About Isla Surf School
Isla Surf School is Charleston's top-rated surf lesson provider, operating out of Folly Beach and Isle of Palms with a team of professional instructors who teach all ages and skill levels. Founded with a focus on safety and fun, the school has earned consistently high reviews for its patient, encouraging approach to getting first-timers standing on a board.
They offer private one-on-one lessons, semi-private sessions for pairs, group lessons for up to four students, and multi-day surf camps for kids and teens during the summer months. All equipment — soft-top surfboards, rash guards, and wetsuits when needed — is included. Lessons typically run 90 minutes and cover ocean safety, wave reading, paddling technique, and pop-up fundamentals before hitting the water.
Isla Surf School's edge is the quality of instruction and the low student-to-instructor ratio. Unlike bigger operations that pack groups of eight or more, Isla keeps things small so every student gets hands-on coaching. Their dual-location setup — Folly Beach for the classic surf scene, Isle of Palms for a quieter alternative — gives families flexibility to pick the beach that suits them best.
