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The Foundation Surf Training Course (FST) has been created based on feedback from our Outdoor Activity, Surf Instructor and Lifeguard students. The course has been developed to build water confidence amongst those with less experience in the ocean, or those in need of a refresher.
As a result, the FST course includes:
Foundation Surf Training is for those looking to do the Intensive Surf Instructor Course who want more water time before starting the course. Or for anyone over the age of 16 who wants to boost their safety, confidence, surfing and swimming ability for recreational ocean activities. It will give you a headstart and a vital set of skills that you’ll apply everytime you go into the ocean. If you dream of being equipped and confident to go open water swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, stand up paddleboarding or kayaking independently, then this course is a great investment for you.
Through a combination of classroom and practical ocean sessions, you’ll develop a solid base of knowledge about surf theory, the beach environment, hazards, and rescue techniques that will help you excel in the ocean, whether you’re there for work or leisure.
Would you like to find out a bit more about us or one of our courses?
What’s covered in the Foundation Surf training?
Pre-requisites
Below is the course itinerary, showing how each day will be divided into ocean based and classroom based activities. Please note that the activities scheduled below are dependent on conditions and other variables, so should be used only as a guide.
DAY 1
In the ocean:
In the classroom:
DAY 2
In the ocean:
In the swimming pool:
In the classroom:
DAY 3
In the classroom:
In the ocean:
DAY 4
In the ocean:
In the classroom:
DAY 5
In the ocean:
In the classroom:
If you’re someone who’d like to use the ocean all year round, then guaranteed you’ll find yourself on un-lifeguarded beaches, and with not many other water users around. This can be a very peaceful, grounding and enjoyable experience, as long as you have the right knowledge and skills in your tool kit.
It’s important to know how to prepare for your water session, forecast conditions, check the tides and the wind, and understand how this information will translate to your experience on the beach and in the water.
If you dream of going surfing, feeling confident and comfortable, and even surfing in international locations in the future, without an instructor by your side, then this course will help you develop a valuable set of skills to apply to everyday life out in the waves. We all love spending time in the ocean, but conditions can change quickly, so it’s important you’re able to make dynamic decisions based on what you see and feel out in the water, and adapt or terminate your activity accordingly. Safety in the water is the number one priority. If you can be safe then there is unlimited fun there for the taking.
Still unsure? Take our 30 second quiz…
1. Do you know how to forecast and pick the best time and location for your activity on any given day?
2. Would you know what to do if you were caught in a rip?
3. Do you feel confident surfing in winter without the lifeguard presence on the beach?
4. Are you regularly catching green waves?
5. Would you feel comfortable being responsible for someone else’s safety in the water?
If you answered no to any of these questions above, then the Foundation Surf Training is a valuable set of skills you need to develop to stay safer, and have more fun in the ocean.
Got more questions? Perhaps you’re considering another training course and want to know whether the Foundation Surf Training will benefit you? We’ve answered a few of the commonly asked questions below. And if your question isn’t in here, check out our FAQs section.
The Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy graduates speak, and we listen; Foundation Surf Training has been developed directly from the feedback from previous students. This course is designed as an initial stage of preparation, to demystify both the surf coach qualification and lifeguarding assessments and explain the essential skills you’ll require for your qualification. It will give you a burst of focused tuition to kickstart your surfing, and help you towards getting your surf footage. We’ll answer any questions you have about the Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy courses, and give you a training plan to work on so that you’re prepared and confident for your assessments when the time comes.
The Foundation Surf Training is recommended for surfers and bodyboarders of all abilities, but is especially vocational for prospective Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy students who haven’t had much experience in the ocean or surfzone. For those who’ve surfed before, it’s a gentle introduction back into the classroom environment, and will be a pressure free way to get some water time, and refresh your surf skills.
We recommend the Foundation Surf Training as a bolt-on for Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy students. The Foundation course runs the week before the Outdoor Activity Instructor Course starts, so you’ll have time to build your confidence, improve your swim time, progress your surfing and hone your rescue skills before the actual assessments begin.
Lifeguarding and surf rescue expertise are the most vital skills to have if you work or play in the ocean, yet many people show up to the Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy knowing very little about what it takes to get a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard (NVBLQ) or Surf Coach Safety (SCS) qualification. The lifeguarding assessment will evaluate your fitness, swimming ability and surf skills, and put your physical, mental and emotional resilience to the test. There is a lot to learn, and a wide range of skills to perform during the assessment; the consensus amongst our graduates is that the Lifeguard week is the most challenging element of our courses. Foundation Surf Training will take the stress out of lifeguarding week by giving you an introduction to surf lifesaving, and help you prepare for your actual lifeguard assessment week which will come a few weeks later on.
I’m booked on to do the Intensive Surf Instructor Course. Is Foundation Surf Training for me?
The Intensive Surf Instructor Course graduates speak, and we listen; Foundation Surf Training has been developed directly from the feedback from previous students. This course is designed as an initial stage of preparation, to demystify both the surf coach qualification and lifeguarding assessments and explain the essential skills you’ll require for your qualification. It will give you a burst of focused tuition to kickstart your surfing, and help you towards getting your surf footage. We’ll answer any questions you have about the Intensive Surf Instructor Course, and give you a training plan to work on so that you’re prepared and confident for your assessments when the time comes.
There is nothing worse than feeling unprepared or being caught on the back foot, so if you’re someone who is new to surfing, or perhaps could do with a refresher, then the Foundation Surf Training will help prepare you. You’ll gain the required surf skills to start the course level with your peers, and have forward momentum and confidence so that you’re able to maximise your progression under the tutelage of Alan Stokes.
The surfing and lifeguarding modules are intense, with lots of ground to cover. For some students with little or no previous surfing or lifeguarding experience, the steep learning curve required is overwhelming. This foundation course is designed to give you a mental and physical headstart, providing both the knowledge that you’ll need and a training plan to develop the required practical skills. You’ll spend a lot of time in the surf zone which will help you familiarise with the environment, and give you an insight to what the Intensive Surf Instructor Course will be like.
We offer the Foundation Surf Training as a bolt-on for Intensive Surf Instructor Course students. The Foundation course runs several weeks before the Intensive Surf Instructor Course, so you’ll have time to build your confidence, improve your swim time, progress your surfing and hone your rescue skills before the actual assessments begin.
Lifeguarding and surf rescue expertise are the most vital skills to have if you work or play in the ocean, yet many people show up to the OAIA knowing very little about what it takes to get a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard (NVBLQ) or Surf Coach Safety (SCS) qualification. The lifeguarding assessment will evaluate your fitness, swimming ability and surf skills, and put your physical, mental and emotional resilience to the test. There is a lot to learn, and a wide range of skills to perform during the assessment; the consensus amongst our graduates is that the Lifeguard week is the most challenging element of our courses. Foundation Surf Training will take the stress out of lifeguarding week by giving you an introduction to surf lifesaving, and help you prepare for your actual lifeguard assessment week which will come a few weeks later on.
Lifeguarding and surf rescue expertise are the most vital skills to have if you work or play in the ocean, yet many candidates on lifeguarding courses know very little about what it takes to get a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard (NVBLQ) or Surf Coach Safety (SCS) qualification. The lifeguarding assessment will evaluate your fitness, swimming ability and surf skills, and put your physical, mental and emotional resilience to the test. There is a lot to learn, and a wide range of skills to perform during the assessment; it is incredibly demanding, and it’s a competitive field of work.
Foundation Surf Training will give you an introduction to surf lifesaving, and help you prepare for your actual lifeguard assessment week. There is nothing worse than feeling unprepared or being caught on the back foot, so if you’re someone who is new to surfing, or perhaps could do with a refresher, then the Foundation Surf Training will help you. You’ll gain the required surf skills to start the course level with your peers, and have forward momentum and confidence so that you’re able to maximise your progression.
Lifeguarding assessments are intense, with lots of ground to cover. For some students with little or no previous surfing or lifeguarding experience, the steep learning curve required is overwhelming. This foundation course is designed to give you a mental and physical headstart, providing both the knowledge that you’ll need and a training plan to develop the required practical skills. You’ll spend a lot of time in the surf zone which will help you familiarise with the environment, and give you an insight to what life as a beach lifeguard is like.
We recommend Foundation Surf Training as a preparation tool for those taking a stand alone lifeguarding assessment. It will give you time to build your confidence, improve your swim time, progress your surfing and hone your rescue skills before the actual assessments begin.
Foundation Surf Training will help you start the lifeguard course on the front foot, feeling confident, self-assured and positive.
26th February – 1st March 1st April – 5th April 16th September – 20th September
Newquay Activity CentreNewquay Activity Centre is located within walking distance to Towan Beach, Great Western Beach and Fistral Beach, as well as the bustling town centre itself. Our state-of-the-art HQ, has:
We will provide all of the necessary equipment you’ll need for the course.
If you’d like to purchase your own kit, then our knowledgeable team is always happy to offer advice on equipment before, during and after the course!
During the course we’re keen to support you in upskilling yourself, so we’ll allocate you use of our equipment during your spare time. If you want to improve your surfing,or rescue skills during the mornings or evenings, our equipment is available to be used.
This is an unusual privilege on a training course like this but we feel it will offer you an excellent opportunity to up-skill throughout the course. Please note this will need to be booked in with the centre for your required times.
To supplement our Foundation Surf Training, we have a couple of in-house accommodation options available to add on as an extra. We have two apartments, both within walking distance to the beach and both stylishly fitted out with all modern luxuries.
You will be in an apartment with fellow students from the course and we will do our best to place you with people of similar ages, backgrounds and interests. This will vary depending on course participants. You will be sharing a same-sex twin room.
Please note: the cost of accommodation is not included in the course price. Accommodation is charged at £250 for the duration of the course and is due 8 weeks prior to the course start date.
There is a £100 Security Deposit, made payable in cash on arrival. This will be held by the landlord until the final inspection, if there is no damage and the property is cleaned to the agreed standard it will be refunded.
There is also the advantage that we’ll hold a number of our classroom sessions in the living area of the Newquay Bay Apartment, as it’s a great spot for group discussions, video analysis and training. This is super handy for those living there; logistics couldn’t be easier, they can leave their laptop and notebooks at home, and it’s the quickest commute on record!
SUNSET VIEWS APARTMENT, PENTIRE, NEWQUAY
Our first apartment overlooks Pentire Headland and benefits from lots of natural light in a spacious living area. This two-bedroom property is perfectly located close to Fistral Beach and Newquay Town Centre; ideal for a post-lesson surf or a bite to eat in the evening. Both the Gannel Estuary and Crantock Beach are within a five-minute walk too, with the coastal path or main road being accessible from the apartment.
Our luxury apartment is located on the third floor with both elevator and staircase access. There is also a spacious, open-plan kitchen diner to enjoy home-made meals after a hard day of training. There is a juliet balcony in the kitchen that enjoys morning sunshine for alfresco breakfasts too. The dining room houses a large dinner table which is a great space for working or eating while enjoying ocean views out across Fistral Beach.
In the large lounge you will find a sofa-bed, flat-screen TV, plenty of space and a private south-facing balcony. This means you will benefit from sunshine all day alongside excellent opportunities to check the surf and catch some epic sunsets.
Each of the two bedrooms have a set of twin beds, a wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside table and reading light. One has an en-suite with two hand basins, a bath, shower and toilet. There is also a separate bathroom and WC. Both bedrooms have stunning sea views for that ultimate hint of luxury.
NEWQUAY BAY APARTMENT, THE HARBOUR, NEWQUAY
The second choice of accommodation is our Newquay Bay Apartment, a place where you really couldn’t get any closer to the action if you tried. This apartment is ideally located directly above the Newquay Activity Centre HQ, making it the perfect choice for those who like to snooze that alarm clock every once in a while!
Newquay Bay Apartment is a modern, quiet, two-bedroom property that benefits from brand new fixtures and fittings due to a complete refurbishment in 2021. There is a new and modern kitchen as well as a brand new bathroom. The apartment is just a two-minute walk to Newquay Harbour where you will find one of our favourite wild swimming spots and idyllic ocean views. In the opposite direction, but just as close, you’ll find Newquay Town Centre with an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants and surf shops.
Inside the property there is a large and spacious living room/diner, comprising a sofa bed and brand new 52” TV. There is also a sizable dining table that lends itself nicely to group meals. Alternatively, it can double up as a large work or study space to go over your course notes in the evening. During the course we may transform the living room into a lush workspace to deliver some relaxed lessons in a chilled atmosphere.
The two bedrooms are both twin rooms with zip-link beds; these can be connected together if you’re after a private double room or you’re staying with a partner. Both rooms have wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables and reading lights.
The living room space benefits from four large windows that face out across Towan, Great Western and beyond – all the way to Watergate Bay on a clear day! There is also a large south-facing courtyard to the rear of the property, perfect for catching some rays or hanging wetsuits out to dry.
You can view more images of our accommodation.
You will be in an apartment with fellow students from the course and we will do our best to place you with people of similar ages, backgrounds and interests. This will vary depending on course participants. You will be sharing a same-sex twin room.
SPLIT THE COST OF YOUR COURSE INTO EASY PAYMENTS!
When booking one of our courses the are four easy options for payment:
1. PAY IN FULL – Pay the full amount in one, that’s it, you’re done!
2. 50/50 – Pay 50% deposit and the remaining 50% at an agreed date
3. MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN – Pay an initial holding fee (of as little as £100 and we can then set up monthly payments to come out on the 1st of each month.
We can’t guarantee your place until we have received a payment from you. 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.
Once you have made a payment, you’ll then be sent a confirmation email with booking details on. Full Payment must be received 12 weeks prior to the course start date.
With Foundation Surf Training under your belt, the world is your oyster. You will be equipped and confident to go open water swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, stand up paddleboarding or kayaking independently. The ocean will be your playground, and you’ll have the knowledge and skills to go out and enjoy it.
Further training is available for those who want to keep building on their ocean skills. If you get a taste for outdoor life, then why not consider a course with the Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy. You can kiss goodbye to your office job and mundane 9-5; and say hello to the ocean. The ultimate office and classroom, it’s got to be the most inspiring and worthwhile environment to invest your time and energy.
When booking one of our courses there are three easy options for payment:
1. PAY IN FULL – Pay the full amount in one, that’s it, you’re done! ⠀⠀
2. 50/50 – Pay 50% deposit and the remaining 50% at an agreed date⠀⠀
3. MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN – Pay an initial holding fee (of as little as £100 and we can then set up monthly payments to come out on the 1st of each month.
We can’t guarantee your place until we have received a payment from you. 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.
Once you have made a payment, you’ll then be sent a confirmation email with booking details on. Full Payment must be received 12 weeks prior to the course start date
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 none returnable holding fee. This can be as little as £250 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 guests arrive solo and leave with friends for life.
As you can imagine you will be learning lots of technical skills from our team. Some are harder than others and we think surfing may be the most difficult to learn from scratch. However, we have proved this to be achievable for first-time surfers during the course. If you don’t pass the surfing skills within course time you have a further 10 months to make the grade.
If you think you may benefit from a few extra sessions before or during the course, please check out our surf lessons and get in touch, we will discuss how this works. Please bear this in mind for any other technical skill that you think could need improvement.
The same applies to other disciplines, such as Paddlesports. It’s not a problem if you’ve never SUP’ed Kayaked or Canoed before. We’ve got plenty of time to perfect your skills, and if you don’t think you’re quite ready for your assessment our team will come up with a pathway to get you there and support you along your journey.
If you think you may benefit from a few extra sessions before or during the course, please check out our surf lessons and get in touch, we will discuss how this works. Please bear this in mind for any other technical skill that you think could need improvement.
To work at Newquay Activity Centre as a surf instructor, you need to gain an SLSGB Surf Coach Safety and Rescue Award. In order to complete this award, you need to be able to swim 200m in under 5 minutes. This is quite achievable for most standards of swimmers. Please note: at many activity centres you do not need this qualification in order to deliver kayaking, coasteering or stand up paddleboarding sessions.
To help you achieve the right swimming standard, there will be both sea and pool sessions built into the course. We also strongly advise you to train in the swimming pool prior to the course.
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 on a week by week basis if you won’t be available outside the hours of 09:00- 16:00.
We try our utmost to make our instructor courses enjoyable and informative. We hope that our students want to gain as much knowledge as possible during this time of learning and that hopefully flexibility will come from the passion to learn. You will get out of this course whatever you put into it and we appreciate your enthusiasm for making the most of the available resources.
Due to the nature of the job we can appreciate there’s some pretty specialist equipment that not everybody will own. If you already have some of your own equipment (such as a wetsuit, buoyancy aid, helmet etc) we recommend bringing it with you to use on the course. However, don’t worry if this is all totally new to you; we’ll help you to order the best equipment at the best price.
We can also appreciate that costs add up and that you may need to delay investing in your equipment until a little later on. If this is the case, our helpful instructors will be able to sign over Newquay Activity Centre equipment for you to borrow during the course. This is to be kept safe and taken care of until the time comes to return it. Any loss or damage to the kit will be charged accordingly.
Leading up to the end of the course and beyond, we do advise that students begin building their own selection of good quality outdoor gear appropriate for professional use. If you are well equipped to start work straight away you will feel more comfortable and confident in your ability. In addition, we have close links with some of the top outdoor equipment brands with pro equipment deals available to trainees.
Our HQ is situated within walking distance to many of the sites 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. We are also 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 (please note our Covid guidelines). This helps to lower our carbon footprint and to split the cost of fuel. If you are happy to take fellow students in your vehicle then please let our instructors know. Travelling won’t be necessary every day but widening our activity net on the odd day will help to expose you to new surroundings and landscapes.
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.
Yes, please see the accommodation tab for more information and pictures of the accommodation.
We will do our best to place you with people of similar ages, backgrounds and interests. This will vary depending on course participants. You will be sharing a same-sex twin room.
There will generally be ratios of 1:8 (instructor to pupil) for all activity training. However, theory classes may have larger ratios. You’ll often be broken down into smaller groups and all learning will observe the correct social distancing guidelines.
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. Please email us to arrange a time and we’ll contact you. Or you can call us on 01637 879571
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.
Cancellation charges for the Outdoor Activity Instructor Academy, courses and modules are payable as follows:
Over 12 weeks – deposit only (30% of total cost)
36 days to 12 weeks – 50% of total cost
21-35 days – 75% of total cost
Under 20 days – 100% of total cost
Cancellation may fall under the terms and conditions of your holiday insurance policy and you may be able to claim.
Find out more under our terms and conditions.
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
Would you like to find out a bit more about us or one of our courses?
26th February – 1st March 1st April – 5th April 16th September – 20th September
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