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2 Mile Surf Shop
Category: Shopping Sporting Goods Outdoor Gear Outdoor Gear [Edit]
22 Brighton AveBolinas, CA 94924
(415) 868-0264
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
21 reviews for 2 Mile Surf Shop
Review Highlights
21 reviews in English
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Review from Jess s.
Berkeley, CA
5/17/2012
Beginners surf class with Ben were indispensable! We were late due to traffic on hwy 1 from people gong to a huge mother's day event at Stinson beach the day before mother's day! But Ben was so nice that he made an exception for us since the class was a birthday present.
His class was well worth it. He quized us on our knowledge, used visual examples to teach us, and helped us personally improve our technique. Once we got into the water he was a full blown coach: he helped us line up for waves, told us when to go, and shouted encouragements. After catching a couple of waves he told me to visualize poping up on the board and to go for it, it worked! -
Review from Maryn M.
San Diego, CA
11/30/2011
#Bolinas This place definitely has its positives - good rates for surfboard, paddle board and wetsuits rentals, a short walk to the beach (not 2 miles) and they're the only game in town as far as Bolinas goes. That being said, there was 0 stoke at this store. I've seen more enthusiasm in gas station clerks. You would have thought they were renting coffins here.
For SUP'ing - get there at the beginning of high tide to take advantage of the lagoon at a full tide - tons of seals, birds, and calm glassy waters to paddle around in. We put the boats in at the dock by the crab catchers and had no problems getting in or out. -
Review from Craig T.
Petaluma, CA
2/24/2012
Great shop in a great location. The staff is always very friendly to me and my family when we stop in to buy surf gear. It doesn't matter if I am buying a board or a bar of wax they treat me as if I am a valued customer. The owner is very friendly and helped me put together a nice gift basket for the silent auction my daughters school is having. I always stop here when I am in Bolinas.
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Review from j g.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2011
Headed to Bolinas to surf? Need a rental? Forget your leash? Got wax? You can find everything you need and more at 2-Mile Surf Shop. I love this shop. The people couldn't be nicer and more accommodating. They are all surfers, and as I am continually reminded, surfers are a strange breed, each with their own quirks, but all share the common love of surf and respect for the stoke. If you leave your attitude at the door, you won't be met with attitude once you walk through it.
As a somewhat green surfer myself, I found that everyone in the shop went out of their way to be encouraging and positive, especially the owner. I think I can honestly say that his words of encouragement have had a big impact on my learning curve. There were several times when I would have buckled due to poor weather, lack of waves, or fear of bigger waves at other breaks if it weren't for his sincere belief in my abilities and gentle nudge. To the guy who had a bad experience below, perhaps it was a busy day. The shop is so popular that it can get kinda hectic and it's a small operation. The owner is a no-nonsense, straight shooter, which I really appreciate. He'll always be honest and doesn't sugar coat his words. He's in the biz because of his love of surfing and wish to help spread that love. Got a question? Ask. You'll get a straight answer.
Re: Location, to others who complain about the distance from the beach, it's literally THE closest retail space to the surf there is in town. What more can you realistically ask for? Carrying your board builds muscle and character. You'll need both if you really want to be a surfer. The shop is upfront about the walk. It's about one city block.
Re: Showers, there is a limited potable water supply in Bolinas and major water restrictions. Make like a true surfer and bring your own jugs of water to rinse off with in the parking lot.
Re: Waves, if you looking for big waves to shred, Bolinas is not for you. If you're looking for an easy vibe, incredible views, magical sunlight, and some mellow fun waves to play on while you are at it, come on in, the water's fine. -
Review from Andrew M.
6/2/2007
I am a lifelong customer of 2 Mile. When my roommate invited me to go surfing with him in Bolinas for the first time, and I didn't have a wetsuit or a board, he said, "Oh, you can rent one at the surf shop there."
The staff of the shop, led by Nick (tall guy with curly red hair) is super-nice and incredibly helpful. Even though I was a neophyte who couldn't tell his ass from his elbow (in the suit), they helped me out. The rentals are reasonably priced and always in good condition. I've rented from other shops where you end up with a thin, holey wetsuit. Not so here.
And when it came time to buy my own suit (you can only rent so many times before it stops making sense), they helped me figure out what I needed, what size, and gave me a little discount to boot. Customer for life. -
Review from Carley K.
Batavia, IL
9/8/2011
A week ago my fella and I took a surfing lesson from Nick (I think? Tall with curly red hair). Neither of us had ever surfed before, but we both enjoyed ourselves a lot. We parked behind the shop early in the morning and walked down to the beach with our instructor. I think the walk with the board was the most physically demanding part of the instruction, but it gave me a chance to see a little of the funky town. I figured that if I was going to spend the next few hours doing pushups on a plank in water I could certain find the strength to carry the board. We spent a few minutes in the sand while Nick told us about how to catch a wave, surfing etiquette, and how to pop up on the board before we went in the water. He helped us catch some waves at first, then went and did his own thing in the water. He wasn't right there all the time but he always had his eye on us. Every few rides he would come over and offer suggestions that showed me he'd been watching, he explained what I was doing and what to alter to be more stable and stand more easily. The first time I stood he said, "I saw that!"
The locals seemed pretty friendly to me. The only downside was that, as people have already pointed out, there wasn't a shower facility. Maybe there's one on the beach, I don't know, I didn't look too closely. I would've been happy with a hose, but there is a bathroom and I made due with the sink. Overall I enjoyed the experience a lot and thought the lesson was really helpful. -
Review from Jeff S.
Laurel, MD
9/7/2011
I was disappointed in my 2 Mile Surf Shop experience. For starters, the customer service was poor-- I didn't feel welcome at all.
I was excited for my lesson as a first-timer, but the excitement dissipated as I had to carry a large beginner surf board over a quarter mile to the beach. I know that's part of the surfing experience, but it turns out I'm pretty weak, so I didn't enjoy it. Location is not 2 Mile's strong suit.
Our instructor, who will rename nameless, was pretty terrible. He claimed to have been instructing for 6 years, but it didn't show. He may have been an awesome surfer (which he proved later on in the lesson when he simply left us to go surf by himself), but he was an awful instructor. The lesson began with him commenting on how bad the waves were (not helpful) and then slightly damaging one of our boards and calling it "just a rental board". He then proceeded to instruct for a few minutes, but he glossed over things like "how to catch a wave" and "surfer etiquette", which it turns out are two things that first-time surfers need to know.
After we finally got in the water, he watched us fail for a good fifteen minutes while offering no advice nor constructive criticism. We then got out of the water and half of our party left because the weather wasn't the greatest. When I said I didn't want to leave because I'd traveled a long way to get there and couldn't come back, he seemed disappointed to have to begin "instructing" again. After watching me fail for another 10 minutes, he finally decided to actually help me learn to surf...for two minutes. Then he ditched us to go surf by himself.
And when we finally got back to the shop we discovered there was no shower nor area to rinse off. I believe Bolinas was in some sort of water restriction at the time, so I can't fault 2 Mile too much, but it was still inconvenient.
They might have some really awesome instructors here, but unfortunately ours was not. I would have been better off renting a board from someplace close to a beach and watching some lessons on YouTube. -
Review from Jessica H.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2010
Took a lesson from Ian a few months back, and had another from Nick yesterday. These guys are super friendly, and easy on the newbies like me. Bolinas has a rep for being anti-tourist, but the guys who run 2 Mile are not like that at all, they're super nice and cool. I was really surprised when they recognized us after only 1 lesson, which was months ago.
Although the water was freezing, and we were pelted with rain all morning, we still had a great time, and felt like we were in good hands with Nick. We're hooked, and will surely be back. Thanks guys! -
Review from james s.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2006
5 Stars for helping this east-coaster kick off the consummate California day on the coast.
Friendly to newbies, no attitude, and reasonably priced, 2 Mile rented me a foam surfboard and wetsuit and pointed me in the right direction, all with a friendly smile on their face and despite being completely swamped with customers at 10 am. Oh, and extra points for not laughing at me trying to put on a wetsuit for the first time.
Now, if only the sold shark repellent, I'd be back every weekend. -
Review from Faye A.
10/29/2007
Small shop, but they dedicate most of the space to a good selection of equipment, i.e. they aren't big on carrying surf girl clothing. I took a few lessons from Nick a couple of years ago; he's a good instructor. Would recommend him for those shy types like me...
I was a little hesitant to take a lesson out at Bolinas, as I'd heard many stories about locals...but Nick gives you a good orientation on etiquette and is well known ...I've been out there quite a bit since taking lessons and while I've seen a little wave hogging, I''ve also been coached and encouraged by the folks that surf that place regularly.
While it's a haul to get to Bolinas, most days I've been there, it's been worth it...I've found it's usually pretty kind wave...a couple of times really blown out, but you can always call and get the up to the minute report...
Best part about this shop -- if you're a beginner, everything you need to rent is here - and if you have your own equipment, anything you forgot is also here...and they're always happy to give you a lump of wax....yeah, the hours are kind of short, but winter is coming, daylight hours are short anyway, right? Not to mention, there's a shaper there (his boards are pretty cool) and if he's working, he'll keep the shop open outside of posted hours. -
Review from jozilla w.
New York, NY
7/18/2007
I can't comment on the surf lessons as I never took any, but I drove all the way up to Bolinas so my friend could and he said that they were pretty good.
Cute little surf shop tucked behind some quiet stores, everybody seemed to know their stuff. Nick is a little flakey about geting back you on the phone, but generally is very knowledgeable and seems like a pretty good teacher. -
Review from Lisa Z.
Los Angeles, CA
9/23/2010
An impromptu surf sesh brought us into this great little shop. I didn't have my wetsuit with me. These guys cautioned me about the cool temperatures of the Bolinas waters and outfitted me in one of the warmest O'Neill wetsuits they had. "Look, I just really want to make sure you stay warm, OK?" I trusted that I was in good hands the moment I zipped into the suit. The guy had already selected the perfect size for me and it fit like a glove. Even better, the water was in the low 50s and it kept me warm. Thank you 2 Mile Surf Shop!
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Review from stephanie h.
San Francisco, CA
6/3/2007
I'd been afraid to surf north of Golden Gate bridge for years (didn't want to encounter The Man in the Grey Suit). But started surfing there regularly about two years ago. The guys at the shop are awesome, if you need gear they've got everything for rent, wetsuits, boards and great instructors. It's owned by two guys, John and Nick. John's a shaper who also does great ding repair and Nick leads the surf school. They're always friendly and helpful, which isn't always the case in surf shops (half the time they're staffed by 15yr olds who could care less about helping you). Bolinas is also a funky. fun little town, with endless people watching opportunities.
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Review from Aaron D.
Santa Rosa, CA
5/30/2010
Surfing sucks. Don't try it.
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Review from Surf R.
San Francisco, CA
11/22/2006
Good place to rent and get surf reports for Bolinas. Even if some locals don't want you there. They gave me a decent deal on a new fin for my longboard and offered a trade-in policy. Thought that was cool. Just wish they were open longer hours on the weekends and had more sales!
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Review from Mike J.
San Rafael, CA
11/4/2006
Always welcoming new and old surfers alike. Waves on this stretch of coast are friendlier for someone who still has trouble standing up.
They shape and repair boards also. -
Review from Amanda S.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2007
I organized a group lesson for about 8 people through 2 Mile Surf Shop. I didn't take the lesson myself...but, everyone who did had a blast. They customized the lesson based on ability (a third of the group had surfed before and a third of the group were under the age of 12). Plus, they were super easy to work with as far as scheduling went. We changed the number of participants about 6 times and they never complained or said they couldn't accommodate us.
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Review from Jim S.
Petaluma, CA
9/2/2011
Great rental gear from the shop, even better lesson from Nick!
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Review from S B.
Sacramento, CA
7/29/2007
They offer good surf lessons. Easy and convenient.
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Review from G S.
San Francisco, CA
2/13/2010
The spot to go to if you want to catch some waves in Bolinas. Everyone there is super chill. Nick who to me is the Shaun White twin of surfing was really helpful, and knowledgeable. Nice little shop with rentals/lessons, and free stickers! They have good prices on rentals, and will let you rent a used board and apply that to the cost if you decide to purchase it. Nice.
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Review from george r.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2007
awesome shop and it's close to the beach. great instruction from Nick. after a while, it's all fine tuning your moves anyway, but it's good to have someone like him in the water to show you the ropes. best beginner waves in the bay area! lots of cool boards in the shop. cool merch, but the shop isn't to merchy like some other places. very friendly and cool staff. laid back, but not all dude-bro-style. no attitudes, either... which helps when you are starting out.
