Surf Schools - Are they the best way to start surfing?

[surf patrol]

Who out there has taken lessons from a surfing school?. How did you find it?, is it something that you would recommend to other learning surfers?

[surf patrol]

Who would have thought that this thread would be so popular!

[Duncs]

I did:

"SURF SOUTH WEST" in croyde bay devon. For about 2 1/2 days, the rest of the week we just hired out mini-mals.

Um it was well good actually, all the instructors where "ledges", y'know typical surfer doods and really friendly. Plus the people on the course where all cool,...no townies etc etc.

I think its surfsouthwest.com

You get your wetsuits and your board, and lunch if your staying for the day. Basically you get good advice before going in the water and they help your stance/technique. When in the water you can rely on them to make suere you aint gonna get into rips/trouble which is nice to know when you are a beginner like me. Plus when you do catch good waves, they are pretty stoked for you and starting "whoopin'" n stuff!!! Who's the daddy....

Lol..

Duncs

[surf patrol]

Do you feel that having surfing lessons was the ideal start to your surfing? Looking back would you do the same again ie start with a couple of lessons?

[Duncs]

Yeah why not.

I think surf lessons are the best way to start, especially if you can't surf as often as you like. Obviously if you have access to a beach day in day out, then maybe just getting down there and just doing it would be the best way. To be fair, i would prefer to do it that way, "the old skool way!!!", but you really need more time and freedom to do that. With such limited access to a beach you gotta be as productive as possible when you are there, and i think surf schools help with that.

Obviously, its a sad way of looking at it,...

you gotta be as productive as possible

it makes it sound like a buisness not fun. Its all a compromise though. I dont have the luxury to just do it as often as i like. Wouldn't have a surf school again though, maybe surf advice [best spots, rips, features to watch out for] etc cos thats always useful. To be fair it might be worth signing with a surf school just for the comfort and advice. Plus they say they can even teach pros more about their surfing as they have an outside/impresonal view.

But there we go....

My opinion? I wouldn't want to be a pro and still use a surf school, or even an intermediate,...or even if i could stand comfortably. Thats just me

[Vix]

Yeah I reckon that surf schools are a good way to start, especially as said before if you cannot get to a surfable beach as often as you'd like. I had my first lesson when I was 9 and i think i did some the summer after that as well. Since then (13 years ago!!!) I've done little "proper surfing" and more body boarding but recently I went back in on a 7ft ish foam board and remembered everything!! (after a while) Was wicked definitely a convert now not gonna chicken back out onto the body board just cos the fins help me get out the back!
This is a wicked site, just found it :D

[surf patrol]

Hi Vix, welcome to Surfing Waves,
Thanks for the comments - now put that body board back in the shed and get into some real surfing!

[freaky_welsh_chick]

i have done a few surf schools, the surfsouthwest at croyde, cos my school does trips there ever year, and its fun to go with mates. and i went to 'extreme academy' in newquay, which is where i learnt to surf for the first time. i loved learning, but i wish they taught you on proper boards, not those huge foam things. they just dont seem to compare, they are so much easier to stand on. i found a school in the pembrokeshire area called outer reef and it looks really good, and i spoke to the guy who runs it, and he seems really cool. and they teach on proper boards so i am going to go for a few lessons to improve, i think they are well worth while. not bad prices either.

outerreefsurfschool.com

[nz girl]

i think surf schools are all good for getting people into surfing who normally wouldn't do it. i've just started learning because i help promote the local surf school so they let me use all their boards for free, they are sweet guys, and do $20.00 two hour lessons every week for kids (sundays), girlsurf (also sunday) and a surfjam for anyone else keen to get out and have a dig on saturday nights, which is totally affordable, heaps of fun and besides you meet heaps of like minded individuals. i probably would never have given it a go without the confidence i got from having that initial lesson.

[em-perth wa]

yehhh i started surfing at a surf schoool- surfing wa, the guys down there at trigg are joy and so helpful
now im using a fibreglass hybrid RATHER than a foam board, but getting expert help for starters was good i rekon because it made me soo much more confident, i went down to surfers point previlly in the holidays, is anyone going down there for the salamon masters?
em x

[sinistapenguin]

Hi

I have never had a surfing lesson in my life and now I wish I had. When I started, there were only a few schools around, so I just bought a board and suit and 'jumped in'.

Surf schools will give you all the tips and tricks to get you started, but in the end, they can't actually teach you to surf. Every wave is different, every board is different, every beach is different, every person is different.

Even when you're in a school, once you hit the water, it's down to you.

I would however recommend it. Teaching yourself is fine, but it will take you longer to figure out the absolute basics and why waste time?

Cheers

Sinista