A former Navy diver has won the right to earn a living teaching others how to surf after a nasty legal battle with the city of Newport Beach.
Jason Murchison sued Newport Beach in January 2025 over a 2012 ordinance barring paid surfing and paddleboard lessons on nearly nine miles of city beaches without a city contract.
The former Navy diver, who trained with Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL class 287, claimed officials rejected his attempts to secure a contract in 2015 and 2016 with little explanation beyond saying the city already had enough surf instructors.
“Despite his willingness to hand the City a sizeable portion of the proceeds for the privilege — he has been rebuffed each time,” the lawsuit said.
Murchison accused the city of violating his constitutional rights, favoring other beach businesses and effectively monopolizing surf instruction.
Murchison reached a legal settlement with Newport Beach Wednesday that will allow him to teach paid surf lessons on city beaches.
“The government doesn’t get to cap competition just because it feels like it. Every entrepreneur deserves the freedom to build a business without the city deciding the market is full,” said Murchison’s attorney, Caleb Trotter of the Pacific Legal Foundation, in a statement Wednesday.
Murchison’s passion for surfing began over 30 years ago as an Orange County kindergartner, serving as a relaxing escape from competitive sports. He eventually attended the University of Hawaii, where he honed his skills on surf breaks between classes, according to court records.
His passion for the ocean led him to explore a career in the US Navy where he served as a combat diver before entering a part-time evening law school program and launching his surf-instruction business on the side to help cover rent.
What started as just a few students a week eventually grew into ‘Learn to Surf,’ a business he chose to pursue full-time upon graduating in 2016. He hired eight instructors to offer year-round surfing and stand-up paddleboard lessons across Orange County, but the city ordinances prevented him from expanding his business into Newport Beach, according to the lawsuit.
In July 2016, Murchison was arrested on suspicion of two misdemeanor charges—resisting a peace officer and obstructing or intimidating a business or customers—according to court records.
The same year, Newport Beach enforced a ban against Murchison for allegedly teaching surf lessons on city beaches. The city settled but then demanded Murchison to pay nearly $19,000 in fines and fees in July 2024. Instead of paying the city, the former Navy diver took the city to court.
Consequently, Murchison and the City of Newport Beach have now reached a fresh settlement, allowing his company to offer paid surfing lessons on city beaches under a five-year contract—granting him the exact same terms awarded to Newport’s three other city-approved surf schools.
A San Diego-based surfing instructor, Helina Beck, is also taking on the California Department of Parks and Recreation, challenging monopolistic rules that grant exclusive teaching rights to favored surf instructors while banning everyone else.
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