The Source Magazine
Surfschool Diary
The British Surfing Association strongly recommends that wall would-be surfers attend an accredited surf school before venturing into the waves on their own. Here you will, learn the correct techniques by properly qualified instructors, under the right conditions and with the right equipment. Lessons are inexpensive, and, with a group of like minded individuals, safe and great fun.
To provide a flavour of what surf school is like, The Source sent two first-timers, Susan and Andrew, down to the BSA-Approved Surf South West school in Croyde Bay for a weekend course.
Day One Saturday 21st October
10:00am
Andy: Arrived at the Surf South West surf school in Croyde Bay feeling a bit nervous. My biggest worry at the moment is that I am not a very good swimmer.
Sue: Got out of the car to have a look at the beach and water. The waves looked uncomfortably big. I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of jumping into freezing cold water.
10:20am
Andy: Met up with Darren and Justin, our instructors for the beginner’s course and the rest of our schoolmates for the weekend. Got given my wetsuit and surfboard and headed down to the beach with the rest of the group.
Sue: Our instructors were friendly and enthusiastic. I began to feel more confident as they assured the whole of our novice group that we would all be surfing by the end of the weekend.
10:30am
Andy: We all laid our boards down in a semi-circle on the sand as Darren and Justin went through the conditions of the water. They told us what to expect and what to do if we found ourselves in any difficulty. Darren talked us through the different parts of the surfboard and instructed us on the importance of body position. We also practiced getting from a lying to a standing position. I didn’t find the jump-up that hard whilst practicing on the beach.
As a safety measure we were all instructed to stay together and given a volleyball pitch on the beach as a reference point so that we could easily tell if we began to drift. To my relief we were also instructed to stay in water no higher than waist depth as white water is required for leaning in.
Sue: On the beach the instructors talked us about our equipment, the water conditions and our own safety. They taught us surfing manoeuvres, such as paddling, body position and how to stand up. I couldn’t even jump up from lying down to standing up on the beach. Looking around the group I was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t the only one.
11:10am
Andy: Heading out into the water the waves didn’t seem too rough. I was feeling confident after the learning session and safety advice given to us back on the beach. Catching my first wave was easier than I thought it was going to be. The advice I’d been given on dry land made sense in practice. I found that I could get onto my knees and almost, well sort of, stand up. Justin and Darren kept watch on me and soon offered advice on where I was going wrong. My positioning on the board was the hardest thing to grasp; I kept putting my weight too far forward, which resulted in many a nosedive.
Sue: Getting out into the water wasn’t half as cold as I had imagined it to be and my wetsuit warmed up quickly. I started to feel a bit scared when I came face to face with the waves, but it was reassuring to know Darren and Justin are qualified lifeguards. Darren helped me catch my first few waves by holding onto the board and pushing me along. As I started to get used to the water and paddling I managed to catch a few waves by myself. The board did feel wobbly in the beginning and I was afraid to even attempt standing up to start with. Lying on the board riding in on the wave was good fun and after a while I did find myself getting a bit more adventurous and attempting to stand up. Darren and Justin kept a close eye on the whole of our group and were constantly at hand for tips and advice. I left the first session exhausted but smiling.
12:30pm
Andy: I could tell some improvement by the end of the lesson. My upper body was aching a bit from all the paddling. Towards the end of the session I was finding it a bit more difficult to catch the waves as my arms began to tire.
Sue: Stopped for lunch. I did enjoy my first surf lesson but was ready to finish and have a rest. I don’t think I realised just how tiring surfing would be. But I did feel that I had made progress even in one morning.
12:45pm
Andy: Found our guesthouse and looked around Croyde. The accommodation, restaurants and pubs are all close to each other, so there is no need to use the car.
Sue: Went to find our room for the night. I had a well-deserved rest and managed to conjure up enough energy for drinking and eating.
6:00pm
Andy: Looked around for a pub, as I definitely needed a pint or larger (or several of them) and a mixed grill.
Sue: Finding somewhere to eat was harder than I thought it was going to be. There is quite a choice in Croyde but I can never make my mind up.
9:00pm
Andy: Called into a few pubs making our way back to the guesthouse, despite good intentions of an early night. On the way home we thought we would just check out one last watering hole called Billy Budd’s. Here we met up with two fellow students from the surf school. And one last beer became many.
Sue: I was keen to head back to our guesthouse early, as I didn’t want to be tired or hung-over for the next lesson. But Andy persuaded me to pop into a few pubs no the way back.
Day Two Sunday 22nd October
9:00am
Andy: Up early for a cooked breakfast to be ready to start the morning’s surfing. My body is still aching but I’m raring to go.
Sue: Surprisingly, I’m feeling fine after spending last night in the pub, though my body is aching after yesterday’s surf lesson. I’m sure that once I start moving my arms again the pain will cease.
10:20am
Andy: Met up with Darren, Justin and the rest of the group. Changed into my wetsuit, got a board and went down to the beach. I could tell this time that the waves looked good.
Sue: Darren & Justin briefed us on the surf conditions and reminded us again about safety. We were then given a quick refresher course on body positioning, paddling out and standing up. They also showed us how to turn the board.
10:45am
Andy: Went out into the water feeling a lot more knowledgeable and confident. I was able to stand up for short spells and can’t believe my improvement since the last lesson. The end of the session came so quickly. I didn’t want to get out of the water.
Sue: Thankfully Darren and Justin went through what we had learnt in the first surf lesson. They also taught us a few more advanced moves like how to turn the board whilst standing up.
12:30pm
Andy: Went back to the surf school for lunch. I’ll be making plans to buy my own wetsuit and hire a board to practice what I’ve been taught. Next time I come I’ll be taking intermediate lessons.
Sue: This was then end of our surf weekend. I did feel I had come a long way since my first surf lesson. My second time surfing did seem a bit easier, I think because I had grasped the general concept. I was still managing to catch the odd wave and nearly stand up. I would love to go surfing again but I think I will wait until the summer.
