Wise Surfboards

Best selection of boards and surf gear in the city. Unlike other stores that mostly sell clothes and «surf lifestyle» items this is a surf shop for real surfers.

BY FAR the BEST surf shop in all of SF!!!

I bought my board there and the guy that sold it to me I think owned the shop and he told me what I felt like was the truth about my torq board. Which was its a cheap knock off of the NPS boards and since I’m beginner at surfing I felt like it was the way to go! I already got a crack in the board and they recommended a guy who fixed it in around 2 days for 60 bucks which I think was fair. However the used board selection is limited. I hear Aquashop has more of a used board selection. I was satisfied with the service and advice received. Also he let me try out the battery powered skateboards… So I mean that is sort of the way to my heart!

I’ve surfed all my life, all around the world.
You can tell «the real thing» when you walk in.
This place is the real deal, for people who surf, and those who love the ocean.
My 10 y.o. son needed a wetsuit for sailing in the bay, and hopefully surfing once he gets older.
Chris and his coworkers upstairs hooked us up with an excellent used O’Neill wetsuit, for half the price of new.
Of course they could have steered us to the full price ones.
But they got our loyalty by treating us right and giving us great advice.
By the way, when your kid outgrows their wetsuit, Wise will hang it on the rack to sell for you, at no charge. Pretty cool.

Solid surf shop with hands down best selection of boards/​suits in the Bay Area. Not the cheapest but with their board trade-​in (they allow you to sell your previously purchased boards commission free for full store credit) It allows a less costly way to upgrade to new equipment every year or so. Any problems with wetsuits you buy here and no questions asked replacement policy. Kevin upstairs will give you a great experience choosing/​sizing a wetsuit. Great place to pick up used boards. Even hooked me up with bubble wrap/​rail guards for my last surf trip.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff with a great selection of products at reasonable prices.
They particularly have a great inventory of wetsuits. I would go here again if I was shopping for surfing gear.
I made several phone calls from the bay area to see where I can actually try on some suits and, to my surprise, very few shops carry physical inventory of wetsuits. Not the case at Wise. They had a gigantic inventory!
Please note that they do not carry kite surfing gear.

The most awesome surf shop in the Bay Area!
Service: impeccable, stock: huge. The shop is very well laid out, there’s lots of space and light, very easy to browse. The staff is super helpful but don’t hover over your shoulder if you need some time to decide what to get. I drive there every time I need gear, even if I can get it cheaper online — love the fact it’s a local business and you just cannot beat the customer service.
Examples:
I went there to buy a wetsuit and the guys spent a good hour with me trying to find a good fit, giving me lots of tips about things to look for. Ended up with O’Neill Mutant and it’s exactly what I needed. When I came back for a rashguard, I left with lots of great advice about gear for tropical waters and SoCal. Buying a sunscreen, they advised me to first try a cheaper version but also gave my samples of a very expensive one to compare it to, rather than trying to cash in on the sale.
I recommend this store to all my surfing friends and will definitely keep coming back!

Worst surf shop in SF. Went in to simply get a replacement leash and felt like I was annoying owner with such a low cost item. I asked for an ankle strap and he handed me a calf strap. When I pointed this out to him, he just tossed me an ankle strap — no apology. I asked if it was a good quality one and he said it is «made in America» & top quality. Drove home across the city and took it out and label clearly said «made in China».
I called store and guy at register said sorry for the mistake and he would get the right one and hold it for me to exchange when I came back next day. Next day, I drove clear across town again and store owner tells me he is sold out of ankle straps «made in America». No apology — nothing but an attitude that expressed I was wasting his precious time with nonsense.
I will never give this place my business again. Owner is all about money and is disrespectful to customers who are not shelling out thousands for a new board.

be Wise…
…just go to best surf shop in town!
I’ve been a customer of Wise for over 25 years, since the were on Vicent St. Being in this shop 100s of times and always had a great service. They know my name, my nickname… such a friendly atmosphere. I bought boards, ordered custom boards, sold boards, fixed boards, several wetsuits, accessories, etc. They have it, they do it! All major brands and quality surfing gear with realistic prices. Extremely knowledgeable, helpful staff. Largest selection. Real nice shop. Thanks a lot for being there.
malaga

Long time surfer. I have been surfing this stretch of beach off and on for 30 years since i got my car. Bob Wise is great and so is the staff who have been in the shop for years as well. Great selection and great knowledge and extremely good people. Don’t be intimidated asking them any question they are the real deal. The prices are very fair.
No joke Wise is the best around these parts for miles.

Hands down the best surf shop I’ve been to in San Francisco where the staff know their product, the sport along with a sense of humor!
I didn’t know much about surfing and went to Mollusk first. They were hella overpriced with the attitude of we-​can-​one-​up you any day. Like wtf?! Didn’t tolerate that crap and decided to come to Wise Surfboards after that experience. Why didn’t I come here first?! I picked up a good wetsuit for cold water along with surfboard wax that I can also use for my wooden dragon boat paddle. Score!

These guys have always taken great care of me– truly professional, knowledgable, and friendly! They also have great stock, easy parking, and helpful staff.

Last summer, I was merely window shopping for my first wet suit. Without being pushy or sales-​y, Chad did a great job of answering my questions and providing good service. Chad’s main focus was to ensure that I bought the best fitting suit. (Without his counsel, I probably would’ve eventually purchased something too loose-​fitting.) He found the right fit for me and I walked out with an affordable wet suit.
Here’s why I’m really impressed: I’ve had to take my Wise-​purchased wet suit back twice for repairs. This is NOT Wise’s fault; it’s just a challenging suit. No charge and no questions asked, they honored the warantee and shipped the suit off to Billabong for repairs.
I can’t exaggerate how important this type of customer service is. And I’ve seen it among every staff member at Wise. Other shops (i.e. NorCal Surf Shop) tend to file you in and out and a frankly intimidate any novice surfer. Not Wise; they’re just good people and very professional. I’ll certainly continue giving them my business.

Condescending guys, definitely a weird vibe, IMO not even a real surf shop. Go to Aqua and give your money to a shop that actually cares about surfing and surfers versus just trying to look cool.

Best overall selection in the city. I have bought everything from surfboards, to travel guides, to a helmet (best investment ever) from Wise.
Knowledgeable and helpful staff.
Good hours.

I’ve been shopping here since I was a kid, back when they were located at the smaller location on Vicente Street. Things changed when I moved to SoCal and had to lose my «edgy» SF surfer attitude but I still love this place and shop here whenever my commuter SF to SD workweek allows. Let’s be honest, surfing IS an inherently dangerous sport and, if you’re serious about it, you don’t want to skimp on your gear. I mean, cut corners on waves, NOT your board or your wetsuit. The boards, suits, and accessories here are all first rate!
Wise Surfboards really is San Francisco’s premier and longstanding (since 1968) surf shop. They’ve seen many a surfer come and go and how the whole surf industry has grown/​developed over the years. Unlike walking into a preteen lifestyle «surf shop» at the shopping mall, the staff here really know their stuff and have tested it all. If you seriously need advice and help in choosing a surfboard or wetsuit for the freezing NorCal waters, they will take the time to help you, if you let them. Surfers as a rule are generally laid back so don’t expect a high pressure, in your face sales technique at Wise. They also love to talk about waves, conditions, rides, etc, so, if you’re in a rush, let them know. Their «monthly specials» also totally rock, along with their annual wetsuit sale!
Some other reviews have been all, «Wahhhh, Whahhh, Whahhh, this place is expensive…» Good Grief, the last time I checked this place is a «Surf Shop», NOT a «Surf Outlet». Wise’s prices have always been fair and if I want something right away, this IS the place to get it. Moreover, Bob Wise is a wealth of information who understands the SF surf scene, with a sense of humor. Surfers in San Diego surf their Ocean Beach but, up here in Norcal, according to Bob, «No way did we used to call it OB or Ocean Beach. If someone called it OB, I’d say, „That’s a feminine hygiene product!“ I just call it the beach.»
ROFL!!!

This place was great. The guy helped me find a wetsuit, booties, and gloves. He was attentive but not over eager to sell, and helped me out while helping other customers. Great shopping experience.
EDIT: I recently had to lower my score on this place. I went in for board repairs and was treated like a second class citizen. Halfway through ringing me up for the repairs the guy took off to help other customers who were buying equipment. I waited around for 15 minutes and nobody came back to help me so I had to just take my board and leave. It seems they are more interested in selling gear to new customers than taking care of existing customers.

I’ve bought 2 surfboards, several wetsuits and countless other iterms and am hard pressed to find a better surf shop. There’s always a good deal on wetsuits, and I can even find a xxxxl O’Neil suit to fit my big a*ss. The staff is awesome and I am ever thankful for the surf report. My guitar pal lives in the east bay only surfs OB when it’s at least head high with offshores, and he never hesitates to text me when «it going off at OB!».
Thanks to Bob and the rest of the gang for running a great shop.

Been to this place on 4 different occasions, only made 1 purchase.
Pros:
— They have a newsletter through email that alerts you to «deals» (in my 1 purchase specifically — Monthy Deal).
— Parking is usually OK, and «OK» in the city is good.
— Wide Selection of boards and wetsuits
Cons:
— I’ve only experienced mediocre to terrible customer-​service from this place. They are indifferent that you are in the store and on my single occasion that I asked questions felt like the employee did’nt care to inform me.
— Unless you’re going here for the «Monthly Deal» the prices are the same or higher than any other surf shop in the area, and if you search online for the same «Deal» they are having you can ALWAYS find it cheaper from an online store. Also, if you show their «Deal» (which with the use of smartphones is a cinch) to another surf shop, they’ll usually match or beat the price.
Conclusion: I’d never go back to this place again because of the customer-​service (mainly). Secondarily, I don’t live in the city and if I need gear i’ll get it before or after I head to OB. Even if I did live in the city, there are better shops with less selection but better service very near.

I went to Wise because I had read an article touting the Aloha spirit of the store’s owner, Bob Wise, and because the surf shop closest to me doesn’t do much to make a novice feel welcome.
The opposite is true at Wise. I walked in to buy a board as a birthday present for my DH, knowing nothing except that I wanted a long board. The gentleman who assisted me asked many questions, most of which I could not answer. Instead of making me feel stupid, he patiently explained the different types of boards, their pros and cons, etc.
Also, rather than try to up-​sell me, he actually urged me to consider one of the less expensive boards. How rare is that???
I did not want a board made overseas or even outside of CA, and, IMO there is something particularly wrong about buying a board made in China, where the people shaping them probably don’t even have a clue what the hell they are making.
So I opted for a pricey Stewart board. When I asked about buying a cover for it, he told me I didn’t really need to drop another $ 100 on a cover because they are largely unnecessary.
Who does that? As it turns out, that «who» is Bob Wise. The Big Man himself took the time to personally help me pick a perfect board.
Of course, I hadn’t thought about transporting that board home or even where I would hide it. So I paid for my stuff and left it behind.
When I called to discuss pick up, the store manager (Rob) offered to drive the board to my house on his way home from work. Yet another one of those things that makes you wonder whether you heard correctly.
Rob did, in fact, drop off the board and declined the gratuity I offered him.
Needless to say, this is where we will be buying all of our surf gear. (The wetsuit also came from Wise and my DH says the service he received was equally stellar)
As for the board, Wise would have accepted a return if it hadn’t worked out, but because I had received such excellent advice upfront, the board was a huge hit and is now a favorite new toy. Last time I checked, it is my DH’s facebook pic.
Many thanks Wise!!!