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Foundation SurfTraining

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A 5 day course to boost water confidence and surf skills. Learn to independently surf, swim and get a kick-start on ocean safety. Perfect as a precursor to our Intensive Surf Instructor Course or to further their ocean experience and knowledge.

Why choose this course?

In just five days you will gain the confidence and knowledge to embark on ocean activities independently. This course develops valuable skills for a life in the waves and offers the ultimate taster of the outdoor activity industry. You’ll become familiar with the environment, and get a head start on building your surfing skills on a course designed to demystify both the surf coach qualification and lifeguarding assessments. The perfect introduction to further training courses.

What to expect

This five day course offers a combination of ocean based practical sessions and classroom based theory sessions. You will develop a solid base of knowledge on surf theory, the beach environment, hazards, and rescue techniques to boost your skills and confidence in the ocean. Whether you’re looking for a refresher, a foundation for further training or just for fun, this course is for you!

Who’s this course for?

Anyone dreaming of surfing confidently and comfortably in the UK or on beaches worldwide, without needing an instructor by their side. Developed alongside the Intensive Surf Instructor and Outdoor Instructor Academy courses, this experience offers a foundation of training for those who are interested in or are about to start a career in the outdoor instructor industry.

What level am I?

Why choose us?

Women and Waves are partnered with Newquay Activity Centre, who have been delivering training courses since 2001. They have a wealth of facilities and equipment and their HQ is walking distance to Towan, Great Western and Fistral Beaches, as well as the bustling town centre. As the leading training provider of instructor courses in Cornwall, this could be the start of your progression pathway onto an instructor training course. This means we can get to know you, build a relationship, and support you as best we can throughout your learning journey.

When to come?

Newquay is our home and we couldn’t be more proud to welcome students to this relaxed and friendly surf town. Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn, Newquay is a thriving hub with a ton of opportunities. We’re lucky to have a string of golden beaches that stretch up and down the coastline, with a variety of waves at all times of the year. The course runs a week ahead of both our Intensive Surf Instructor and Outdoor Instructor courses offering the time and flexibility to pick a date that works for you.

Quick facts

Water Temp

10°C

Climate

8 - 32°C

Wave Types

Beach breaks

Language

English

Why choose us

This Foundation Surf Training course was designed as an initial stage of preparation, to demystify both the surf coach qualification and lifeguarding assessments. It will give you a burst of focused tuition to kickstart your surfing. It’s recommended for surfers and bodyboarders of all abilities who want to improve and build confidence but is especially useful for prospective Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy or Intensive Surf Instructor students who haven’t had much experience in the ocean or surf zone.

We offer a course developed with over 20 years of teaching experience behind it and a team of expert instructors. We are dedicated to helping you become the best independent surfer you can be, and prepare you for the future of your surfing journey. Whether that’s through further training or on one of our surfing trips. The support you receive from us doesn’t end when your course does, and you will always be a part of our surfing tribe. 

Itinerary

Please note, sometimes we need to be flexible as some activities will be weather and condition dependent – but don’t worry, we’ll always do our very best to ensure you get the very best out of the trip! All our surf days and suggested activities are completely optional – you can enjoy as much or as little as you desire. This is not a boot camp!

Day One

Diving straight in with a meet and greet plus the introductions of staff and students and what to expect for the week. After lunch, diving straight into the ocean with introductions to sea swimming techniques, swim fins and body surfing.

Day Two

Starting in the swimming pool with surf coaching to improve your technique and testing out your timed swim to assess your current level. Later on there will be a classroom theory session with an intro to surf theory and basic life support, and a sea session for surf coaching to set some personalised goals.

Day three

An introduction to the beach environment and surfing video analysis in the classroom. Followed by an ocean session on efficiency in the surf zone, lifeguarding techniques, porpoise diving and how to attack the water.

Day four

Surf coaching in the water with focused tuition to reach the goals set at the beginning of the week, followed by continued surf theory and video analysis.

Day five

Final day of surf coaching and tuition reviewing your goals and setting up personal development plans for future improvements.

Travel

Newquay is a 15-minute drive from the A30, which links to the M5. Our main centre is based on Fore Street, near Towan Beach. We’ll send you detailed information before your arrival, including parking instructions and maps. Both our accommodation options are within walking distance to Fistral Beach and Newquay Bay, the town centre and many local supermarkets.

Newquay Railway Station is located in the town centre, a short walk from the beaches, harbour centre and accommodation.

Newquay town centre is a 20-minute drive from Newquay Airport. Flights arrive in Newquay Airport from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow plus multiple European cities.

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Dates and prices

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FAQs

You can book and pay online through the website by choosing the course date you would like to book. There are options to pay in full on booking or pay in instalments (Please get in touch for further details). Please note that we cannot guarantee your place until we have received a payment from you. Once you have made a payment, you receive a confirmation email with all the details.

Due to this course being in high demand, we have very limited availability. However, we can hold your space for 24 hours without payment. To hold the place for more than 24 hours we require a non returnable holding fee. This can be as little as £100 and will be deducted from your final payment for the course.

Yes definitely! We pride ourselves on being super welcoming and friendly. Most of our students arrive solo and leave with friends for life.

Not at all, this course is aimed at helping you build a foundation in surfing and beach safety, so we will help you to build your skills from the ground up.

You don’t need to be a strong swimmer to enrol on this course but we do recommend that you can swim at least 100m in the pool and sea. During this course we will advise you on what is required for you to achieve the standards for the SLSGB Surf Coach Safety Awad and NVBLQ.

Start time: 09:00 – Finish time: 16:00. Please note that these times are approximate and will be subject to change. For example, we may need to start earlier to catch a tide or we may finish later due to sessions overrunning. We will inform you about this when possible so you can plan ahead. Please let us know if you won’t be available outside the hours of 09:00- 16:00.

No, while you can  bring your own equipment if you have it you are more than welcome to borrow kit and equipment from the centre during your course. We’ll help you pick out the best equipment if you’re looking to get your own.

The course HQ is situated within walking distance to many of the beaches we will be using throughout the course. We are located in Newquay town centre with lots of paid and unpaid parking options close to us, just a short walk to both Towan and Fistral beaches, with many surf shops and cafés nearby.

On some days it will be necessary to venture further afield to make use of the conditions and the environment. On these days we encourage our students to car share as much as possible. This helps to lower our carbon footprint and to split the cost of fuel. 

Our Newquay Activity Centre van will be fully loaded to supply these trips with the equipment they need. However, if you are struggling for space in your vehicle please let us know and it may be possible to arrange something in advance.

There will generally be a ratio of 1:8 (instructor to pupil) for all practical training. However, theory classes may have larger ratios, and you may be broken down into smaller groups.

You must be over 18 to join the course. If you are 65 or over, or under 18 we’d love to chat to you about the course before you book. 

If you can’t join the course, please let us know as soon as possible via email. Your cancellation notice will start from the date we receive it. Find full details by reading the full terms and conditions. Cancellation charges for courses are payable as follows:

  • Over 12 weeks – 33% of total course cost
  • 36 days to 12 weeks – 50% of total course cost
  • 21-35 days – 75% of total course cost
  • Under 20 days – 100% of total course cost

We understand that plans change. If you are looking to change courses please speak to one of our team. Depending on how close the course start day is this may incur an admin fee.

Absolutely! Newquay is a thriving town filled with coffee shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. There are also multiple large supermarkets within walking distance.

Newquay is our home and we couldn’t be more proud to welcome course students to this relaxed and friendly surf town. It’s a place filled with independent retailers, artisan coffee shops, high-end eateries and epic beaches. There are surf shops to stock supplies and welcoming pubs for well-earned rests.

Cornwall’s climate is unique and independent from the rest of the UK. We enjoy the warmest sea and air temperatures in the country with a relatively mild climate year-round. This means we are able to deliver our course year-round; spring, summer, autumn or winter.