Stand up on your first lesson.
Surf lessons for first-timers, families and locals who want to get better. Boards and wetsuits are included, and we go at your pace: standing up on day one is the goal, not a promise.
Book a lesson
Next lesson
Today at 10:00, beginner group
Length
Two hours, on the sand and in the water
Included
Soft-top board, wetsuit and leash
Price
$65 per person (example)
Spaces
3 spaces left
07:30Improvers
Low tide 08:00
10:00Beginners
High tide 14:15
16:30Beginners
06:0009:0012:0015:0018:00
Today’s lessons on the tide (example day). We set lesson times by the tide on our beach, so they move about 50 minutes later each day.
Choose your lesson
Every lesson includes a soft-top board, a wetsuit and a leash. Not sure which one fits? Start with a beginner group lesson, or call us and tell us who is coming.
Beginner group lesson
Your first time on a board, or your first in years. Safety, paddling and standing up in the white water.
Length2 hours
GroupUp to 8, two instructors
Price$65
Private lesson
One or two people with an instructor to themselves. Good for nervous starters, and for fixing one thing fast.
Length90 minutes
Group1 or 2 people
Price$120
Kids’ surf camp
Five mornings of surfing, beach games and ocean safety for ages 8 to 14 in the school holidays.
Length5 mornings
GroupUp to 6 per instructor
Price$290
Improver session
For locals who can stand up and want to catch unbroken waves, turn and find their place in the line-up.
Length2 hours
GroupUp to 6
Price$70
Example prices, per person. Learners in group lessons need to be able to swim 25 metres (example rule).
What happens on your first lesson
Two hours from hello to your last wave. Bring swimwear and a towel; we bring everything else.
1
15 minutes before
Meet at the hut
Sign in, get fitted for a wetsuit and pick up a soft-top board that suits your height and weight.
2
About 15 minutes
Safety talk
What the beach flags mean, how to spot a rip current, how to fall safely and where to stay in the water.
3
About 20 minutes
Practice on the sand
Lying on the board, paddling and the pop-up, again and again on dry land until it starts to feel natural.
4
About an hour
Into the water
Waist-deep white water with an instructor beside you, pushing you into waves until you can catch them yourself.
Lesson times follow the tide
The tide on our beach comes in and goes out twice a day, about 50 minutes later each day, and the waves for learners change with it. So we move the lessons with the tide. Here is Saturday on the tide, then the whole week.
07:30Improvers
Low tide 08:00
10:00Beginners
13:00Private
High tide 14:15
16:30Beginners
06:0009:0012:0015:0018:00
Saturday
Low tide 08:00
07:30Improvers
10:00Beginners, 3 spaces left
13:00Private
16:30Beginners
Sunday
Low tide 08:50
08:15Improvers
10:45Beginners, 2 spaces left
17:15Beginners
Monday
Low tide 09:40
09:00Kids’ camp
11:30Beginners, 4 spaces left
18:00Improvers
Tuesday
Low tide 10:30
09:00Kids’ camp
12:15Beginners
14:00Private
Wednesday
Low tide 11:20
09:00Kids’ camp
13:00Beginners, 5 spaces left
18:30Improvers
Thursday
Low tide 12:10
09:00Kids’ camp
13:45Beginners
15:30Private
Friday
Low tide 13:00
09:00Kids’ camp
14:30Beginners, 2 spaces left
16:30Improvers
Example timetable and tide times. We confirm your lesson time when you book, and move it if the sea is not right for learners.
Kids’ surf camp in the school holidays
Five mornings of surfing, rock-pool walks and beach games, with ocean safety woven into every day. Children leave knowing how to read the flags, how to fall off safely and how to paddle into the white water on their own.
Ages
8 to 14, able to swim 25 metres
Weeks
7–11 July, 14–18 July, 4–8 August (sample dates)
Times
Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00
Group
Up to 6 children per instructor
Price
$290 for the week (example)
Adults: weekend improver camps in spring and autumn, with two sessions a day timed to the tide (sample dates on request).
Board and wetsuit hire
Already had a lesson? Hire a board and wetsuit from the hut and practise on your own, close to where we teach.
Soft-top surfboard, 2 hours
$20
Wetsuit, 2 hours
$12
Board and wetsuit, 2 hours
$28
Board and wetsuit, full day
$45
Bodyboard and fins, 2 hours
$15
Kids’ wetsuit, 2 hours
$8
Example prices. Wetsuits from kids’ age 6 to adult XXL.
Before you hire
- Hire is for people who have had a lesson or surfed before (example rule).
- Surf between the flags when the beach is lifeguarded, and ask us where the sandbanks are today.
- Leave a photo ID at the hut until the board comes back (example rule).
- Every wetsuit is rinsed and dried between hires.
How we keep lessons safe
The sea changes every day. These are the things that do not.
Qualified instructors
Every instructor holds a surf coaching qualification and a beach lifeguard award, renewed every two years (sample).
First aid on the beach
A first-aid kit and a rescue board at every lesson, and instructors with a current first-aid certificate (sample).
Conditions checked every morning
We read the forecast, the flags and the sea before each lesson, and move or cancel it when the sea is not right for learners.
Small groups in the water
No more than four learners per instructor in the water at once, and an instructor always between you and deeper water (example ratio).
Timed to the tide
Lessons run at the stage of the tide that gives the gentlest white water on our beach.
Insured and registered
Public liability insurance and a beach permit from the local council, ref. 000000 (sample).
Your instructors
Small team, same faces all season. Your instructor is in the water with you, not shouting from the sand.
Kai Mendes
Head coach, beginner lessons
Has taught on this beach for years and still gets excited by every first pop-up.
Lena Duarte
Kids’ camps and private lessons
Calm with nervous starters, and the one children ask for by name on day five.
Sam Okafor
Improver sessions
Films your waves from the beach and talks you through them over a cup of tea.
Sample instructors and bios.
A morning on the beach
What a lesson day looks like, from the boards on the sand to the walk into the water.
What learners and parents say
“I had never touched a surfboard and was sure I would spend two hours falling off. I stood up twice, wobbly but standing, and booked another lesson on the walk back.”
Sample holiday maker
Beginner group lesson
“Our two did the kids’ camp in August. They came home sandy, tired and talking about rip currents at dinner, which is exactly what we hoped for.”
Sample parent
Kids’ surf camp
“I live ten minutes away and had been stuck in the white water for a year. Three improver sessions later I am catching green waves and know why I was missing them.”
Sample local surfer
Improver sessions
Questions before your first lesson
Something else on your mind? Call us, or ask at the hut on the day.
I can’t swim well. Can I still learn?
Lessons happen in water about waist deep, but you need to be comfortable if a wave knocks you over. For group lessons we ask that you can swim 25 metres (example rule). If you are unsure, tell us when you book and we will suggest a private lesson.
How old do you have to be?
Group lessons are from age 12, the kids’ camp is for ages 8 to 14, and private lessons are open from age 6 with a parent on the beach (example ages). There is no upper age limit.
What should I bring?
Swimwear to wear under the wetsuit, a towel, water-resistant sun cream and a drink. We provide the board, wetsuit and leash. Leave jewellery and valuables at home.
What happens if the waves are too big, or flat?
We check the forecast and the sea every morning. If conditions are not right for learners, we move your lesson to another time or give you a refund (example policy).
Will I stand up on my first lesson?
Many people do, often only for a second or two. Some need a few sessions, and that is normal. We teach you to paddle, catch the wave and stay safe first; standing up follows.
Can we book as a family or a group?
Yes. Families and friends can book a private lesson together, or several places in the same group lesson. Call us for groups of more than eight.
Where to meet us
Every lesson starts at the surf hut, at the top of the beach next to the car park.
Lessons
Every day, times follow the tide
Hut, April to October
7:00 – 19:00
Hut, November to March
Weekends, 9:00 – 16:00
Surf hut, 2 Shore Road
North Beach, Springfield, ST 10001. Pay-and-display parking beside the hut.
Book your first lesson
Tell us who is coming, their ages and how well they swim. We will suggest the right lesson and a time on the tide.