By sjclarke

Community

Wellington Surf Lessons is committed to being a positive force in the local community through our environmental and community initiatives.

We want to give back to the local community that continually supports us as well as encourage those around us to help look after the beach!

Leaving a positive impact in people’s lives through our passion for surfing and the ocean is such an amazing achievement.

COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Our goal is to provide fun forfiling jobs, within the local community for instructors aged 16 and older. Our instructor training programs are aimed at giving our employees for confidence in how to teach and run surf classes.

We offer a range of surf lessons at Lyall Bay, Kapiti Coast and Castlepoint. Our staff are highly motivated, fun loving people who are passionate about surf coaching and improving every surfer out in the water. Some of our most popular classes include kids holiday programs, women's programs, surfskate classes and surf camps.

We are currently looking for new surf instructors for the upcoming surf season, so don't miss out on this awesome opportunity!

BEACH CLEAN UPS

Plastic pollution is killing wildlife, devastating oceans and threatening the health of our planet. Plastic represents a disconnection. It’s a material designed to last forever that we often use only once. Poorly managed plastic leaks into the sea. The ocean is downhill from everywhere.

Through education that inspires participation, Take 3 is building a global movement of people who are connected to the planet. (take3.org/)

Our staff have made a commitment to pick up 3 x pieces of rubbish each time they visit the beach in an effort to keep New Zealand’s beaches a little bit cleaner. We also aim to organise regular beach cleanups with staff, customers and locals involved.

PROTECT THE DUNES

HALBERG FOUNDATION

Aotearoa Surf were honoured to work with @makeawishnz to make Maria’s dream of learning to surf with her girl friends come true! Make A Wish NZ makes dream comes true for young people in NZ with critical illness, helping youth in need to realise a wish – which helps to inspire at a time they need it the most.

It was incredibly inspiring to watch Maria and her friends having a ball out in the water with the Aotearoa Surf team.  Maria was full of life, had an AMAZING bounce in her pop up, straight to who feet and defiently won the award for surfer of the day! Thanks so much for coming Maria!

Leaving a positive impact in people’s lives through our passion for surfing and the ocean is such an amazing achievement.  As a part of giving back, we aspire to continue helping those within the community.

Our ‘Surfing for Good’ program aims at leaving behind a positive impact on people, communities, our environment and the world.  If you have a cause that we can help with or know a person or group who you think we can support, please get in touch and together, lets make the world a better place.

CHILDREN'S DAY - FREE, ANNUAL ‘HAVE A GO’ SURF DAYS!

Wellington Surf Lessons – bringing youth to the sport of surfing!

Our annual ‘Have A Go Surf Day’ is a safe, easy & fun ‘learn to surf’ day for all levels of surfers. We will have surfing, activities prizes and giveaways from Aotearoa Surf & our sponsors and the best part? It’s completely FREE!

Aotearoa Surf aims to introduce the excitement and fun of surfing to youth throughout New Zealand every year through this FREE event. There is no better way to showcase this than to give our future generations the opportunity to try surfing when they are young, giving them ocean confidence and awareness, a place to make new friends as well as a super fun day out in the ocean!

Our ‘Have A Go Surf Day is for kids and youth (4-16 years old) who may be new to surfing, beginners, intermediate surfers and even those that have never surfed before!

This is an ongoing effort that involves educating and encouraging every guest that surfs or stays with Aotearoa Surf to do their part for the environment.

By sjclarke

Summer is here: Surf & BBQ Party New Years Eve!

If you are looking for something super fun to do on New Years Eve check out our fun surf & BBQ day!

EVENT INFO:
Our day begins by going to the beach for an awesome 2 hour surf session. After the surf everyone is invited to our after surf kiwi barbecue and drinks / live music with local kiwi surfers. Located at either one of our beautiful local beaches / one of Wellingtons most amazing ocean viewing spots on Karaka Bay hill with stunning sea views.

For those wanting to explore the Wellington night life on New Years Eve in a group will be hitting Wellingtons most popular bars and also watching the fire works together!

Barbecue $10 per person – Includes food and beverages
Surf Lessons $75 each for x2 hours
Free surf session – Just bring your own board and wetsuit and have fun in a group!

Join through our facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1945108525518209/

By sjclarke

Catching That First Wave!

We recommend to begin with, rather than paddling straight out the back into the line up, it’s best to catch a few broken whitewater waves in shallower water. You should have your ideal trim/paddling position at this stage, so have your board pointing directly towards the beach and as the whitewater approaches paddle towards shore. The wave should pick you up and push you forward which is an unmistakable feeling, however if your board pearls or nosedives you have set off positioned too far forward on the board, likewise if the wave passes under you are positioned too far back on the board.

It’s fun to catch and ride a few to the beach whilst still laying down to get the feeling of the wave, after that it’s time to stand up which we will go onto in the next section. Once you have the hang of catching white water it’s time to use those paddling skills and get out into the lineup to catch the unbroken waves which is what surfing is all about. Once in the lineup, past where the waves are breaking, sit up and straddle your board (you might want to practice the art of sitting on your board as it takes a little time to find your balance). Always face out to sea until you are ready to catch a wave. Practice swinging the nose of the board left or right so that you can easily turn around to catch an oncoming wave. Pick a wave that has not broken and be sure to sit far enough out among the sloping swells, not where the waves are standing up straight.

As a wave approaches, turn the nose of your board toward the beach, lay down and begin paddling. As you feel the wave lift you and your board, paddle as hard as you can and lean your weight forward. The natural tendency is to lean back to keep the nose from going under water, but that will only slow your momentum which in not conducive to wave-catching.

Lean forward but raise your chest so that your weight is just above the centre of the board. You should now be sliding down into the trough of the wave. The first phase of surfing will entail that you wait until you are in the flat water in front of the wave before you stand up. However, the ideal is to begin standing just as you feel the pull of the wave. Now you are ready to work on standing.

If you would like to speed up the process of learning to surf we offer a full range of lessons at Wellington Surf Lessons from beginner to advance

www.wellingtonsurflessons.co.nz

By sjclarke

How to stand up on a surf board

Standing up on a surfboard can look very easy but once you place that surfboard on a moving, pitching, surge of swirling water where you must simultaneously leap from a prone position while weighting and unweighting left, right, front, and back just to keep from diving face forward, you’ll soon realise a lot of practice will be needed! The place to start to stand is on the beach. Firstly you will need to know which foot will feel most natural to you in the forward position. The left foot forward is called natural stance and the right foot forward is a goofy foot stance. The way to find out which way you swing (!) is to stand up straight, close your eyes and ask a friend to gently nudge you forward, the foot that goes out first to steady yourself is your leading foot!

The motion from prone to standing is called the pop-up, which is basically a quick push up to your feet. Lie the board on the sand (watch the fins) and do a push-up, once your arms are at full extension, pull both knees toward your stomach and hop to your feet. If you practice this regularly it will help when in the water.

The next step is to get out there and do it. It will be best to start in the whitewater:

Step 1—Paddle for a wave and just as you feel the momentum of the surfboard flow faster than your paddling speed, you are ready to hop up.

Step 2—With your hands firmly grasping each rail push up quickly.

Step 3—Simultaneously, extend your arms completely and pull your knees quickly up to your chest. Be sure to keep your weight centred with just a little slant forward.

Step 4—Place your feet firmly on your board, one foot near the tail and one foot just above the midpoint of the board.

Step 5—Don’t stand up completely erect. Keep a low centre of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the midpoint of the board. Keep your arms out, your eyes looking forward and balance.

By sjclarke

Tips for safe surfing in the oceans

Surfing is a blast most times, however we often are quick to dismiss the danger involved – most likely because its so addictive, so we tend to not care. Every year surfers lose their lives, and while this is sometimes inevitable, understanding the waves, weather conditions, and your own fitness and ability levels can make all the difference to your safety. So before you paddle out, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your survival.
Maintain Your Surfing Fitness

​If you’re like most surfers, just paddling out a few times a week will keep you fit enough, or so you think. Going one step further and training while not in the water will not only improve your surfing, but help you keep calm in dangerous situations

Always stretch before you head out so your muscles can warm up and if you’re doing regular fitness training, an all-round workout including cardiovascular, weights, balance training and stretching, this will give you the best endurance in the water.

Cardiovascular training and fitness are what you should be focusing on when not in the water.
Know The Area

Each break is different and knowing what to expect before you paddle out is going to give you a huge advantage.

If you’re new to the area, ask other surfers what the conditions are like. Are there rocks or a shallow reef lurking below that aren’t visible from the surface? Are there strong rips that will funnel you out to sea? Know the tides and how this affects the breaks (and your ability to get back to shore).

Whats normal ocean activity at your home break WILL NOT be the same when surfing overseas. If you’ve ever been surfing in Indonesia when the surf transforms from a leisurely 3ft to a thick 8-10ft reef draining slab within 20 minutes, you’ll realize the importance of this point.

Before you jump in:

Look at other surfers in the line-up to check if they are drifting, which way and how fast.

Watch for where the waves are breaking most consistently, and where they are closing out.

Count the number of waves in each set, and the time in between sets. This tip alone could save you LOTS of energy.

Study The Weather

Take the time to understand the weather and how this affects not only the ocean but your ability to enjoy it. Even slight changes in wind and tides can transform surfable breaks into a torturous mess, and drifting currents can drag you halfway down the coast before you know it.

Always keep an eye on the sky and if you see threatening weather moving in, consider getting out of the water. Remember that the ocean is a wildly powerful force that can unleash its full potential at any time.