As an instructor from Corky Carroll’s Surf School gave 9-year-old Maya Madden a gentle push into the whitewash at Bolsa Chica State Beach, her mother snapped photos. It was Maya’s first surf lesson.

There are about 3.72 million Americans who participate in surfing each year; the well-loved sport was even added to the Olympic Games as of 2021. But despite its popularity, learning to surf as an ...