Crook’s Surf Essentials

I was born in 1941 in Los Angeles and spent a good portion of my teen years surfing with a 9.5′ Hobie balsa wood/​fiberglass board. I moved away from CA in 1964 and that ended my surfing. On a winter trip to L.A. last year, I borrowed a softtop board from a cousin in San Pedro and took my 8 year old Minnesota grandson, Kevin, surfing at San Onofre, one of my favorite spots way back when. We stopped at BC Surf Shop in San Clemente to rent wetsuits for the boy and his mother and were waited on by Collin Crook. Being a youth track and cross country coach, I noticed how quickly he established rapport with us and how he encouraged me and my grandson to get in the water. I didn’t surf that day, but gave my daughter a hand in helping Kevin try out the board. That was so much fun that I decided to book a lesson with Collin for the next January and mentioned this to him when we returned the wetsuits. He assured me that I wasn’t too old for a lesson, but I launched a swimming program back in Missouri just in case.
This past January, 2016, I met Collin at BC Surf Shop for a lesson. He took a look at the cousin’s board and suggested that I use a longer board. He pulled one out from the back of the shop and put it in his Jeep. Not only did he loan me the board at no extra charge, but the owner of BC Surf Shop gave me a day pass to Doheny State Park where we were headed for the lesson.
I had a solid 40-​year career in competitive running and I have to say that the two hour lesson at Doheny with Collin was the high point in my athletic experience. I hadn’t been up on a board for a very long time and I was thoroughly intimidated by the thought of sitting in a lineup and dropping in on a wave. Collin erased my fears even before we entered the water by sitting me down on the shore and explaining things about wave action, paddling out, how to pop up, fall off the board, safety, and surfing etiquette. Then he donned swim fins and swam alongside me and the board out to the lineup. After showing me the correct position on the board for my height and weight, he selected waves and got the board into perfect position for taking off on the wave every time, all the while taking the other surfers into consideration. Between Collin’s brilliant tips about mechanics, his high sense of humor, and enthusiasm for teaching me, I had a great time.
I’m booking a lesson with Collin next winter for Kevin, his mother, and me, no question.

Collin is a great teacher for people all ages. He is kind, very patient and attentive. I cannot wait to have him teach my family and friends this summer! If you are scared of the water he is someone that will make you feel safe and confident!

Had my first official surf lesson with Collin yesterday morning. I’ve maybe surfed 4 or 5 times in my life, and haven’t tried in over a year and a half. I was nervous going into it because I’d never been taught and had no idea what it would be like. Before we even got in the water, Collin took the time to thoroughly cover surf etiquette, how and why the wave does what it does, and above all else, surf safety. Before we were more than 30 seconds into the conversation I knew I had the right coach.
When we got our wetsuits on and got in the water, Collin was right there with me the entire time. He explained what the sets were doing and why we were positioned where we were. He taught me how to read waves, and how to safely maneuver. After his instruction on the beach, and his explanation of everything else that goes into riding a wave, I caught the very first wave I paddled for! In fact, every wave Collin told me to go for all day I managed to pop up on and ride all the way in. I was even turning by the end of the lesson!
I cannot recommend Collin highly enough. He is incredibly knowledgable and has a calm, reassuring method of teaching that makes it easy to understand and implement. If you’re thinking of getting lessons, GET THEM WITH COLLIN! At least try out a first lesson and I guarantee you won’t regret it. I know I didn’t. Now I can’t wait to get back in the water!

Collin is the best. Seriously, he has been so helpful teaching me to surf. I recommend him to everyone.

I’ve been going to Collin for more than 5 years for all my surf needs, and he has been nothing less than professional and motivating. He has gone out of his way on numerous occasions to help me become a better surfer — anything from helping me find the right gear, to paddling out during his free time for some pointers. Every time I’ve been in the water with him, we have run into other students of his who chase him down and want to show off what he’s taught them. His students love his energy, and it’s truly inspirational to see. Even his younger students’ parents love talking to him because of his professional, knowledgeable, and fun attitude. Collin is very dedicated to this sport, a true waterman, and a wealth of knowledge.
I recently had a new board shaped, so I went to the person I trust most — Collin. He helped me choose the best shape for my style and skill level, and the entire process was fast and simple. A few weeks later, and I’m now the proud owner of a phenomenal Crook’s Surf Essentials board. It’s flawless and exactly what I was hoping for. Definitely a «dream come true». I highly recommend Collin to anyone looking for surf coaching, instruction, business/​office outings, gear advice, board repair, and in this situation — a beautifully shaped board. And by the way, his board repair is second to none. Over the years Collin has become not only my go-​to for anything surf, but also a close friend and someone I can trust. That’s what truly sets him apart from the crowd. Not only will he steer you in the right direction, help you become a better surfer, repair your board or shape a brand new one — he will be loyal, trustworthy and put 110% of his energy into you and your enjoyment of the water.

Everything previous reviewers said about Collin is true. He by far is the best teacher I’ve ever had. His wealth of knowledge about surfing is evident from the cool and interesting history and science lesson he wisely doles out before you even hit the water. Safety is his priority and I never once felt like I was in any danger. He makes the experience a lot of fun and brings such a positive attitude to learning. He even taught me water etiquette which is crucial. Even if I made a mistake, he was patient and always encouraging. I highly recommend him. It’s not hard to realize why so many parents trust him to teach and coach their kids. You won’t be disappointed with Collin! Mahalo!

Awesome teacher! The kids love him and he makes the whole experience so much fun! Be sure to sign up with him for ongoing lessons or even just a short visit while on vacation here.

My husband and I had our first ever surfing lesson with Collin and Connor and it was FANTASTIC. You can really tell that Collin’s first priority is keeping his clients safe. We were supposed to meet at T street beach but I got a text from him that morning saying he was worried the waves were too big for that morning and moved the lesson to Doheny. Once there he sat down with my husband and I and explained to us about how to fall, the ins and outs about waves, etiquette, ground work etc. While he gave us a lot of information it was in a fun way and made us feel super comfortable before getting in the water. Once out in the water Collin and Connor provided useful critiques and helped us catch some awesome waves. Collin knows how to keep the lesson fun, while maintaining safety at the same time. I was terrified to try surfing, but after this lesson I can’t wait until I can go again. We had such a great time and can’t wait for our next lesson!!!

Summer 2015 couldn’t have started out better! My niece Danielle and I were determined to learn to surf this summer! So we bought our wetsuits. The next step was «who is going to teach us»? well after a few calls to other surf lesson companies, a few things did not sit well with us about them on the phone so we did not book it… and one day… on a whim… I saw this ad for Surf Lessons with local San Clemente Surf Instructor Collin Crook. We called and the minute Danielle was on the phone with him, we knew he was the one to book our lessons with! We were so excited. I cannot say enough about what a professional Collin is, it just does not get any better than this. He is truly passionate about the sport and has a genuine enthusiasm about teaching you to surf. We are on our 4^th lesson with Collin and doing well. I have booked 4 more lessons with him for the summer because we are having so much fun learning so much from him. His positive attitude is contagious and he really knows what he is doing… we feel so safe and confident in the water with him. Collin also went to the surf store with us one day after our lesson to pick out the right surf racks for both our cars and showed us how to use them properly on our car. We are ready to ditch the Costco boards already (we bought them not knowing how well we would do) and Collin offered to help us pick out a Longboard suited for us both. amazing right! Did I mention Danielle is 28 and I am her Aunt at 52… finally learning to surf after all these years! Thanks Collin for everything! You are the Best.
See you this weekend for more Surf!
Yvonne & Danielle
XO

While down in San Clemente, I wanted to check out their surf shops. I came along BC Surf Shop right in the heart of the city, and across from a busy Pizza Port Brewing restaurant. Albeit an hour from home I became sold on the shop’s quality, but more so the professionalism and candid nature of Collin Crook. I had never met him before, but he was truly encouraging and had his elevator pitch down to a science. He laid out his surf schooling scenarios, and we complemented it with talk about boards. It was an impression that led me to a verbal and online vetting process that was sold rather quickly.
Being completely new to the sport, I had recently bought a used Bruce Jones longboard. I talked about it with Collin and he was in fair stating he would need to look at it. While our schedules didn’t match up, I wanted excellent service and craftsmanship. After checking him out, talking about his YEARS of experience repairs and coaching professionals, and his seeing his repair work, I was sold. I called him up later that week and tried to work out a schedule where I could bring down the board to him for an estimate and inspection. Sadly, our schedules did not work out. He assured that it would be in good hands, and I could drop it off to BC Surf Shop for surfboard repair after work. I discussed turnaround time, and dropped it off during a late night before closing.
After the drop off I got a call back. Collin and I took about ten minutes to discuss the tail that needed repair (it was the ugliest tail I’ve ever seen), along with other areas that needed to be sealed to make it watertight. About two weeks went by (mind you, I wanted him to take his time to get every bit of the board sealed) and I found myself back at BC Surf Shop for pick-​up and inspection. While Collin wasn’t there, he had written a note and was available for a call. After a short call with him while going over the board, I felt confident enough to take the board home. It was free of all major issues, was watertight, and practically looked like a brand new board.
I was a very happy customer, and noted that his work was quite excellent. He has sanded and smoothed out every bit of the tail and sides, and noted our cost-​effective agreement. He was truly a mindful professional, skilled, and just a cool guy to know.

Collin is the man! I dropped off my fish for some simple ding repair and he got it back to me air tight and looking like new. I really appreciate his attention to detail and positive attitude. I highly recommend Crooks Surf Essentials!

Colin is an awesome surf coach! He did a great job teaching my boys, who are beginners and new to surfing. He is fantastic and I highly recommend him for anyone who wants to learn surfing, regardless of age or experience!