Heidi was my instructor and she was absolutely wonderful. I only booked the class the evening before but she was very accommodating. I had a solo, two hour class in the morning, for an extremely low price given the quality of it. She knew just how much to push me and was very sincere and encouraging the whole time. The waves at Pismo were perfect for both beginners and more advanced surfers, and the beach itself has a wonderful vibe, along with not being over-crowded, the way some other good surfing beaches are. I was expecting to be cold but the wet suit kept me warm the whole way through.
If you get the chance, definitely check out Sandbar Surf!