Bodyboarding

We are the World’s first and most developed bodyboarding school, headed up by British bodyboarding Team Coach and National Champion, Rob Barber. With over 30 years experience and a professional bodyboarding career of international competition under his belt, Rob has built a school dedicated to delivering expert instruction guaranteed to build your skills and share the stoke! Lessons from our Activity Centre in Newquay are pitched at a level suited to your ability, whether you’re a complete novice who has never been in the sea before or a professional standard rider. Our instructors are all trained lifeguards and qualified coaches with years of coaching experience to all ages and capabilities. The beauty of this sport is that whatever your ability, you are guaranteed to catch fun waves and our lesson options include daily sessions, bodyboard surfari weekend courses and international holidays in tropical climates!

• Beach and sea safety skills and knowledge
• The role of patrolling lifeguards on the beach
• A little about the equipment, for example names and sizing
• Body position on the board
• How to ride left and right
• Different moves to perform, including cutbacks, barrel rolls etc.
• How to use bodyboard fins
• How to duck dive
• What to look for when you check the surf

If you catch the bodyboarding bug and want to improve your skills, check out our intensive coaching alongside likeminded people at one of our bodyboarding coaching weekends! Check out our online how-to guides here!

• How to launch a prone air
• How to nail a reverse spin
• How to do an air roll spin
• How to pull an air reverse
• How to launch a sick barrel
• How to paddle for a wave
• How to duck dive
• How to ride a barrel
• How to bottom turn
• How to hit the lip
• How to pull a three sixty on a bodyboard
• How to bust an invert
• How to cut back
• How to drop knee on a bodyboard
• Secrets of an easy paddle out
• How to scoop on a bodyboard
• How to catch a wave easily

Head bodyboarding instructor, Brendan Moore tells us why he loves it so much! “To bodyboard at the highest level demands a great degree of skill and fitness, but at a beginner stage it’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to get used to riding waves. The sensation created by being close to the water is amazing, you’re in control and the fins help you quickly pick up speed to catch loads of waves.”

Among other skills, we teach the jump launch technique which allows you to catch waves from waist depth water. There is no need to go any deeper unless you want to progress to riding green, unbroken waves using fins.

As Trip Advisor’s Number One provider of outdoor adventure activities in Newquay, our Activity Centre is located just 500m from the UK’s most famous surfing destination and the Sunday Times’ No.1 beach for activities, Fistral Beach. Depending on the weather and swell conditions at Fistral Beach, we also run Bodyboarding lessons on the beaches in Newquay Bay just a few minutes walk from our centre on Fore Street.

Flags and signs On patrolled beaches, RNLI lifeguards designate the safest areas to bodyboard with red and yellow flags. We willbodyboard between these flags; they indicate the lifeguarded area for bathing and bodyboarding. Black and white flags indicate the safest place for surfers and hard craft, like kayaks. Having separate areas means we won’t be sharing waves with those using larger, more dangerous equipment so there are no worries about collisions.

No, although we ask that everybody who takes part in our bodyboard experiences can swim a minimum of 50 metres. Let us know if this will be difficult for you and we can advise on how we can facilitate your abilities best. Our lessons can be tailored so that your feet never need to leave the ground except when you’re riding a wave!

Yes! We run private family bodyboarding lessons tailored specifically to your group’s ages, abilities and numbers.

Bodyboarding is a year round activity, all you need is the right equipment and knowledge about the ocean conditions! Winter’s a great time to catch big swells. Check out our bodyboarding vouchers as an epic Christmas gift! At Newquay Activity Centre, we organise our bodyboarding lessons around swell conditions and the tide to ensure you get to ride the best quality waves every time.

Every bodyboard lesson is two hours long. After arriving at the centre, you’ll be provided with the equipment and the two hours will begin when you are ready to hit the beach! If you’d like to stay down at the beach after your two-hour lesson for the remainder of the day, you can book a Bodyboard Lesson & Hire and keep hold of the gear. We also offer hire of all our equipment. Check out our website for prices.

You will be provided with professional standard equipment when you arrive at Newquay Activity Centre, suitable for all abilities from beginner to professional levels. You will get:

• Wetsuit – You’ll be given a full body neoprene suit designed to prevent chill whilst submerged in water.
• Bodyboard with leash– We’ll provide you with a board to match your height, weight and ability.
• Fins
• Fin socks- Neoprene socks to prevent rubbing from the fin straps

  For anyone looking to purchase their own gear we can offer  15% discount from the Rip Curl store in Newquay.

All our Instructors are fully qualified Beach and Surf Safety Lifeguards and trailblazing bodyboard instructors. They’ve undertaken extensive First Aid training and we deliver regular in-house training to our staff so they have experience in all weather and ocean conditions. Every instructor must have years of personal experience in the water and we also work in close partnership with the RNLI presence on every beach to ensure your safety in and out of the water.

All you need to bring is your swimwear and a towel. We will provide you with everything else!

Please arrive at the centre at the start time of your session. This can be found on you booking confirmation email. There is no parking outside the centre so please allow plenty of time to park and walk down to our centre on Fore Street. Once there your instructor will welcome you.

If you have any medical needs, injuries or special requirements, just give us a ring and we can talk through how best we can cater for your needs during your bodyboarding experience!

From changing room to water’s edge is a 5-minute walk! You’ll make your way down to the beach as a group after changing in our centre.

Lockers are available at the centre free of charge to ensure any valuables are safely stowed away whilst you’re down on the beach. There are also storage compartments available for the rest of your gear including clothes and shoes. Please note that any items are left at the guest’s own risk.

The minimum age limit for our group activities is 8 years old. However, we offer private sessions for every activity so no one has to miss out on bodyboarding! All our instructors have years of experience working with children of all ages. We also offer family packages for every activity, and tailor each session to you and your child’s requirements. Check out the options here.

Our cancellation policy is outlined in our terms and conditions. If cancellation occurs 4 weeks or more from the activity’s start date then a full refund will be issued. If the session is cancelled 2-3 weeks before start date then a 50% refund will be given. Unfortunately if the cancellation occurs less than 2 weeks to the activity’s start time then no refund can be issued. If the booking is changed more than 21 days prior to the Experience we will make every effort to change the requested booking. Less than 21 days prior to the start, no changes can be made.

We’re not afraid of some wind and rain, but Mother Nature occasionally intervenes and makes it impossible to run a safe session. In the unlikely event that this should happen, we would endeavour to change the date of your session or offer an alternative solution. If this were still impossible then a voucher would be issued for the value of the activity.

All our sessions are fully insured and are covered in the price of the activity.

Yes! Check out our prices page for more information. We also do discounts for military groups, schools and families.

We strongly advise against wearing glasses in the surf in case they fall off! However, you will be able to wear them during the instruction part of the lesson on the sand. They can then be stored with our first aid kits on the beach whilst you’re practicing in the water. We recommend disposable contact lenses wherever possible.

Yes! We ALWAYS advise that you slap on good slather of factor 30-50 water-resistant sun cream before taking part in one of our activities. You can also use a bit of zinc for extra protection.

Yes, you can book directly online or you can give us a ring and we can take payment directly over the phone. CALL NOW on 01637 877722 and try one of the UK’s best coastal activities with Trip Advisor’s number one provider, Newquay Activity Centre! Our lines are open from 8:00am until 10:00pm.