This surf program is comprehensive in that it not only includes plenty of time in the surf. Each surfing session is progressive and goal-oriented for each of the participants. During the surf session, your coach will be discussing with you how you progressed in learning that new skill.
Surf Lessons
Included in every lesson are:
- Surf coaching (1.5 hours)
- Insurance (3rd party)
- Transfers to/from the camp
- All equipment (Surfboard, wetsuit, lycra, leash, and booties)
Schedules
- The lesson time is usually fixed the night before, making it easier for the planning. The timing depends on the best surf conditions for your level.
Boards
If you are at Level 1, you will use the soft tops for the first days before they can call you an advanced beginner and the instructor decides for you the hard tops. For level 2 and above, there is a range of hard tops which you can select from.
First Surf Lessons
If you’re having your first go at surfing or have had a lesson or two in the past, you will start from the basics. The basics include an introduction to the surfboard, the surfing spot, a warm-up, a dry session on the beach explaining the basics of the pop-up and safety techniques, and then going to catch the first waves in our sub-tropical waters.
Typical Surf Lessons
Your instructor brings you to the surf spot which brings the best conditions. After an effective warm-up up, your surf coach will show you teach you and help you to improve your techniques. Have the time of your life! After approx. 2-2.5 hours (driving included) the surf session is over. You collect your board and the equipment and leave the beach together with your group to go back to the camp.
Levels
If you aren’t sure what level you are, have no fear! The instructors will assess your level once you arrive and allocate you to the correct group. The instructors are careful not to mix ability levels. Therefore there will be a maximum of 5:1 student-instructor ratio at all times. This will also mean that you will never have to wait for others to keep up or feel left behind.
Level 1.1: Total beginners
You have never tried surfing, but able to swim. At this stage, the focus is on teaching you the fundamentals of surfing which include a dry session on the beach focusing on:
- Introduction to the surfboard and equipment
- Correct position on the board
- Paddling technique
- How to protect yourself, board and others in the water
- Surf etiquette
- Passing the white water
- Correct pop up
- Correct stance
Level 1.2: Beginner who has tried surfing a couple of times before
This is a challenging stage for both – you and your coaches – because in some surf schools you had before, the techniques used differ from the ones that you are going to use here. Therefore, the lessons will stick with the ISA method of teaching. At this stage, you focus on:
- Reviewing the basics with you and comparing it with the methods you learned before (level 1.1)
- Working on your stance for more balance and improving on your pop-up and paddling technique
- Teaching you the basic stages of a wave and the shape of a wave at a particular beach
- Talk about positioning in the lineup to catch unbroken waves
- How to do the angle take off and get into an unbroken wave to the left or right
- Learning how to slow down or accelerate according to the section of the wave
- Correct stance
Level 1.3: Advanced beginner
You have surfed more than a couple of days by now and understand the wave and board mechanics and you feel comfortable in the water most of the time. You have more control over catching the waves and your stance, but only able to go straight. At this stage, you focus on:
- Reviewing the basics of levels 1.1 and 1.2
- Working on wave reading and positioning in the lineup
- Improving on the angle take-off and stance
- Learning the basics of trimming on a wave
Level 2.1: Beginner intermediate surfer
At this stage, you have pretty good control over your paddling and can go out the back and catch unbroken waves and go left or right. You also understand about the waves, surfing and ocean conditions. The focus on you at this stage is:
- Generating speed on the wave
- Improving on the wave reading ability
- Duck-diving
- Improving the stance for more mobility
- Bottom turn and top turn fundamentals
Level 2.2: Advanced intermediate surfer
At this stage, you have very good control over your board and can make turns to change the direction. You are also riding a short board or a minimal surf board. The lessons will focus on:
- Surfing and speeding down the line on different types of waves
- Correct positioning to catch different types of waves
- Learning to cutback
- Technical analysis of your top turn and bottom turn
- Small floaters to pass the sections
- Duck dive improvement