California Surf Museum — Attraction in Oceanside

Bastion of iconic surfing memorabilia, with actual artifacts of real surfing heros and legends.

They have:

some of Morey Boogie’s first boogie board designs, the first hydrofoil ever developed, several of Duke Kanahamoku’s long boards, Bethany Hamilton’s surfboard and swimsuit she was wearing during the famous shark attack (from the movie Soul Surfer), actual electronic planer and several patterns of the infamous surfboard designer Donald Takayama the first commercially produced foot fins for swimming

And lots more.

It’s a bit on the small side, but packed with friendly staff, incredibly knowledgeable docents, and some great souvenirs.

Also, includes the most throughly dedicated surf science exhibit, explaining how surf models are generated with incredible precision and accuracy.

My kids LOVED the museum. I loved understanding more of the science behind waves and to be able to see so much of history in a small museum. Certainly worth a trip for all visitors of Oceanside. Takes less than 2 hours to view the exhibits, but that’s time...

FASCINATING! I could have spent ALL day here, and it was the rare museum that also held the attention of my three little girls for a very long time. One of my kids had done a school report on Bethany Hamilton and so she was mesmerized by the Hamilton displays, including her actual board (on loan here for 13 years). We were all fascinated by the detailed "science of surfing" exhibit and the replica board shop. And as a 53yr old SoCal native, it was so cool to immerse myself in the stories and pictures of the histories on display - surfing/boards of course (hundreds of years worth), but also boogie boarding, shaping, more. The quantity & quality of information, artifacts, and pictures on display was really surprising for a museum of this size. Combined with the knowledge and friendliness of the staff (clearly a labor of love), this is a small nonprofit museum worthy of support and accolades, and one can see why so many make this a pilgrimage...

Absolutely loved this museum, and my friend and I aren't even a surfers. It was very informative, great displays that takes you through the history of boards and surfers. This museum if for all ages. Don't miss the outdoor Secret Spot too. The people that worked there were very nice. There is a small fee for this neighborhood hidden gem.

If visiting Oceanside I would piggyback this museum with other places in Oceanside as we did. The museum is small and only takes an hour or maybe an hour and a half to go through. P.S. after you take in all the Surfing Museum there is a great ice cream parlor (Handel's) right...