Founded in 2013 by Helina Beck, Wavehuggers is an ocean-conscious surf school headquartered at 600 Tourmaline St in the 92109 zip code, right at the doorstep of Tourmaline Surf Park. Beck grew up surfing in Palos Verdes after her professional-surfer sister Holly taught her to ride waves at age eight, and she later competed on her high school surf team before earning a psychology degree from California State University San Marcos. The company now employs 12 year-round instructors and expands to roughly 30 during peak summer months, having taught more than 12,000 students across 19 beaches from Malibu to San Diego. Every instructor is CPR and First Aid certified, and each lesson donates the price of one pound of fish to the Marine Mammal Care Center — a commitment that reflects the school's environmental mission. Lesson formats include private one-on-one sessions, small group classes, community surf outings, and filmed video analysis sessions where a pro surfer reviews clips of each student's technique. Early risers heading to a Tourmaline session can fuel up beforehand at Costa Brava, a neighborhood favorite just a short drive south on Mission Blvd. Wavehuggers also operates the Groundswell Community Project, a surf therapy initiative focused on self-care and sisterhood, alongside monthly women's-only community classes held at Tourmaline, Grandview Beach in Encinitas, and El Porto in Manhattan Beach. Summer surf camps for children ages five through fifteen run in Huntington Beach and Encinitas, and the school organizes regular beach cleanups along the San Diego coastline. In 2025, Beck and Wavehuggers filed a federal lawsuit through the Pacific Legal Foundation against the California Department of Parks and Recreation, challenging the state's permit system for paid surf instruction on public beaches as a First Amendment issue. After a long morning catching waves, the walk back toward Pacific Beach puts students within reach of Pacific Beach AleHouse for a well-earned meal overlooking the boardwalk. Gift certificates are available for those who want to surprise a friend or family member with a lesson at any of the school's Southern California locations.