PREMIUM + PRIVATE SURF LESSONS WITH SUN AND SALT COLLECTIVE
Private Surf Coaching Santa Cruz, California
Whether you are learning to surf for the first time or wanting to build on your existing skills, our coaches can provide you with a learning experience that is tailored to your specific desires, goals, and personal relationship to the ocean.
Please Note: As it is difficult to predict ideal surf conditions too far out , our online scheduling generally shows availability for about 1-2 weeks ahead. If you are interested in scheduling farther out please contact us HERE
We are currently preparing for our Morocco Retreat and are not currently available for coaching at this time. We will resume again after the New Year in 2025.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
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Founder
Owner and creator of Sun and Salt Collective, Cassandra grew up surfing the waves of Santa Cruz over the past 24 years. Her passion has brought her around the world exploring different waves and cultures. Through these experiences she gained a broader perspective on the path to a satisfied life; the willingness to “travel light”, needing less and experiencing more. She has a deep love for the ocean and the connection it brings to her soul as well as finding peace and solace in the natural world through backpacking, and snowboarding.
When teaching she holds a calm, practical and encouraging space for her students to progress within. Certified in hypnotherapy, she understands the power of the mind to help or hider and she utilizes these skills to coach people towards healthy mindset practices in the water and out.
Always up for an adventure and navigating through life with an intuitive, heart centered approach, she utilizes her own experiences of healing to hold a container for others to walk through their fears and towards their truth.
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Fantine is a local female shaper, surf coach and yoga instructor. She teaches the foundations of surfing hand in hand with the foundations of yoga. As a fierce surfer herself, she understands the necessity of commitment and focus yet also the importance of being gentle and playful. Her coaching style is wholehearted, attentive, and knowledgable. She believes that surfing is accessible to all and leads her private surf sessions with an emphasis on intentional movement and mindfulness. In the ocean and on the mat, she values simple actions for significant changes. Whether you find yourself in a yoga session with her or a private surf coaching; Fantine will always guide with passion, precision and an open heart.
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Your Session Includes:
2 Hours of Private Instruction.
Board Rental
*Wetsuits are not included but can be easily rented at any nearby surf shop*
After booking expect a text from your instructor to say hello and check in.
Exact location of the lesson will be decided and given to you the day before your scheduled time.
PRIVATE COACHING LESSONS
Surf Foundations with Founder Cassandra Keller
This is a special offering directly from Founder, Cassandra Keller to any aspiring or new surfer. This package is geared towards providing any new surfer with a more solid foundation to learning to surf. Rather than simply learning to catch waves, this is a curated experience to really understand and grow your relationship to the ocean and yourself. Safety, etiquette, navigating the lineup, impact zone, tides, and of course how to catch waves will all be covered during this cumulative experience. How quickly you progress and what you do each lesson will be tailored to exactly where you are in experience, comfort, and motivation. This will be a supportive yet challenging container of growth for your surfing journey.
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What’s Included in the Package:
Four (2.0 hr) Private Lessons with Cassandra - $700
Board Rental Included
Support for Surf Related Questions Outside the Lesson Time.
*Wetsuits can be rented locally at a nearby shop if needed*
To sign up for this package a quick intake call with Cassandra is required. Please text 831-331-7922 to set up a time to do so.
“In the last 23 years in the water I’ve come to realize that my surfing has always directly mirrored my experience with life out of the water, providing me with many insights. Generally if I can come to peace with a challenge I’m facing in the water it usually translates somehow to land and visa versa. The ocean truly is the master healer, but in connecting with her, you ultimately have no control as to how she changes you.”
— Cassandra Keller
What They’re Saying
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"Cassandra is everything I could have asked for in an instructor: Intuitive and holistic in her approach, yet incredibly pragmatic in the water. "
“Cassandra is the sweetest and most knowledgeable instructor I’ve worked with. After our first session alone, I left with more practical knowledge than I’d ever gained from multiple instructors over multiple lessons combined. What Cassandra taught me blew my mind in terms of how simple yet effective it was.
For example, I wanted to learn what to do in case I was ever caught on the inside in conditions well out of my comfort zone. In the past, instructors would say, “Just stick with me to avoid that.” On the flip side, Cassandra was pumped to teach me how to keep myself safe out there. And indeed, she showed me actual body and board positions to minimize the physical impact of waves of varying sizes. These positions were nothing I’d ever seen or been taught before, but all I can say is that waves that would’ve sent me back to shore after a good scare felt like a cakewalk with her coaching me through them. It blows my mind that more instructors and surf schools aren’t teaching what Cassandra teaches.
Aside from her wealth of practical knowledge, Cassandra also has the heart of a teacher. She listened to my fears and fascination with the ocean, worked that into our lessons, and even brainstormed solutions and techniques for me between lessons. I think Cassandra loves surfing so much that it’s only natural for her to think about her students outside of lessons, but to me if felt like she’d really gone that extra mile.
Cassandra is everything I could have asked for in an instructor: Intuitive and holistic in her approach, yet incredibly pragmatic in the water. If she recognizes a certain capability in you, she won’t cheat you out of developing it. For instance, past instructors would simply push me into waves. Not Cassandra. She saw that I was perfectly capable of catching waves on my own with just a little skill refinement, and she had me work at it until I was catching wave after wave. Cassandra is in it for your long-term development.
All of this is to say, Cassandra is a gentle soul with mad skills and invaluable knowledge to share. Her comfort and fluidity in the water is a joy to watch and a privilege to learn from. If you’re looking for an instructor who will nourish your spiritual connection to the ocean, Cassandra is it. If you’re looking for an instructor who will waste no time teaching you practical skills, Cassandra is it. If you’re looking for both, she’s it.”
— Ani Chechopoulos
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"I was incredibly nervous for my first time surfing, but she made me feel safe, comfortable and above all made sure I was having fun! I was able to stand up on the first wave I went for thanks to her and it was the best feeling ever."
“I am so thankful that I found Cassandra(sun and salt collective). Initially, I was researching for an all women's surf retreat, but stumbled upon private lessons with her and it felt so right. It is so obvious that she is not only passionate about surfing and the ocean, but also sharing her knowledge and love for it with others. I was incredibly nervous for my first time surfing, but she made me feel safe, comfortable and above all made sure I was having fun! I was able to stand up on the first wave I went for thanks to her and it was the best feeling ever. I walked away from my 4 day private lesson feeling accomplished and with a new friend :)”
— Jenny Reneé
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"Within our first session I gained tools for a far more enjoyable experience— there actually are ways to avoid being tumbled in the washing machine! 👏 "
“Cassandra helped me SO much! I was somewhat new to Santa Cruz, and wanted to be more familiar with the beginner breaks, but also needed to learn some techniques for feeling safer in the water. Within our first session I gained tools for a far more enjoyable experience— there actually are ways to avoid being tumbled in the washing machine! 👏 Cassandra is a fantastic teacher who I felt completely safe with. Every session was fun and I’ll definitely continue recommending her classes. Thank you, Cass! 💕”
— Olana Sullivan, Pour Girl Bartending
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" She is extremely supportive, knowledgeable, kind and uplifting."
"I had tried surfing a few times throughout my life and had shallow,
surface experiences with instructors and never actually built a sense of
comfort in the water. When I found Cassandra, I was beyond impressed by
her approach. She scaffolds the learning and eases you into it so you
actually become comfortable and learn the foundational skills you need.
She is so incredibly comfortable in the water, it makes you feel safe. She
is extremely supportive, knowledgeable, kind and uplifting. I have told all
of my friends about her and encourage everyone I know who has ever
dreamed of surfing to start with Cassandra. I can really guarantee that you
will leave her series a more confident person in the water. She is an
amazing teacher and I cannot recommend her enough!
-Shelly Horn-
