You are sitting out the back, waiting for your next wave. A set starts to roll in and you pick what wave you want… here it comes.. are you ready? Quick you need to turn your board around and get in the right position to catch it. But hmmmm how do I quickly turn my board around?
In our third edition of our tutorial series, Senior Instructor Jared takes us through the easiest way to turn your board around!
Click play on the photo to see how!
Duck Diving… what is a duck dive?
A duck dive is a technique used by surfers to sink their boards underwater to duck under the breaking wave, allowing it to roll over them.
This is a skill that will take a little while to get a hold of, so in our 2nd edition of our Tutorial series, our Senior Instructor Justin teaches us how.
Just press the play button on the video to see how.
Welcome to our Tutorial Series!
One of the best things about surfing is you can always improve! So we are going to help you on that journey with our series of helpful informative videos.
Our first is ‘The Eskimo Roll’
The Eskimo roll is flipping your board upside down with you on it, allowing the wave to roll over you. Sounds easy, but its a little bit trickier than you expect. Press play on the photo and our instructor Brad will show you how!
The 8th March 2022 was International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than get into the surf at Bondi Beach.
75 local women joined the crew from Lets Go Surfing led by surf school pioneer Brenda Miley to have some fun in the surf and raise money for women in need.
The theme this year was #breakthebias, Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
At 5:45am the morning started along with the rain, but that didn’t stop a great bunch of women coming together to celebrate.
The morning was filled with enjoying some time in the water, followed by light breakfast refreshments hosted by Brenda Miley.
This program was proudly supported by Surfing NSW, NSW Government, ROXY and SDS.
We also raised $2000 for a wonderful local not for profit organisation WEAVE’s Women and Children’s Centre whose aim is to support women and children to lead safe, healthy and successful lives free from domestic violence.
We had so much fun and cannot wait for next year’s event.
It’s lockdown… you cannot go to the shops (no one can) so what do you do? Jump online of course!
But where do you buy from? Are all of these websites legit? How do I know I am getting what I actually want? Don’t despair the friendly local LGS team is here to help!
Something that makes LGS stand out from the rest is our personal service! Even though our retail store is closed, our staff are still on hand to answer your calls, emails and DM’s to help you make the right purchase.
” Happy and helpful staff. Very much appreciate the home delivery service during lockdown. Thanks guys! “ Rebecca.
“Lovely people, Easy to order and easy to call to have questions answered” Catherine.
With free local delivery, contactless click and collect or via post we will get you your goods fast! We also have a flexible returns policy.
Jump online and treat yourself (there is always a deal or two as well)
Thanks for supporting a small business, we really appreciate it!
Hi, My name is Laurie, I am from France and want to tell you about my time as an intern at LGS!
I am in my second year of Business school and needed to do an internship, so after months of intensive research, I decided to go to Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia! I have been welcomed by Lets Go Surfing (LGS) over their Summer, the busiest and most exciting time to be at a Surf School.
Why Bondi Beach?
This choice was obvious for me, Bondi beach is the most famous beach in the world. It was “ the place to be” and a perfect spot to start with. Not only because of the amazing surfing conditions, golden sands and crystal waters, but also because of the funky beach vibe, fun bars and restaurants, urban-style shops and excellent markets.
My Internship
I spent the first week getting to know the staff, where I would be working and what I would be doing.. It wasn’t long before I realized that surfing in Bondi isn’t only an outdoor activity but also a way of life! One of the first people I met was an ex intern who was lucky enough to get a job working in the LGS shop, Julie. She gave me a piece of advice that I will never forget: “dive in” at first I didn’t understand but it didn’t take me long to understand what she meant.
At the start of my internship I thought LGS only provided beginner surfing lessons, however it didn’t take long to realize they provide sooo much more, including but not limited to; kids lessons, women only courses, intermediate lessons, corporate team building activities, day tours, walking tours, tours including history about Bondi that include lunch and so much more! It was a lot to learn, but exciting also.
Some of my roles and responsibilities were: taking photos, walking customers to their lessons, working in the check in center. At the start it was really challenging due to my limited surfing knowledge and it was so busy. I was getting frustrated that I couldn’t answer all of the customers’ questions however I took Julie’s advice and “dived in”… I did what I knew I could do and helped out the LGS staff as much as possible, watched what they did and did the same. Marty (my internship director) saw the initiative I was taking and started to give me more responsibility. I was learning everyday and everything was becoming a lot easier, I started being able to answer a lot of the customer questions and felt really happy with what I had achieved.
In my second month of the internship, I had the opportunity to be involved in the Marketing department. I attended a 2 day sales event at a local university, which at first was a little uncomfortable, but I once again ‘dived in’ and had a great experience talking to students about surfing and encouraging them to buy a lesson. I also worked with the Marketing Manager on some blogs that were published on the website. I really enjoyed this type of work.
Reflection:
Leaving France in order to work abroad for three months is not a common adventure: I needed to be prepared to live in an unknown place. But I have to say this adventure was the best according to my other professional experiences. It was great to practise my English, also being able to work with colleagues from different countries and learn their way of life was so wonderful. My colleagues and internship director helped me feel at home very quickly.
I did notice that in Australia, the working method is very different than in France. In fact, it is frequent to feel like we are a “family” with the team work. My colleagues gave me little nicknames like “buddy and mate”. A positive and chilled mood is present every day. It doesn’t mean that they didn’t work with motivation: Australian people grant a big importance to working and they never will be shocked or upset to work more than five days a week. What I notice again is the fact that my colleagues always stayed calm at work: They prefer to take their time in order to perfect their tasks. They are not shy people and there was a sense of high team spirit, I loved this type of atmosphere !
After spending three months at LGS I have learnt a lot. I acquired new professional experience, improved my self confidence, improved my English skills and experienced a new way of life, one that is by the beach! This internship was more than enriching on the professional point but on the personal point too. I do think I would work in a surf school in the future because employees are living their job as a part of their life.
Thank you LGS!
Finally, I would like to thank the LGS team, showing me a new way of life, teaching me to surf and welcoming me into the LGS family. I really appreciate it and it was an experience that will enrich my life! Looking forward to coming back to visit.
”How a young adrenaline junkie with far too much energy found his way from Holland to Sydney working at one of the busiest and most successful surf schools in Australia”
Our awesome Senior instructor Fred had the opportunity to sit down with Lars to chat about surfing, family, charging big waves and everything in between. However, the big question was, how did a young Lars Zeekaf from Holland find himself working smack bang in the centre of Australia’s leading surf schools?
“I was a climbing instructor, a Kayak instructor and worked as a White-Water Rafting guide in South America”
Anyone who has had the opportunity to either work with Lars or be taught by him can agree on two things, the first being his expertise within the art of surf coaching are second to none, and the second being he is constantly obtaining an energy level most of us could only dream of.
Lars’ story begins in the heart of the extreme sports industry, over his time he has had the opportunity to place himself in situations most of us live to avoid. From teaching climbing to jumping into white water rapids to saving people who have fallen overboard, Lars could only be said to be comfortable where others are most definitely not. However, when Lars first started surfing at the age of 18 (quite old in the surf community) “surfing completely took over”. After completing just a week at a European surf camp, Lars quickly applied for a job the next summer and spent a month immersing himself in surf culture, applying his customer service skills whilst learning the trade of surf coaching. Although the surf addiction was alive and well in Lars, how did he make his way to Sydney?
“When I first arrived, I just worked in a restaurant to make some money to start off, literally across the road from Lets Go Surfing at Maroubra.”
Anyone who has relocated countries knows very well the difficulties and challenges that stand in the way of starting a new life. From Visas, finding work and finding a place to live I don’t need to go into detail regarding the stresses Lars and his partner went through to get here. However, Lars’ partner being a nurse and himself well qualified in both customer service and tourism, Sydney seemed to be the unicorn they had been looking for to relocate. Of course, Lars needed sponsorship to stay in Australia, and this almost happened with a restaurant overlooking Lets Go Surfing Maroubra, however, the allure of surfing coaching was far too much for Lars.
After seeing the surf school operating, he quickly applied and after “numerous long chats” Lets Go Surfing agreed to sponsor Lars. Now being constantly surrounded by surfing and surf culture Lars was quickly drawn to yet another extreme Hobby.
“We took the gamble and went out with a handful of others, and it went pear shaped within 30 minutes of us being in the water.”
Kayaking, Climbing and white-water rafting, it’s not surprising Lars wanted to seek out the more thrilling side of surfing “anything to get that Heart rate up”. His natural gravitation towards the more dangerous side of surfing has not been one of smooth sailing. A story Lars hesitates to bring up due to its mental effect, simply being the day, everything went wrong. During one of the larger swells to hit Sydney, Lars and his crew of nutcases began to weigh up their chances of getting a few waves at Wedding Cake Island. The wind was expected to reach 70-80kmh on shore, things as you can imagine went downhill quickly.
“I had the biggest free fall down the wave I’ve ever experienced it snapped my leg rope and that board has never been seen again.”
Lars experienced a hold down whereby he was dragged underwater the longest he ever experienced, only to find his board missing, no breath in his lungs and one option, to begin the long swim into Coogee from wedding cake (1km).
“Still haunting me now for three years” although the long weighing trauma of an ugly wipe out stays with every surf. Lars has continued to immerse himself in surf coaching, big wave surfing and waterman sports such as diving and spearfishing. This will be Lars’s 10th summer at Let’s Go Surfing. A young madman from Holland has changed Let’s Go Surfing for the better and become a cheeky, recognizable and trust-worthy face anywhere in Sydney where there is water.
Most people that spend tons of time at the beach agree that surfing is one of the most exciting activities around. Of course, beyond the excitement of becoming one with the great ocean is the fact that there are many different benefits of surfing from a mental, physical, and spiritual standpoint.
Surfing is not only a wonderful form of exercise, but it also helps our minds in ways we couldn’t imagine. We want to take you through some of the top benefits of surfing for adults so that you can have a better time when you’re out in the water.
1. Surfing Aids Mental Health
Surfing is one of the best forms of exercise to combat mental afflictions, including PTSD, depression, autism, etc. Of course, you should never use it as an alternative for therapy or medication, though it’s not a bad way to make you feel better. Just check out this article about Gary Katz, a social worker form New York who says that surfing is one of the best forms of therapy around. Due to the fact that it is both a highly sensory and physical experience, you allow your body to disconnect.
Essentially, surfing allows you a way to escape your mental troubles for a bit so you can improve your overall mood.
2. Surfing Can Help Relieve Stress
Every modern person deals with stress in some form. Due to the fact that we are constantly connected to the Internet and our phones, we forget what it is like to let go every once in a while.
Surfing is nostalgic in many ways, allowing us to have fun and enjoy ourselves without having to feel connected to anything but the waves. We highly recommend that every adult goes for a thirty-minute surf session before work. You’ll no doubt feel a million times better once you begin your day.
3. Surfing Can Strengthen Your Body
Surfing is a wonderful form of physical exercise. In particular, surfing is great for the back. We spend a lot of our day hunched over at a computer. Most people don’t even realize how bad their posture is until someone points it out. Unfortunately, not many people do anything to exercise their backs and spines so that they retain strength over the years.
Surfing is one of the best forms of back exercise around. Seriously, paddle around in the water for a good thirty minutes and you’ll see what we mean. Plus, you can get a few extra forms of strength training in by popping up on your board and carrying your gear to and from the car.
4. Surfing Can Combat Cardiovascular Problems
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. There are about a hundred ways to combat cardiovascular problems, some of the top ways being a good diet, though it is also important that you have some form of cardio in your workout routine. Why not make that form of cardio something exciting like surfing?
There are so many cardio exercises involved in surfing, including paddling, core balance, swimming, and more. From the minute you paddle out, you are constantly pushing through water and waves, which just so happen to be some of the strongest natural entities around.
If you are looking for a new form of cardio to add to your routine, or you are struggling with cardiovascular problems and are looking to combat them, we recommend picking up surfing.
5. Surfing Improves Flexibility
Surfing is one of the best forms of exercise to improve your overall flexibility. It is important to have good flexibility for a number of different reasons. Having the ability to move your muscles throughout their full range helps you to get more oxygen and blood to them. This allows your muscles to perform much better, as well as helps them to relax when the day is winding down to an end.
Solid flexibility also helps to reduce the risk of injury when you are performing other activities, whether those activities are other kinds of sports or daily work.
6. Surfing Can Help You Discover Your Spirituality
We’re not here to preach to you and we don’t believe that you need to believe in God or follow a specific religion to believe in spirituality. To us, spirituality is a sense of openness, calmness, self-reflection, realization, and perspective. It helps us to connect with the world around us on a more primal basis.
All of these things can be found when surfing. You are out in the expanse that we call the ocean, appreciating one of the most beautiful things that Mother Nature has to offer. In this way, we disconnect with the struggles that modern society provides us with. Plus, when you’re done with a surfing session, you can sit on the beach and meditate for a while.
Go Surfing
Beyond the benefits that we listed here, there are so many more benefits to surfing out there. Surfing presents us with challenges that we must learn to overcome, a sentiment that we can easily apply to our regular lives. It is a fun activity that can bring family and friends together to enjoy things outside of simply watching television or going out to eat. For creators, surfing can be inspiring.
If you are just getting started, don’t fret! It is easy these days to begin surfing with the help of a surf lesson with LGS, shops that carry affordable gear and buyer guides to help you select the right surfboard brands and accessories as a beginner.
Enjoy the challenge and the journey of surfing and we promise that you will see the benefits begin to unfold in your life.
Happy shredding!
Lets Go Surfing proudly supports Australian Marine Conservation Society with a donation of $5,000!
Lets Go Surfing (LGS) announces partnership with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS). LGS match dollar for dollar amounts donated by their customers at the time of booking, last year they raised together with their customers over $5,000.
Together LGS’s donations will contribute to important projects AMCS work with every day. These include protecting our local marine parks, their wildlife and habitats and supporting the ban of single use plastic and dumping plastic pollution into our oceans.
“The ocean is precious to us and we are lucky to have such an amazing group of caring people learning to surf with our team and supporting this fantastic organisation! We’re stoked! – Brenda Miley Lets go Surfing Founder and Director
Lets Go Surfing is committed to sound environmental practises, professional customer service and provides a quality service that is both safe and fun. In 2017 LGS achieved Eco Accreditation with Eco Tourism Australia for its efforts in environmental sustainability.
Lets Go Surfing is proud to be recognised by the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) for its continued efforts as a leading tour operator in Australia for over 25 years, and continues to live by their motto of changing lives… one wave at a time.
Lets Go Surfing has had a huge and successful year so far! From winning the 2019 Business of the Year for Lets Go Surfing Maroubra at the best of the best businesses in Randwick City in October to being included in Tourism Australia Philausophy Campaign earlier this month and finally winning The 2019 Waverley Brightest & Best Local Business Awards in the Specialised Business Category.
These awards are open to all local community businesses large and small, retail and non-retail, and all entries are assessed against their industry peers.
This is the community’s chance to show that the incredible work done by our local businesses does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Lets Go Surfing is proud and stoked to work with such as a passionate, hard-working & inspirational team!!
Co-founders Brenda Miley and Craig Wachholz lead a team of passionate instructors at Lets Go Surfing which started from a van back in 1995. Today, Lets Go Surfing has grown to become a locally loved and internationally recognised Surf School operating in multiple iconic locations including world famous Bondi Beach, Maroubra and Byron Bay. Voted as one of Sydney’s top tourist activities, the school prides itself on hand-picking the best local and international surf coaches. Thanks to our whole team and you, our wonderful customers and supporters for voting for us and sharing the stoke of surfing!
The time to surf is now, let us show you what we love the most, our passion for the ocean and surfing. Whether you are a visitor or a local, have a crack at surfing, it’s on the bucket list of things you need to experience once in your life.
