about us

Location

Surfer holding blue surfboard on beach at sunset.

Private lessons are usually held in Bolinas, sometimes in Stinson. We always want to provide the best experience for our clients and are open to going where the waves take us!

All camps take place in Bolinas.

Instructors

A child learning to surf with an adult's help in the ocean.

Pacific Coast Surf Lesson instructors are CPR and first aid certified. They have extensive knowledge of the ocean, have surfing experience and have trained alongside a senior coach until they are confident in taking on their own group.

When one has experienced the stoke and the gift that surfing brings, it becomes clear that this is something to truly be shared with others.

Mission

Four boys in wetsuits lying on surfboards at the beach, preparing to surf.

Pacific Coast Surf Lessons was created to share the knowledge and passion we have for the ocean and to inspire others to try something new and invigorating. We aim to help our clients expand their physical abilities, build self confidence and be presently connected to mother nature.

Whether it’s a someone's first wave or their fiftieth, our goal is always the same: help them fall in love with the ocean while learning to enjoy it safely.

our story

Nick O'Connor grew up in Bolinas, surfing these waves since he was 5 years old. He went to SF State and became a lifeguard at ocean beach for 15 years, one of the most intense beaches in our area, giving him extreme ocean rescue experience. He then went on to work as a firefighter with the Marin County Fire department for a few years. After meeting Kyla and teaching his 4 nieces how to surf he found his next passion, sharing his love of the ocean and the freedom surfing brings him, with others.

Kyla Neugebauer starting working for a surf camp in Stinson Beach at age 17. After 9 years with the company, teaching private surf lessons and running the summer camp, she had gained the skills to start her own business, with the blessings from her boss. She has worked with kids from day one. Teaching art at her moms studio, gymnastics in San Rafael, swimming in Mill Valley, High School Dive team, and homeschooling her little brother through 8th grade. She always wanted to be a teacher, but her calling to the ocean has directed her path of working with kids, to the coast.

Nick and Kyla started dating in 2017, in 2018 they put their knowledge and skills of team management, ocean safety, water rescue, child development, communication, and surf passions together to create Pacific Coast Surf Lessons! After welcoming their first daughter into the world in 2022, and their second in 2024, they have continued to grow their business and their family side by side.

PCSL focusses on an individual's current level of surfing and ocean comfortability and teaches them how to expand their abilities and live in the moment in a safe and nurturing environment. Summer surf camp and surfing lessons are an amazing way to feel free, confident, and empowered.