards) and I did not get chilled once. We got booties to boot! The boards were easy to paddle on and like I said – I got up!

The beach was great. There were sea otters and seals in the distance and the place was full of locals. If you are familiar with surfing you know that locals can be very territorial but Richard is from Santa Cruz and has a great reputation around town as an honest and hardworking guy. He even got a few surfers to let me have some of their waves. Seriously?!?! Who has that kind of cred?

Glad I didn’t waste my time and money on those big business surf schools around Santa Cruz. The ones who keep you on the beach doing burpees for 45 minutes. I saw plenty of those around Cowells and the Boardwalk. Waste.

And at the end of the lesson – heated water to rinse off with. Yep, he brings warm water along to make sure you clean up in comfort. Can’t wait to go again!

I am a beginner, and I came with my older brother for a lesson. With Richard’s help he was able to get up on his board and form a love for the sport. It was the lesson that he had with Richard that enabled him to realize that surfing is something he would like to do in the long run.

If it weren’t for Richard’s helpful tips, safe environment, and amazing instruction, my older brother would not have pursued surfing. I have had lessons from other people in the area, and Richard is by far the best surf instructor I have ever had the honor of being taught by.

I am new to surfing. I started out not knowing if I would become a life long surfer, but after taking a lesson with Richard, I knew I would stick with it for life. The attention to detail, making me feel comfortable and providing tools to move forward on my own have been amazing.

I have taken lessons privately and with a group. We learn to read the waves, learn etiquette/safety and how to ride the highline! Richard takes into account learning style, which is very unique. Richard has the surf boards and wet suits, so you don’t need to bring anything but a towel. Well worth taking a lesson. You will come away with good memories and being a better surfer.

I’ve been boogie boarding for a long time and it was about time to try surfing. I had my first surf lesson with Richard and it was a great first experience. He kept his advice straightforward and easy to follow. Focusing on the fundamentals helped me catch my first wave! He keeps a great positive attitude, always making jokes. I also got to use one of his new wetsuits. I would highly recommend.

Awesome teacher, lots of valuable information! He made sure that we went to a great location at a great time and learned all the basics. We all were able to ride waves comfortably very quickly! Highly recommended!

We’ve had our first surfing lesson ever with Richard and really everything has been perfect. He’s an amazing teacher, we menaged to do our first meters right after five minutes. The location was incredible, surfing together with otters, seals and wales an perfect waves. And all the material is brand new. We even got booties and a warm shower afterwards. Couldn’t have been better. Thank you very much for this amazing experience

I am a beginner, and I came with my older brother for a lesson. With Richard’s help he was able to get up on his board and form a love for the sport. It was the lesson that he had with Richard that enabled him to realize that surfing is something he would like to do in the long run.

If it weren’t for Richard’s helpful tips, safe environment, and amazing instruction, my older brother would not have pursued surfing. I have had lessons from other people in the area, and Richard is by far the best surf instructor I have ever had the honor of being taught by.