Which surf course level should I pick?

Before you arrive at Sunwave Surfcamp, or any surf camp for that matter, it is important that you communicate your current skill and experience to us so we can plan your surf coaching to maximise your progress as a surfer.  

It doesn't matter whether you have never surfed a day in your life or you used to be an advanced surfer but haven't managed to get in the water for a few years. We cater for all levels and abilities, you just need to be honest about what you are comfortable with and we will help steer you in the right direction.

Here at Sunwave Surfcamp we group our students into 3 main groups - Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves it is important to note that you are not fixed to one group your whole stay. Our aim is for you to become the best surfer you can be in the shortest period of time. Sometimes this might mean surfing 1 or 2 days in a beginner group to repeat the basics and become comfortable on a board again before moving on to the more challenging Intermediate course. Everyone learns at a different pace and we always take great care that you are in the right group and are comfortable in the conditions for that day.

So what does Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced really mean? Here is a summary of which skills are specific to each level and when you can expect to be moved on to the next group.

BEGINNER

This course is perfect for people who have never surfed before, or people who need a refresher on their basic skills before moving on to the bigger waves.

Coaching begins in the forgiving white water. You won’t be out of your depth until you're comfortable to do so, and we start at the absolute basics. You’ll learn how to correctly stand up on a surfboard, how to paddle for and catch waves unassisted. Practical exercises are also complemented by theory instructions on ocean safety and how to read and analyse ocean conditions.

We move you on to the Intermediate group once you are paddling into waves unassisted, standing on your surfboard 95% of the time, you are comfortable riding the white water, and you are using the right techniques.

INTERMEDIATE

Our Intermediate course is designed for you to start learning to catch unbroken (aka green) waves.

You will be surfing on both reefs and beaches (depending on conditions) and you will be learning about how to navigate through the whitewater, paddling into a wave, timing of your take offs, how to ride down the face of the wave, understand surfing 'etiquette', and of course, how to keep yourself safe in any type of surf break.

You will move on to the Advanced course once you are comfortably and consistently riding along the face of a head high wave, you can position yourself correctly on the peak of the wave, you have learnt how to read how a wave will break, and you are comfortable doing all the above in a range of conditions.

ADVANCED

Our advanced course is designed to teach you how to do your first surfing maneuvers. We are talking bottom turns, top turns, cut backs & floaters. Surfers must be consistently catching head high waves without assistance. Our team will analyse your technique and style and teach you how to maneuver your surfboard into the critical part of the wave and how to increase your speed and positioning on a wave to best perform the above maneuvers. The progression between Intermediate and Advanced is somewhat fluent, and for more advanced and in depth coaching we would recommend our private surf courses so you can have a more individualised course programme structured specifically for you.