This company has a great educational behind the wheel teacher. It was easy to learn the skills needed to drive. All instructions were clear and easy to follow. Learned lots, that still stick with me to this day. Read Less

I cannot recommend West Coast enough- very professional and great at scheduling/ rescheduling lessons.   I am currently 25, and am on the verge of getting my license ( yes, I  know, I waited this long..) and have had two sessions with  Mike Acasio to date.Mike  has been nothing short of amazing- everything one looks for in an instructor.  Since my first lesson, Mike has been professional, patient, and sensitive to areas where I need troubleshooting, so the experience is customized to my own current driving needs/ level . I previously met with another instructor, who I canceled the session with on the spot, because he failed to provide me with any papers or I.D. and overall made me feel uncomfortable. He wouldn't even let my aunt go with us!   Definitely night and day with Mike, as he showed I.D. and proof of his practice on the spot.   Mike welcomed my aunt and mom on both sessions and has been courteous and professional. While driving, Mike will make sure to guide you accordingly and let you try to put his instruction to practice- this is great because I never feel like I'm being pressured or worrying if I did something wrong. His instructions are clear, concise and if you miss something, he wont yell at you or embarrass you as you are driving, but instead brings it up at a time at a convenient time.    Mike has been a good motivator and will gloss over a list of what it takes to pass the drivers exam with you, to ensure you are taking everything in. He tells you upfront what is and isn't required to pass the exam- I love this because I feel like there's no hidden agenda that may hinder my chances at passing. He also works with you and the time frame you have in mind, to take your exam. I am happy that the list he goes over with you is one you keep, as it doubles  as a receipt of payment and reference point.  Overall, I am really excited and have noticed a difference when practicing on my own time- Mike's like the little voice that's telling me "Check your left, right, left rights" and "Remember S.M.O.G." haha ^_^Thank you Mike! Read Less

Initially gave a 1star simply to get attention to the web-admin that the site was down. Actual review of West Coast Driving School is a good deal more positive. My connectivity concern was rapidly resolved, and my son is finishing up his behind-the-wheel lessons today. Read Less

Okay. This is a late review but better late than never. So I had Walter for three lessons back in September of 2016. Let me put simply.....absolutely amazing! I had the best three sessions I could ever pray for from someone who has been teaching professional driving for the last many years. The first lesson I was somewhat nervous but once I started becoming use to the style and ways of Walter's teachings I became more comfortable and this supported me in flourishing into the second and third lessons I had with Walter. Walter always had my back in conveying what I needed to perform here or there and each time he provided support I became better than I was before. Some of these reviews conveying how Walter is rude and all is not true (bias almost). I would convey his approach towards you is more of constructive criticism, meaning he is building you up to become better. I loved it and recently December 7th I passed my third and final drive test attempt thanks to all the support Walter provided for me to become a better and safe driver. I even enjoyed the small talk with whatever topics came to mind with Walter. Walter, if you are reading this I cannot thank you enough for what you have done in supporting me to flourish beyond what I had read before I signed up to be a student at West Coast Driving School. You are the best and you deserve all the praise I can possibly give you. Thank you so much ! For anybody else who reads this review trust me the time you spent with Walter and West Coast Driving School will be worth it. 110% satisfaction! Read Less

Walter is the best. I scheduled a lesson one day before my son's behind the wheel test (after a fail with another school/instructor) HE PASSED. Walter is extremely knowledgable about the rules of the road, and teaches so students remember what to do. My other son also passed after Walter's instruction, no problem. He takes his job seriously and knows what needs to be done. We used different driving school, instructor was too laid back, and didn't teach as well as Walter - so happy to find West Coast and Walter. Read Less

I highly recommend West Coast Driving school!  My daughter had Araceli as her awesome instructor. She made my daughter feel safe, comfortable and confident along with being very friendly. I made sure and booked all of the hours/days on the first appointment. The instructors book up fast so that is my biggest piece of advice is to plan ahead. My daughter was well prepared for her behind the wheel DMV test and passed the first time. Read Less

I did one behind the wheel lesson with Walter back in late 2015. I had read other Yelp reviews about his temperament, and I was pretty concerned so I called Sarah (who was very helpful and very professional) to ask about him and she assured me it would be fine. It was not. He probably took 3 or 4 lengthy phone calls during our two-hour lesson, and yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" when I made mistakes. A first time driver is going to make mistakes--yelling at them for it definitely wasn't productive. Luckily, Sarah was able to give me a partial refund on the other two lessons I had scheduled. The only good thing about my experience was her excellent customer service. Walter was clearly knowledgable, but a terrible teacher. He spent the majority of our lesson talking about how he didn't want to teach anymore (not a good way to sell yourself!). And he should really have gotten a company car. Driving his personal car made me highly uncomfortable. Overall I would NOT recommend this school to anyone. Update: I read the response from the owner, and it doesn't change my opinion whatsoever. He was not a good teacher and didn't seem to enjoy his job at all. He was just not a very nice person. Yes, I did feel compelled to leave a review over a year later--because it was a REALLY BAD experience. When a friend was asking for recommendations on driving schools, I came across this one again and realized I never wrote a review. So here it is now. That being said, as I mentioned above, the customer service from the office staff was excellent. But when it comes down to the substance of the driving lesson, I had a much better experience elsewhere. Read Less

I'm conflicted. I just finished my final lesson but wasn't looking forward to it and at the same time I was. Driving with Walter, I got information but I was also simply directed where to go as if I already knew how to drive while receiving a tone that screams "easily frustrated" anytime I obviously didn't know how to do something for the first time, asked a question on how to do something or asked why to do something. I'm just trying to LEARN, not get yelled at. I see a few other reviews from the PARENTS. But I was the one being taught. I was rushed through turns and intersections anytime I tried to apply looking around that he'd just instructed me to do, as if he wanted me to just go through and skip looking around. I'm my final lesson, he tells me no sudden quick or big movements on the wheel while on the freeway but he would grab the wheel and jerk it back to the center if I drifted off a bit. I made a few of my own mistakes, such as waiting to turn because a car was coming up behind me and I thought it wasn't clear, thinking it was on the lane next to me, when I remembered there was only one lane and the car was behind me. Okay, I made a mistake and had a brain fart. I'm also a beginner and don't have much opportunity to practice between these little lessons. I get a raised voice and a tiny lecture about why I can't do stupid things, and it's hard for me to explain that I knew better but was just confused. I stay quiet the majority of the lessons because I know saying anything would probably start an argument and I don't want to argue. Such as being pestered to take my foot off the gas when my foot is literally inches away from the pedal. I continued onto a road where the speed limit changed and he noted, in an annoyed voice, that I was going too slow and asked what the speed limit was. The sign coming up said 50, so I said 50. So he said "Okay so what are we doing? 35. So we're going under the speed limit. Okay now go slower." That last sentence was said about immediately after criticizing me for going too slow because he saw we were approaching a red light. I had already noticed so I just kept doing what I was doing and chuckled while I let him blab away. He gave good info from time to time. But it was hard to appreciate it with his attitude. Read Less

I STRONGLY recommend new drivers to take driving lessons at West Coast Driving School! I had a very pleasant and beneficial learning experience here. I failed my first driving test last month. So I googled for driving schools around Oceanside and found WCDS. I called their office during the holidays and left a voicemail. Soon Sarah, their office manager, called me back. For not being a fluent speaker I get dissed a lot, but this is wasn't the case with Sarah. She is friendly and professional. She answered my questions patiently and clearly, told me what to expect in the lessons and what my instructor is like. Her patience and friendliness made it easy for me to choose WCDS.I wanted to complete my lessons before school started. So Sarah had all my 3 lessons arranged in two weeks, which works very well for me.During my lessons (which costs $245) with Mr Walter Cyz, I learned various things to ensure safe and smooth driving. Mr Walter is friendly, attentive, and clearly very experienced. He gave short and clear instructions, told me what I did right or what I did wrong. He intervened when my driving got dangerous. I also enjoyed small talks with him.I just passed my behind-the-wheel driving test this morning, couldn't have done it without lessons at WCDS. Overall, I am perfectly content with WCDS. I am very thankful for the help from Sarah and Walter. Read Less

The driving school was very flexible making an appointment for the first driving lesson and to collect the payment for three lessons. We have since issues scheduling the next lessons. If somebody answers the phone we are asked to call back at another time. Read Less

At first I was scared to drive, but after these lessons I feel significantly more confident on the road. Taking these lessons definitely furthered my understanding of the road as I learned numerous things. From parking up hill to down hill, from driving through a business district to driving on the freeway. I was able to get a great feel of the road and am very thankful for the lessons. Read Less

Walter is great at running the business and I can reschedule easily, but he is a terrible instructor with a crappy car. He yells at his students and doesn't respect people. Sorry that's how I felt about my experience. Maybe he doesn't like woman of certain race or color. Read Less

Very happy with West Coast Driving School. The price was perfect and had very experienced drivers! I recommend Walter. Walter has great experience and knows what he is doing. Also if you call the school they answer immediately and are very helpful! They set my appointment a day after I called. I feel much more comfortable behind the wheel thanks to the school and Walter. Read Less