Surf Diva is a unique shop and surf school operated by twin sisters, Izzy and Coco Tihanyi, in La Jolla Shores. They have turned their passion for fashion and surfing into a two-decade bustling business. Both graduated from UCSD with communication majors. Izzy is a professional surfer who was on the collegiate surf team at UCSD and then she traveled with the national champions team to many places all over the world such as Hawaii, Mexico, France, and Haiti. Coco always had a love for fashion and wanted to design comfortable clothes that look good. Combining their love for fashion and surfing, Izzy and Coco created “Surf Diva.”
This store carries unique brands for surf enthusiasts, with an array of surf merchandise, including wetsuits, beachwear, children’s wear and really fun gift items. Some of the trendy brands offered in the store are Desigual, Hurley, Sanuk, Quiksilver, and Tom’s. Surf Diva is the bestselling brand in the store and the best selling items are the rash guards with SPF. In addition, they carry local jewelry designers such as Pura Vida, Set in Stone, Sulti Kali and Mantra Band—for men and women with inspirational sayings. Coco buys all of the merchandise and products for the store. Also, she is a personal shopper for those who need assistance in bringing out their inner Diva or Divo. Complimenting their surf school, Izzy hires and then diligently trains instructors. These instructors run camps, hold group classes, or private lessons for the whole family. They have 12 to 17-year-old girls that come from all over the US to learn how to surf. In addition, they take groups down to Costa Rica once a year and currently are gearing up for spring break. They even trained the famous dog, Ricochet, to surf. I asked them what their future held in store. They said, “a new online store to compliment their brick and mortar store. It will include only their Surf Diva brands.” These exciting clothes are made in Southern California. This is such a plus now that people are more aware of buying clothes made in the U.S.
This dynamic duo has big hearts and gives back to the community in many different ways. One of which is Surf Science, a 30-minute multi- media presentation. This educational outreach program teaches sun safety and ocean safety to children of all age groups. They also have private shopping parties where the store is closed and 20 percent of the sales go to charity.
In 2013, they received the No.1 Surf Shop award in the U.S. The Surfing Industry Manufacturing Association named Surf Diva the Retailer of the Year. This award was a prestigious honor. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary from May 2016 to May 2017 beginning with a reception at Duke’s La Jolla. In celebration of this momentous occasion, Izzy commissioned a Japanese artist, Kouhei Asakura, to create a piece of art that included the Surf Diva bus and showed Coco paddle boarding, Izzy surfing, surrounded by their children and husbands. Izzy surprised Coco with this colorful and fun piece of artwork.
Stop by and visit this awesome store at 2160 Avenida De La Playa, open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
