Course LevelsLapoint Surf courses
Level 3 - Intermediate
Welcome to Level 3! At this stage, you'll refine your skills, take on more complex challenges, and start to surf with a sense of independence and confidence. You'll focus on mastering wave selection, controlling your speed, and understanding the ocean like never before. It's time to step it up in the most fun setting possible!
The Course
Gaining some independence in the water
This is where you start to make real progress, not just in terms of technique but in how you approach the water mentally and physically. You’ll work on generating and maintaining speed on the wave, improve your decision-making, and gain a deeper understanding of wave mechanics and surf forecasting. Plus, you’ll get more comfortable with different types of breaks and surfboards.
Note for lower intermediate surfers: We strongly recommend you start in Level 2 and get all the basics before heading into bigger and faster waves. If you have never surfed waves over 2ft or caught a green wave all by yourself, please start with Level 2 before advancing to Level 3.
What you will learn
Great surfer loading!
In Level 3, you’ll focus on enhancing the skills you've already developed and learning new ones along the way. By the end of this course, you’ll be more confident, independent, and ready to take on more advanced waves with a stronger understanding of the ocean and its secrets only surfers with some more experience understand.
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Level 3: Become an independent surfer
In Level 3, we focus on improving decision-making and developing the skills to surf independently. You’ll learn to manage more challenging conditions, understand wave types and forecasts, and enhance your physical and mental preparation for more advanced surfing.
Skill level: Preparations for level 3
Waves type: All types of breaks ranging from 2 ft to 5 ft green waves (knee-high to head-high), including mellow and beginner-friendly waves as well as more challenging conditions.
Mental preparation: Understand the importance of staying calm in the lineup, surf safety, and etiquette.
Physical preparation: How to surf green waves, paddling strength, endurance, and balance on the board.
Technical knowledge: Basic technical foundations in surfing in different breaks and surf conditions.
Requirements
Swimming ability.
The knowledge of Level 1 and Level 2 in both theory and practical drills.
Around 2 months of surfing experience requested (~40 surfing days) prior to starting Level 3.
Minimum hours to complete this level
A minimum of 80 hours of surfing in Level 3 is recommended to fully complete the level. These hours don’t have to be completed in one go—they can be spread out over months or even years. However, if you’re actively surfing, students typically master the skills at this level within 6 to 8 weeks.
We’ll focus on…
Through exercises, individual feedback, and personal progression, you'll become a more comfortable and capable surfer during Level 3. Our experienced instructors will guide you through the following:
Surf equipment preparation.
Understand the different types of waves—surging, dumping, and spilling—and how to position yourself for the best ride. Learn to analyze waves based on their formation, shape, and break type. Becoming more comfortable surfing different sizes of waves.
Learn how to surf more efficiently, stay in the wave's pocket, maintain and generate more speed, and practice transitions between rails to keep your momentum going.
Experiment with different boards (from 8’6” to 6’6” soft tops) and understand which ones best suit different conditions and your surfing style.
Learn to navigate the lineup, catch more waves by yourself, and improve your decision-making and wave selection. Understand how to deal with crowds and localism in the surf. You’ll also focus on safety procedures, including hand signals, first aid, and emergency action plans (E.A.P.).
Deepen your understanding of surf forecasts, wave knowledge, venue analysis (tides, winds, swells), and hazards. Develop your ability to predict conditions and choose the proper break for the day’s surf.
Milestones for Level 3
By the end of this level, you'll be a more independent surfer, ready to take on a variety of breaks and surf conditions with more confidence. You’ll also be prepared to continue your progression toward high-performance surfing! Here are the milestones we aim towards during Level 3:
For you to become an independent surfer.
Surf different types of breaks, understand wave formation, and be able to control surfing venues.
The correct positioning in the line-up.
Maximize your paddling technique adapted to surfing conditions, gain more profound ocean knowledge, and improve your physical and mental preparation.
Theory
A deeper understanding
Combining hands-on practice with a solid understanding of the theory makes it easier to grow as a surfer and to apply new techniques!
Ocean awareness
Building on your foundational knowledge, we’ll focus on understanding wave formations, tides, currents, and different types of breaks. This deeper understanding of ocean dynamics will help you make informed decisions when you're out in the water, ensuring your safety and the best chance to improve.
Spot guiding
Your surf instructor will guide you to the right spots based on the surf conditions of the day. This will help you learn where and when to surf for optimal conditions and prepare you for how to find the best surf of the day on your own.
Individual feedback
Your instructor will provide consistent feedback on your surfing, focusing on your technique, decision-making, and overall approach. The goal is to refine your skills and help you become more independent in your surf practice.
Techniques for passing through the waves
We’ll work on refining your turtle roll and duck dive techniques, ensuring you can confidently pass through waves and get to the lineup with ease, no matter the wave size.
Surfboards
At this level, we introduce a wider range of boards, ranging from 8'6" to 6'6" in size. You'll learn to select the right board for the conditions and your body structure, experimenting with different options to find what works best for you.
Becoming an advanced surfer has never been this close
Ready to step up your surfing and start working on more advanced maneuvers? At Level 3, we’ll help you refine your skills, increase your wave knowledge, and improve your overall technique to handle more powerful and challenging waves.
By the end of Level 3, you’ll be an independent surfer who can confidently handle more complex surf conditions, ride green waves with increased speed and style, and prepare for the final steps toward more high-performance surfing in Level 4. Get ready to surf stronger waves, improve your technique, and unlock new surfing challenges!
Sustainability
The beach is our home. We are leaving it better than we found it.
We have made a commitment to our ocean, beaches and community. They are our playground, our home and our livelihood. We are going to leave them better than we found them. That means that all our employees, friends and guests helps out with recycling and taking other actions for the environment. Each week there are beach cleaning and recycling activities to ensure that our home stays the way it was supposed to be.