YMCA Camp Surf

A beachfront camp run by the YMCA

The YMCA of San Diego County operates Camp Surf on a 45-acre oceanfront property. Day camps and overnight camps share the coastal setting, but have different registration options and schedules. The camp combines time in the water with activities on land, giving families a broader camp experience than a single surf lesson.

What camp days include

The Voyagers day program mixes surfing and bodyboarding with activities such as archery, climbing and arts and crafts. Overnight campers also have scheduled ocean time. The day-camp guide explains that offsite water activities can be used during beach closures; check the plan for your child’s particular week.

An oceanfront base with a changing water plan

The camp’s location puts the Pacific beside the activity areas and cabins. That proximity is useful, but ocean access depends on conditions and water quality. Treat the advertised beachfront as the camp base, rather than a promise that every surf session will happen there.

Reading the surf at Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach sits at the bottom of the Silver Strand, the last surf town before Mexico, and it faces almost straight southwest. That orientation makes it one of the first San Diego beaches to light up when a Southern Hemisphere swell arrives in summer, which lines up nicely with camp season. Our break data for Imperial Beach shows a swell window from roughly south to west and a usual working range of 2–6 ft, so on a big south swell the outside sandbars can be well beyond what a first-timer should paddle into. For camp kids, the inside whitewater on a small day is the classroom.

Two things matter more here than at most beaches. First, water quality: runoff from the Tijuana River regularly closes the Imperial Beach shoreline, especially after rain, so ocean days are never guaranteed. Our Imperial Beach page shows the latest county water-quality status alongside the forecast. Second, tide: the sandbars here usually break best from low to mid tide, while a high tide pushes the whitewater up the beach and shortens the ride. If your camper's week includes a surf block, a quick look at tomorrow's tide curve tells you whether to expect long, rolling foam rides or a shorebreak day spent on land activities.

Who it’s best for

Consider Camp Surf when your child wants surfing alongside a full camp routine. Compare day and overnight options by independence, schedule and activities; the program’s mix matters as much as how much time a camper spends on a board.

Local tips before you go

Bring layers for mornings and evenings as well as swimwear. Read the parent guide for the chosen program before packing, and ask how the camp communicates water-activity changes. Keep drop-off instructions and the camp contact number with your registration details.

Check the surf before your session

Ask which beach the camp will use before checking a surf forecast. For Imperial Beach water sessions, also review the County’s current beach water-quality status; a favorable wave forecast does not establish whether water contact is permitted.

Check the surf before your lesson

Live forecasts for the breaks where YMCA Camp Surf teaches.

FAQs

More surf schools in San Diego

• Un Mar de Colores · Oceanside base; programs across San Diego County
• Crown Cove Aquatic Center · Silver Strand State Beach, Coronado
• Coronado Surfing Academy · Coronado, San Diego County

Breaks near YMCA Camp Surf

Nearby surf spots with live BODI forecasts, tides and wind.

Sources

• YMCA Camp Surf: overview and overnight programs
• YMCA Camp Surf: day programs
• County of San Diego: Beach and Bay Program

Facts checked against the school's website, October 7, 2026. Written by the Surfing Tomorrow Team.