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 Farmdog Surf School Lesson Overview Learn to surf on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Farmdog Surf School. We are located in Nags Head based in Outer Banks Boarding Company. Get Directions>>>
A Farmdog Surf School private surf lesson is going to last two hours. The 8 AM lesson will meet at Outer Banks Boarding Company , Click here for directions, unless prior arrangements have been made. The 10 AM lesson will either be at Outer Banks Boarding Company or a designated location, agreed on in advance. After meeting at the designated location, the first part of the lesson will be handling the liability forms and payment. If you want to save a few minutes at the start of the lesson, please fill out the liability form in advance, it can be downloaded here on this form. You can also prepay for the lesson in advance here (insert link to online store). If the lesson is cancelled due to weather or surf conditions, you are entitled to a 100% refund. Each person that is taking the course needs to have the form filled out and signed. If you are under 18, you and your parent or legal guardian must fill out the form. This does not mean that some friend of your parent’s can fill out the form. The form is available online, and anyone can download a copy, so it should be no problem to arrange for your parent or guardian to sign the proper form. After you are all signed up, we will caravan to the designated lesson spot. Once there, we do a short warm up to get you loosened up and ready to surf. At this point, we would ask all participants to remove any jewelry or sunglasses or anything that they do not want to get wet or lost in the ocean. If the ocean can take it off of you, it will. Also, if conditions call for it, we will also assist everyone in putting on a wetsuit. Next, we will spend a short time on the beach learning the fundamentals of surfing safety, lingo, and etiquette. There is some safety information and a few rules to go over to ensure a safe and fun lesson. The rules are the same rules that an avid surfer would learn over time through trial and error, such as protecting yourself after a “wipeout”. Also, we would talk about how to safely interact with other ocean and beach users, such as other surfers, swimmers, waders and fisherman. If it’s a large lesson, then there is a need to help the students avoid interfering with one another. We will get acquainted with the surfboard and the leash, and the lingo relating to the surfboard and the leash. I feel it’s really important for the student to have the same vocabulary as the instructor. Following this, we will focus on some paddling and popping up practice on the beach. The instructors will work individually with each participant to ensure that everyone has an understanding of the process involved in standing up on a surfboard. Here is a video clip of a pop up, if you want a head start! After a few minutes of discussion, then we need to determine the students stance orientation, and do a few “pop ups” on the beach. Once the students have gotten a basic understanding of the mechanics of standing up, we turn our attention back to the ocean where we watch a few waves roll in. I do this for two reasons. One, the student can get an idea of the size of the surf from the front, because once they are laying down on their boards, their perspective changes drastically, and the waves look much, much bigger than they are. The other reason for assessing the waves is to give the students an idea of the frequency of the waves Before we enter the water, the instructors will show you the best ways to handle your surfboard in the “soup”, and then we will head “outside” past the “impact zone”. Once everyone is outside, the instructors will organize a little paddle course for the participants to get everyone comfortable laying and paddling on their boards. After a little paddle practice, we will get down to the serious business of catching some waves! Once outside, we will help the students maneuver their boards into proper positioning, and wave catching can begin in earnest. If there’s a group, there will be other instructors to help break the group into smaller groups to ensure plenty of surfing for everyone. While waiting for waves, we will frequently discuss and point out how waves break, what waves to look for, what angles to take while paddling, anything that can be helpful for a newcomer to gain some insight into the act of surfing. The first few attempts we usually give significant assistance to getting the student into the waves, but after a few tries, the student usually starts progressing to the point where they need very little assistance with the wave catching part. The hard part, as will always be the case, is judging the waves and positioning oneself properly to successfully surf. This takes a lifetime of surfing! Even if the student doesn’t stand up on a wave, just being in the ocean is a hugely rewarding activity. It is not unusual to see dolphins, pelicans, rays and near shore fish swimming or jumping playfully in the ocean. It is a great experience for young and old, and the instructors have a great time too!
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