San Diego's original custom surfboard maker and one of Southern California's oldest independent surf shops, South Coast Surf Shop at 740 Felspar St in 92109 has been outfitting riders since founder Rob Ard opened the first location in Ocean Beach in 1974. The Pacific Beach store operates half a block from Crystal Pier and stocks surfboards, wetsuits, skateboards, and apparel from Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, O'Neill, Hurley, Rip Curl, Element, and RVCA. South Coast was instrumental in introducing brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, and Gotcha to the Southern California surf community during the 1970s and early 1980s. The shop is steps from Coaster Saloon, a laid-back PB bar where surfers often end up after a session. Ard later partnered with Eric "Bird" Huffman and Erich "ET" Tramonti to expand the business, and longtime employees Heather Shields and Steve Cowan eventually joined as partners. Today the company runs five locations across Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach, including dedicated women's shops under the South Coast Wahines name. Beachgoers picking up a rental board often end the day with live music at 710 Beach Club on Garnet Avenue. The PB store rents surfboards, boogie boards, and wetsuits, with Google reviewers singling out staff member Meghan for her knowledgeable wetsuit fitting help. Every South Coast surfboard is shaped in-house by San Diego craftsmen, and custom orders remain the company's specialty.