Ventura is a beautiful surf town located on the central coast of California. Surf shops and surf culture are huge parts of experiencing this stunning beach town. Having spent the past four years surfing the waves here, I have personally grown to love the local shops throughout Ventura. Here is my guide to the Best Surf Shops in Ventura.
Ventura Surf Shops Directory:
Ventura Surf Shop
Revolution Surf and Skate
Wave Front Surf Shop
Proctor Surfboards Worldwide Custom
Fletcher Chouinard Designs
Seaward Surf and Sport
Rip Curl
Mint Surf
1. Ventura Surf Shop
Ventura Surf Shop
is a unique store located on 88th E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, and one of my favorite surf shops. This shop began in the early ’60s and has been passed down to different surfing enthusiasts throughout the years. It has been kept alive and is open every day from 9am-5pm to serve the booming surf community in Ventura. I love the staff here and have always received great customer service.
This shop sells custom, used, and new surfboards as well as skateboards, wetsuits, and clothing. They offer a vast selection of over 300 new boards from local shapers and 200 used boards at reasonable prices. Ventura Surf Shop also gives the option of having a custom shape by any of the 8 shapers working with the store. This surf shop also rents out surfboards for $30 a day and bodyboards for $20 a day. Ventura Surf Shop truly has it all for both experienced surfers and beginners.
2. Revolution Surf and Skate
Revolution Surf and Skate offers all the gear one might need to enjoy the great outdoors. I really enjoy their perfect combination of surfing and skating as well as their selection of boards.This shop is located at 819 E. Thompson Blvd, Ventura, and is open Monday through Thursday from 11-6 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10-6 pm, and Sunday 11-4 pm.
Action sports fanatics love the selection of surf and skate equipment. This surf shop sells a variety of surfboards including Channel Islands Surfboards, Firewire Surfboards, and Smith Shapes. Revolution Surf and Skate also sells a variety of clothing and surf accessories like watches and wetsuits. From leashes, traction pads, and fins to decks, trucks, and wheels, Revolution Surf and Skate prompts their customers to “Join the revolution!” and get outside.
3. Wave Front Surf Shop
Wave Front Surf Shop, located at 154 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, is a small local surf shop that offers a great selection of boards and surf-related products. This surf shop is open Monday, Thursday, and Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm, Friday from 10 am – 4:30 pm and Saturday from 9 am – 4:30 pm.
This shop sells a variety of different boards including soft tops, used boards, and new boards shaped by local shapers. Some shapers include Bruce Fowler, a Santa Barbara local who has been shaping surfboards since the’60’s, and Bill Stewart, a California surfer considered an incredible longboard shaper who has been shaping his boards for over 30 years. Because Wave Front Surf Shop is smaller, it allows for a more intimate and personal experience when picking out a surfboard or fins. This ventura surf shop is another one of my favorites because of the selection and friendly staff.
4. Proctor Surfboards Worldwide Custom
Proctor Surfboards Worldwide Custom is a surf shop that specializes in custom surfboards. This shop is located at 1920 Goodyear Ave, Ventura and is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 4 pm. This is the perfect place to get a custom board and talk with a local shaper about how to find the right board whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
Todd Proctor, the main shaper and owner of Proctor Surfboards, started his business out of his love and passion for surfing. Proctor has been shaping boards since the ‘90’s and opened his shop, Proctor Surfboards Worldwide Custom in 2000. His mission is to provide local Ventura surfers with the best performing boards for the variety of Ventura surf breaks and beyond.
5. Fletcher Chouinard Designs
Fletcher Chouinard Designs, located at 43 South Olive Street, Ventura, is a local surf shop that offers a variety of surf gear and specialty boards. For over 20 years, Fletcher Chouinard has run this successful surf shop in Ventura along with a host of great designers and shapers. This shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Fletcher is the son of Yvon Chouinard, the owner, and CEO of Patagonia, an outdoor retail company. Because of his successful and adventurous father, Fletcher has grown up with this sense of outdoor adventure and unique entrepreneurship. He started Fletcher Chouinard Designs with the mindset of offering long-lasting, high-quality surfboards and surf gear to equip all kinds of surfers.
6. Seaward Surf and Sport
Seaward Surf and Sport is located just a short walk away from the ocean at 1082 South Seaward Ave, Ventura, and is open every day from 9 am – 7 pm. This small surf shop is packed full of all you need for your next surf day in Ventura.This surf shop rents out surfboards, wetsuits, and bodyboards. Seaward Surf and Sport also sells surfboards and a vast array of clothes and other surf gear one might want or need. The shop offers their own brand of clothing which they sell along with many other surf goods.
7. Rip Curl
Rip Curl is a large surf brand with surf shops all over California. One of these successful shops lies in the heart of Ventura at 227 South California Street. The shop is open every day from 9 am – 6 pm. The first-ever Rip Curl was created by two surfing friends, Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer from Torquay, Australia. Both Doug and Brian were teachers at the time who decided to quit their jobs and shape surfboards instead. It was from that initial risk their successful company began to grow. Since then, Rip Curl has turned into one of the most well-known surf shops in the world. Rip Curl sponsors many professional surfers such as Mick Fanning, Gabriel Medina, and Bethany Hamilton.
This surf shop provides wetsuits, bathing suits, surf clothes, surfboards, and other surf gear. Their selection is vast and their staff is well equipped to answer any surf-related questions one might have. Rip Curl has always been rooted in their love for surfing which is what they promote all throughout their company.
8. Mint Surf
Mint Surf is a rad surf shop located in Portola Plaza at the corner of Portola and McGrath in Ventura. This shop specializes in quality board repairs and rents out its shaping bay for aspiring surfboard shapers to use. If you are wanting to shape your own board but do not have a place to do it, Mint Surf is perfect for you. All you have to do is bring your own foam blank and Mint Surf will let you use their shaping bay for just $15 a day including all of the surf tools necessary to shape your ideal board.
9. Santa Barbara Surf School Truck
Although it is not the most conventional surf shop, it is one of the most convenient ones in Ventura. The Santa Barbara Surf School truck is often parked at Mondos beach or Solimar beach in Ventura. The truck is there during surf lessons, which occur a majority of the year. They offer surfboard rentals and wetsuit rentals from the truck before and after their surf lessons.
The instructors give surf lessons only as often as people book them so making an online reservation to find out when and where you can rent a board is the best option. You can grab your board from an instructor and be just steps away from a great surf break. Another way to rent a board is from their storefront in Santa Barbara where you can pick up gear any time they are open.
I hope you enjoyed my guide to the Best Ventura Surf Shops! These surf shops are all unique and offer a variety of surf-related items depending on your needs. Ventura is full of great surf and better people. Visiting different surf shops is the perfect way to experience the surf culture in Ventura!
Have you visited Ventura Surf Shops? Please share your experience or questions in the comments below!
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