Surfing Coaching

We think it's time surf coaching grew up. You often hear experienced surfers say "I don't need a surf lesson. I already surf." We think that says a lot about the level of coaching people have come to expect. Surf schools have a reputation as having nothing to offer surfers, beyond learning to stand up. Actually there's a lot more fun to be had than that, otherwise people wouldn't love surfing so much. You would expect a lot more from a coach in any other sport after all. A surf instructor should be a skilled teacher who happens to teach surfing, not just another surfer offering a few pointers.

What We Do Do

At Innocent Surf School, we like to do things a little differently. We take a logical, analytical approach, like you would when coaching more established sports, tennis or golf for example. You would never hear us offering ambiguous advice like 'feel the rhythm of the wave,' instead we would be telling you that you fell off because your foot was here, instead of there. We'd then probably start drawing a picture to make it really nice and clear and perhaps even pulling out the video camera to film you the next time it happens. We have found this deconstructive approach demystifies surfing and builds a lot of confidence in beginners. It also allows us to help experienced surfers develop more speed, power and flow.

"You Going To Teach Me To Fish?"

We go with the 'teach a man to fish rather than give him a fish' approach. In every lesson you'll not only learn a specific skill but also why you are learning it, how to teach yourself to perfect it and what it will lead on to next. We lay down a clear road map from the first day you set foot in the ocean right up to performing committed maneuvers in the critical part of the wave. After all, the faster you improve, the more fun you have. This is the scientific discipline of having fun in waves.

Which Level Are You?

We break our surf lessons down into 4 stages. Each stage is then broken down into 20-30 separate skill sets which we will make certain you understand while you're here. But before you arrive it is helpful for you and us to know what level of surfer you are and what stage lessons you feel are relevant to you. If you not sure, don't worry, we'll figure it out when you're here...

Level 1 Surf Lessons

Stage one surf lessons are all done in the fun, friendly and forgiving white water waves. You'll never be out of your depth, so no need to be able to swim. You'll learn how to select and catch waves unassisted; how to stall and accelerate the board; the difference between trimming and carving turns; and the, counter intuitive, functional stance which is so important for doing more than just standing up. We'll also teach you some tricks: the budda, the coffin ride, switch foot and how to do a headstand on your board (that's right, a headstand... you'll be amazed at what is possible when you know how!)

Level 2 Surf Lessons

Stage two surf lessons are about paddling past the white water and surfing "out the back." You'll learn how to: time sets; paddle through the white water efficiently and safely; select and catch unbroken waves; understand etiquette; know how to confidently deal with any situation which may present itself to you when surfing out of your depth; identify lefts and rights and start to surf down the line.

Level 3 Surf Lessons

Stage three surf lessons involve learning how, why and when to perform basic maneuvers on the unbroken face of the wave. We start with trimming your board across the wave to find the fastest line. We then learn about white water climbs, floaters, carving changes of direction, fades and eventually cut backs.

Level 4 Surf Lessons

Stage four surf lessons are all about performing committed maneuvers, in the critical part of the wave, with speed power and flow. This involves: establishing which areas of your surfing needs to be focused on; learning which drills are relevant to you and how to break free surfs up into productive bite sized sessions; choice of maneuvers; timing of maneuvers; body position during maneuvers; using the entire board and understanding how to surf to the judging criteria.