How to improve your surfing through coaching
July 5, 2023No matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced surfer; having a good surf coach can be a truly amazing way to improve your surfing. Here you’ll see why surf coaching is something to consider to level up your game and also a sneak peek at how we do coaching here at Lapoint!
Going out into the ocean alone can be a great experience, just you and the breathtaking ocean and nature around it. But it can also be dangerous and frustrating, and a way harder way to improve than if you would enter the water with a coach or experienced friend.
Surfing with a coach is the best way for beginners to learn how to surf, but getting help from a coach will help even the most experienced surfer. So having a surf coach can be your key to levelling up your surfing, no matter your level. With help from our Global surf manager, João Durão, let’s dive into it!
Why should you have a surf coach to help you get better at surfing?
– Good coaching is important for your improvement and evolution as a surfer, an athlete and even as a person. It will allow you to get a training ethic, and learn how to be responsible, humble, focused, committed and motivated in surfing as well as in your day to day life. Even the best surfers have coaches such as Gabriel Medina,John John Florence and Kanoa Igarashi. So never think you reached a point in your surfing where you won’t need advice and guidance! We all need it, said Durão.
Also, when getting coaching from a more experienced surfer you will get many great tips and tricks to improve your surfing manoeuvres.
At the camp – How do you coach surfing at Lapoint?
Let’s keep it real, it’s not an easy task to learn how to surf. It’ll be time-consuming and you’ll feel frustrated, but it’ll be both much easier and a lot more fun to learn with a coach at a surf school. And the fun will only accelerate the better and more confident you get!
– Here at our camp we offer surfing courses in Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and guiding. At each level, we’ll make different coaching goals according to your needs and expectations. Some surfers come to our camp to strictly focus on surfing and others want to combine the surf with having a good time. So we try to adapt our coaching to you and the group’s needs and expectations! Being a coach here is a true experience and I get to live the dream of surfing every day while interacting with people from so many cultures, says Durão.
In all levels of coaching of Lapoint camps, you will learn:
Surf etiquette and rules
Surf safety
Ocean observation and forecast
Surfing technique and drills/exercises
– We will always try to be personal with our clients and give them individual daily follow up and feedback. The ratio in the groups can change from destination to destination but we can assure you that our experienced coaches will give professional detailed coaching to all equally and precisely, says Durão.
What are the different course levels of our surf camp?
LEVEL 1
Beginner
This level is appropriate for you who have never surfed before or for you who want to get back to basics after a long break from the waves. At Level 1 , the focus is to get comfortable in the water and learn to catch the white water waves. And to have as much fun as possible of course! You're also getting introduced to the theory part of surfing back at the camp. This will give you a deeper understanding of the why behind what we do in the ocean.
You're getting introduced to:
Longboards or soft-top surfboards
Surfing terms and slang
Ocean observation and safety in the ocean
Surfing equipment
Board control and paddling
Individual feedback
…and much more!
LEVEL 2
Intermediate
At the intermediate level, Level 2, we step it up a notch! You’re going to have a lot of fun in the intermediate stage since you will learn a lot! This level is for you who can catch white water waves by yourself or for those who finished the Level 1 course. Here we focus on improving your wave selection, catching green waves in the lineup and starting to practice how to go left and right down the line!
– In Level 2 we’ll discuss the foundations of surfing and body mechanics, how to catch green waves and the theory around that subject. We’ll go through the surf equipment, surf training exercises and how to generate speed on the wave, says Durão.
You're getting introduced to:
The lineups and the rules that need to be followed there
Spot guiding is where you learn which surf spots that work best in different conditions
Individual coaching
Surfing green waves
Turtle roll and duck dive-practice
…and much more!
LEVEL 3
Independent
Now you’re going to be around the big guys and gals, at our independent level we’re getting into the more advanced stuff! To begin Level 3 you should be able to surf both backside and frontside and catch green waves. You will improve your wave reading, get better at analyzing surf spots and improve your technique. You will also get more comfortable surfing independently on most breaks.
– At this level, we go through the main foundation of surfing; the top and bottom turn. We also practice surf manoeuvres like cutbacks, floaters and re-entry. This will be combined with video analysis! Of course, we’ll do a lot of surfing drills to improve your muscle memory and strength, says Durão.
You're getting introduced to:
How to read swell charts and how to improve your ability to do forecast analysis
What type of surfboard is best for you
Surfing head high waves comfortably
Improving your techniques for bottom turns and surf manoeuvres
Feedback with video analysis
Polishing your take-off technique and timing
…and much more!
Do you want to know more about learning to surf through coaching? Learn all about it here and hopefully, we’ll see you at one of our camps!
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