‘02.
Lunazul Surf School was established in 2002 by my parents. I think they got the idea from me falling in love with surfing back in the 80’s. They had a little clothing store in Puerto Vallarta and eventually had to shut it down due to high rent prices and the overall change that Puerto Vallarta went through (more crowds, buildings, etc). So they rented a little spot in Sayulita back when it was just a little fishing village with a few of us that surfed in the main break. My parents started selling clothes in the shop, then renting boards and soon people started showing up asking to learn to surf. Lunazul evolved into a surf shop that aims to put surfing first. The photo on the banner is my dad, Nazario Carranza Luna, who passed away on August 11th 2022. His second last name was Luna which means “moon”, and his favorite color was “Azul” which means blue. This is how Lunazul became Lunazul.
our staff
PAPAS
Instructor
Papas is the head instructor at Lunazul and has worked for Lunazul for over 20 years. He’s a professional paddle boarder, SUP National Champion, and one of the mellowest and patient humans on the planet.
Papas has a big heart and it’s no surprise everyone falls in love with his mellow vibe.
The most experienced and competent surfers in the crew who can shortboard, longboard and SUP ride in any condiiton.
Valentina
Vale is a new comer to Lunazul. Born in Mexico but having lived most of her life in Argentina, Valentina always knew she’d come back to Sayulita and live here. Absolutely in love with the ocean and paddle boarding, Valentina is starting to get the surf bug and we look forward to her maturing as a young lady and surfer in years to come.
Carlos
Instructor
Born in Tijuana, raised in Riviera Nayarit, Carlos has been teaching at Lunazul for 8 years.
“Carlos really cares about service and does his best to make sure his clients have a good time. Great English skills and a desire to learn make him a great surf instructor and one I love to take lessons with every time I come back”. ——- Susan
MEMO
Instructor
Meet Memo. Also known as “Panda”, Memo is a happy, excited instructor who really loves to teach everyone to surf.
Originally from Guerrero, Memo has been at Lunazul for a decade. From teaching lessons to fixing boards you won’t see Memo without a smile on his face. In addition to being able to teach you how to surf, Memo can also teach you a surprising amount of Finnish. :)
“Memo has come full circle. From learning to surf more than a decade ago, to speaking English to becoming a father. He’s a solid instructor who seems to really enjoy seeing people ride waves, and he does his job incredibly well. “ - Kalle
ARNOLDO
Arnoldo is in charge of fixing boards, receiving rentals and keeping the area outside the shop nice and tidy. He lives in a little town named Palmarito only 10mins away from Sayulita.