Surfing is THE BEST!!! There is no reason not to give it a try if you haven’t yet. The majority of people who give it a go often opt for taking a lesson. I mean it make sense, you get to go out with someone who knows the surf, the etiquette, and can provide you with a board and a wetsuit. In theory it’s a great idea but the reality is NOT ALL LESSONS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

There are two kinds of mentalities when it comes to surfing. The first mentality is “I really want to learn to surf!!!” the second mentality is “I want to say I surfed once in my life!!!” There is no way around it, you fall into one of these categories like it or not. If you fall into mentality one you’re going to want to keep reading and if you fall into mentality two then you can stop reading right here, your mission will be accomplished with whatever lesson you take.

So now that we both know you REALLY want to surf I want to tell you about what you should be looking for in a lesson. The first question you should ask your potential surf lesson provider should be “Are you going to push me into waves?” If they answer yes (they’re targeting mentality two) then pump the breaks and look elsewhere, this lesson won’t teach you anything except to stand up when some one tells you too. You want them to answer “no” because that means you’ll be doing all the work yourself and learning how to surf!

Another thing you are going to want to find out is who your instructor will be and how many students he or she will have. While the instructor you hirer may shred, he may have no clue how to properly instruct you how to surf. Look for someone with some experience and skill or else you’re just gonna get a cheerleader pushing you into waves. You want your instructor to be able to tell you what to look for when picking a spot to paddle out as well as where to be in the line up. As far as lesson size goes you should be seeking a private lesson where it’s you or you and a friend with one instructor. Group lessons are great for the “life time experience” but pretty useless if you’re looking to learn. A private lesson will surely cost more than a group lesson but the amount you will learn will be much greater then in a group lesson.

The other main thing you want to check out is where this lesson will be taking place and when. Waves, wind, tide, and the crowd can have a HUGE impact on how your lesson goes. Ultimately you want your lesson to take place when the conditions are right and for that you need to really trust your instructor.  Your best bet would be to take a lesson early in the morning at a beach break that works well with the tide and wind conditions. You should never schedule your lesson more than a few days ahead of time because there is no real way of telling what the waves will be like.

If what you’re reading is all making sense and you still really want to learn to surf then check out the info on our lesson page and if your still interested after that give us a call or swing through the shop and we’ll set something up and we’ll teach you how to surf!

As corny as this is going to sound it’s true. “Push a man into a wave and he’ll surf for the day, teach a man to catch a wave and he’ll surf for LIFE!” -Confucius-