About the surf school
Who we are, who teaches, and how we keep every lesson safe, from the morning conditions check to the last wave.
A small surf school on one beach
We started with six boards and a borrowed van. We still teach on the same stretch of sand, so we know where the sandbanks sit, when the rip runs and which stage of the tide suits a first lesson.
- Board, wetsuit and leash in every lesson
- An instructor in the water with you
- Lesson times set by the tide, not the clock
- Hot showers and a changing room at the hut (sample)
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
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.