Manly Surf School

11/19/2025; I met Nick James late morning and he was conducting a superb private beginner surf lessons for my 60+ year old wife an hour later. A truly world class experience, an amazing day at Manly Beach, NSW, Australia; a remarkable day provided by Nick (the surf shop manager/ instructor for last 18 years). Thanks to Nick, my wife was riding in waves on her own an hour after starting with Nick. This first time experience was second to none. Well worth the short ferry ride from our Marriott hotel in the Sydney Harbor. Thanks Manly Beach surf shop and Nick James for a bucket list experience for my wife. Sadly heading back to Texas tomorrow. Sincerely, Dan Powers COL, U.S. Army, Aviation, retired

I stayed in Manly for a few weeks and took multiple lessons at Manly Surfschool. The 1-1 lessons were very helpful for me to get confident in the pacific waters and the teachers were very passionate and cared a lot about my progress and if I had fun. Then I took a couple of group lessons which were fun for meeting other people and it’s even a way to get in touch with the locals surfing the same waves. The guys working at the surfschool know where to be in the water, what you can work on and how to get the best fun out of surfing. They’re also good on safety and making sure you’re alright! Great job guys, running the surfschool. You were all very welcoming and very much added to my overall stay in Sydney. See ya!! Cheers, Flora P.s. I even got great footage of me surfing from their drone!

So far, I've had two lessons at Manly Surf School, and I can honestly say it was an incredible experience! I had never surfed before, but from the very first moment I felt warmly welcomed - everyone was friendly, encouraging, and eager to help me get started. The atmosphere was relaxed and positive, which made it easy to feel comfortable and excited to try something new. It's truly inspiring to see so many people full of passion for surfing! I can highly recommend my instructor, Billy - his patience, clear guidance and positive energy helped me overcome my fears and sparked my passion for surfing! He gives lots of helpful tips and always makes sure you feel safe and supported. I can't wait to come back for more lessons!

We were two beginner surfers whose previous attempts by ourselves were very unsuccessful. Our lovely instructors helped us manage to catch around 10 waves each! Sebastian taught us how to identify when/where to surf and how to catch a wave. Him and Thomas were incredibly encouraging and kind, making us feel safe and supported at all times. We had so much fun and would highly recommend!