John Tully Surf Camp

John Tully Surf Camp operates near 16th Avenue North, in the stretch of Jacksonville Beach where the sandbars tend to be gentle enough for a nervous first-timer to actually catch a wave without getting worked over. That location matters more than it might seem. A lot of would-be surfers give up on their first try simply because they end up in the wrong spot on the beach, fighting current or paddling into water that is too deep or too choppy for a beginner board. A camp built around a specific, known stretch of beach has already solved that problem before the lesson even starts.

The camp’s model follows a familiar and effective pattern for teaching surfing to kids and adults alike: time on the sand going over paddling technique and pop-up mechanics, followed by supervised time in the water where an instructor can physically position a student on a wave and call out the timing to stand up. This approach tends to get beginners riding, even if briefly, within a single session, which is part of why surf camps structured this way remain popular with visiting families as well as local kids looking for a summer activity.

Jacksonville Beach’s Atlantic swells are generally forgiving compared to more exposed stretches of Florida coast, but conditions still change day to day with wind direction, tide, and the time of year. A locally based camp has the advantage of watching those conditions build over years rather than guessing at them, which lets instructors adjust lesson timing and beach position to whatever the ocean is doing that morning rather than running the same lesson regardless of conditions.

Because the business is built around a name rather than a chain brand, prospective students should expect direct, personal communication when booking rather than an online reservation system typical of larger tour operators. That can mean a bit more legwork to schedule a lesson, but it also usually means more flexibility around weather, tides, and group size than a bigger operation would offer.

For newcomers to Jacksonville Beach hoping to try surfing for the first time, or parents looking for a structured, low-pressure way to introduce kids to the water, a locally run camp like this one offers a more personal alternative to renting a board and figuring it out alone. The beach itself does a lot of the teaching when the right person is standing next to you calling out when to paddle.

Given the small, independent nature of the operation, hours, seasonal availability, and current pricing were not confirmed through an official website at the time of this listing. Anyone planning a lesson should call ahead to confirm scheduling and current rates.