Our story
Fifteen years of teaching the Central Coast to surf.
WaveRider Surf Academy started in 2009 with one van, ten soft-top boards and a simple promise: teach every lesson like the student’s stoke depends on it. Fifteen years and 5,000+ lessons later, that promise has launched countless first rides — and a few competitive careers.
We are still locally owned, still answer our own phones, and still hand-pick the day’s break based on the swell, not the schedule. When you book with WaveRider, you surf with the people who grew up in this water.
- Years coaching
- 15+
- Lessons taught
- 5,000+
- First-ride success
- 98%
- Average rating
- 5.0/5
What we stand for
The values under every wave
Four principles that have carried us through fifteen seasons of swells, flat spells and everything in between.
Ocean stewardship
We teach students to read, respect and protect the ocean — and we run regular beach cleanups to give back to the coast we call home.
Small groups
A 4:1 student-to-coach ratio is the law of our land. Real progress happens when every pop-up gets personal attention.
Safety obsession
Every coach is lifeguard-trained, every session is briefed, and we never push students beyond the conditions or their comfort.
Certified coaching
ISA-certified coaches with 15 years of teaching on this stretch of coast — plus 486 five-star reviews and counting.
The people
Meet the coaches in the water with you
Our coaches average 9 years with the academy — they know every sandbar, rip and reef from Cowell’s to Capitola.
Maya Rios
Founder & Head Coach — ISA Level 2, 15 years, 2,400+ lessons
Jake Torres
Lead Beginner Coach — 12 years, the nicest pop-up fixer on the coast
Elle Nakamura
Kids Program Director — 10 years, lifeguard-certified grom whisperer
Sam Okafor
Fitness & Safety Lead — ex-lifeguard, surf fitness specialist
Get started
Surf with a crew that grew up in this water
Join 5,000+ happy students. Book your first lesson today — we will have you standing before the sun sets.