YC
YMCA Camp Surf
Where ocean adventures meet lifelong memories at San Diego's premier beachfront camp.
5(5 reviews)
Business
$$$
Where ocean adventures meet lifelong memories at San Diego's premier beachfront camp.
YMCA Camp Surf is a scenic seaside camp located on 45 acres right on the Pacific Coast in Imperial Beach, CA. We offer diverse programs including overnight summer camps, day camps during school breaks, family and group retreats, Scouting weekends, and outdoor education programs. With facilities like cabins, 'cabents,' platform tents, beach camping, a large dining hall with ocean views, archery, a climbing tower, a skate park, and supervised waterfront activities, we provide a safe, engaging environment for kids to build confidence, make friends, and enjoy outdoor adventures like surfing, boogie boarding, and more. Our trained staff ensures a fun and secure experience for all campers.
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Multi-day beachfront camping experiences with activities like surfing, archery, climbing, and team-building for kids.
Daily programs during school breaks offering ocean activities, crafts, and outdoor fun in a supervised setting.
Customizable stays for families, scouts, or organizations with lodging, meals, and scheduled activities.
Environmental leadership and educational sessions focused on beach ecology and outdoor skills.
Supervised surfing lessons, boogie boarding, and beach play with certified lifeguards and equipment provided.
Access to rock climbing walls, archery ranges, skate parks, and sports courts for varied recreational options.
Love coming here! Great staff
What It Is YMCA Camp Surf is a seaside camp run by YMCA of San Diego County. It’s located on 45 acres right on the Pacific Coast in Imperial Beach, CA. It offers a variety of programs: • Overnight summer camps • Day camps during school-breaks • Family & group retreats, Scouting weekends, etc. • Outdoor education / environmental leadership programs Facilities include cabins, “cabents” (half-cabin/half-tent style), platform tents, and beach camping. Amenities: large dining hall with ocean views, restrooms/showers, archery, climbing tower, skate-park, supervised waterfront, etc. What’s Good / Strong Points • Location: Right on the beach with oceanfront access. You wake up to the sound of waves. Very scenic. • Variety & programming: There’s more than surfing. The camp includes traditional camp activities (archery, crafts, climbing, team-building), plus ocean and beach experiences. Good for kids who like many things. • Facilities: Lodging is quite varied, letting campers choose something more “comfortable” or more rustic. Dining hall is large and offers decent amenities; food is prepared from scratch, there are healthy options, accommodations for dietary restrictions. • Safety / Staff & Oversight: Staff training is emphasized. CPR/First Aid, behavior management, etc. They have certified lifeguards for waterfront. • Sense of community and growth: Many reviews say kids make friends, gain confidence, enjoy the outdoors. It seems to do well at building belonging. Overall Impression From what I see: If you want a beach camp with diverse outdoor activities, social interaction, and a chance to do surfing (with caveats), YMCA Camp Surf is a solid choice. It offers good value for the experience, with a strong staff structure, scenic location, and a wide set of programming. Highly recommend.
Excellent camp with private facilities right on the beach! The food is delicious, especially the breakfast fruit bar and the lunch/dinner salad bar. You absolutely cannot beat the view from the dining hall. Rock climbing, archery, surfing, boogie boarding, skating, Gaga ball and more! So much to do, it was a blast.
My family of 5 and I went during Veteran's Day weekend, and we had the most amazing time! The food was delicious, the staff were all very friendly and helpful, and the facilities were great. Their showers had hot water (although it did take a bit to get it going), and their cabin had 16 bunks. There was an itinerary, and activities planned every night, in typical campy fashion with board game night and minute-to-win-it games. You didn't have to attend any of their events, but it was a welcome addition. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all great. There was fresh fruit available for breakfast every morning, and salad provided for lunch and dinner. The staff ate their meals with the campers, so it wasn't anything they wouldn't eat! The beach was just a 5-8 minute walk away from our cabin, and we spent a majority of our time there. They provided free wet suits for all campers for their stay, had rock climbing walls, archery, and surf lessons. They also had a volleyball sand court, a pickleball court, and basketball area that our kids enjoyed. There was a small skate park area, but it was out of the way and we didn't have any scooters or skates with us. We stayed at the camp the entire weekend, and only left to grab some snacks from the store. There was more than enough to keep us entertained!
Cool place to go camping or just hang out. We went with our cub scout troop. They have a lot of activities and the food was good. They have unlimited coffee almost all day also which is nice and they have a rock wall and archery. I would stay here again if I was able to. It's a little walk from parking to to the beach.
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