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How do lessons work?
The way lessons work is they're an hour and 45 minutes long
and they include all the equipment - foam longboard and
full length wetsuit. We spend the first 20 minutes on the
beach going over how to pop up, water safety, etiquette
and how to handle the board in the water, and we spend the
remainder of the time in the water guiding our students
through how to apply what they learned on shore. The technique
we teach is very effective - pretty much everybody can catch
their own waves and stand on their own by the end of the
lesson.
Are there any lockers available
at the lesson?
We don't provide any lockers or storage for your belongings
while at the beach. However, we all leave our belongings
on the beach, in plain view directly in front of where we
teach the lesson, and in the many years we've been operating
on these beaches none of us has ever had a problem with
having our belongings taken or tampered with.
What time should I arrive?
Though lessons will begin at the time scheduled, and sometimes
instructors will not be at the location until the scheduled
time, it's not a bad idea to show up 5-10 minutes beforehand.
What should I bring?
For Surf Lessons, you should bring a swimsuit
you can wear underneath a wetsuit, a towel, some drinking
water to rehydrate, and have some sunblock on your face
and neck prior to the lesson (if you're going to be wearing
a wetsuit you on't need any on your arms, torso or legs
as you'll be covered with the wetsuit!).
For surf camp, you'll need to pack a swimsuit,
a towel, LOTS of strong (at least SPF 15), waterproof sunblock,
and lunch (there's really nowhere to get food at the location).
It's also not a bad idea to have a hat for sun protection.
We provide snacks and drinking water.
Are the waves big enough today?
We get this question a lot. As a beginner, you don’t
want big waves. The locations we teach at always have waves
that are ridable and well suited to beginners. We simply
don’t schedule lessons for times when conditions aren’t
workable (generally at higher tides), so book your lessons
with confidence.
Which location is best?
During the summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day), waves
are smaller in general and we can offer lessons at all our
locations, at Malibu/Zuma Beach, Venice Beach, Santa Monica,
and Manhattan/Dockweiler. During the off season months (Labor
Day to Memorial Day), waves get generally bigger, and lessons
are only offered at our Venice and Santa Monica locations
as the Malibu/Zuma and Manhattan/Dockweiler locations don't
work as well.
Can we continue to use the
equipment after our lesson?
People are generally pretty tired by the end of their lesson
as a lot of time is spent paddling in the water, and most
won't want to continue beyond that time. However, should
you desire to continue with the equipment, we can usually
make some sort of arrangements at the lesson, provided we
have another lesson running at the same time.
What if the weather’s
bad? Won't it make the water cold?
First of all, weather doesn't really affect the ocean’s
water temp. The ocean is such a large body of water, that
local weather doesn’t really affect water temps (unless
there is upwelling or downwelling, which is another topic
entirely. Click here for more info on upwelling). Water
temp ranges from around 70 degrees in mid-summer to the
mid-fifties in winter. The full length wetsuits we provide
will keep you warm enough to spend an hour and 45 minutes
in the water, even in mid-winter.
What if conditions are bad
and we need to cancel?
We are constantly monitoring all the factors that could
affect your surf lesson. If at any time we need to cancel
due to unfavorable conditions, we will contact you immediately
to either reschedule or fully refund your lesson. If we
don’t call you to cancel, then your lesson will continue
as scheduled, and our regular cancellation policies apply.
How many lessons before I'm
good?
That really depends. Most people are able to catch waves
and get up on their own after one lesson, but surfing is
much more than just standing up on a board. In successive
lessons, our students learn how to turn, how to read and
select waves, techniques to paddle out through the break,
how to best maneuver the board, timing, ettiquite, tides
and other factors affecting wave quality, and more. Of course,
everybody is different, and some will pick up on the techniques
quicker than others. However, in general, most people get
a solid basic intro in a 3 lesson pakage, and have a solid
foundation for catching waves and standing on their own.
In a 5 lesson package, most are able to turn fairly consistently.
After a 7 lesson package, many are able to identify a rideable
open-face wave, and have some success at maneuvering themselves
into position to catch it. Again, success is relative, and
everyone has their own learning curve. Surfing is ultimitely
hard, though very rewarding. The basics are easily learned,
but you can only improve through repetition. With instructed
lessons, you have trained eyes on you that can help guide
you past some of the pitfalls that could otherwise hold
you back for months.
Do I need to be able to swim?
Our lessons generally take place in water shallow enough
that you can stand the entire time you are taking your lesson.
However, should problems arise, you should be able to handle
yourself in the water, and being able to swim is the most
important thing you can know. It is highly recommended that
you are able to swim before taking a lesson.
What's the best exercise to
do to prepare me for surfing?
Swimming. You can't beat swimming as a preparation for surfing.
Swimming will exercise many of the muscles you will use
to paddle your board, it will improve your aerobic fitness,
and it will increase your water confidence.
What's the youngest age that
can be taught?
We will teach as young as 5, but we need to make sure that
the conditions are favorable at the time requested in your
registration. You can indicate in the comments field of
your online registration that you are bringing a small child,
just to make sure that you're scheduled at a nice low tide
to accommodate such a young child. Also, if you intend to
combine a smaller, young child with a much larger child
or adult in one lesson, be advised that if you do one lesson
with only one instructor (as opposed to two lessons with
two instructors), that instructor will need to spend most
of their time close to shore with the younger child as the
waves will buffet them much more than they will a larger
person, and won't be able to devote as much attention to
the larger students who will naturally be further out in
deeper water.
We welcome teenagers and adults in the group lessons, while
younger children and pre-teens are better suited for private
lessons.
Can I book a lesson for today?
During the summer months (from Memorial Day through Labor
Day), we can often take bookings the same day. During the
off-season months (Labor Day through Memorial Day) we need
to have at least 24 hours notice to book surf lessons.
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