Whether you are looking to be a better surfer, or need a massive sea change in your life, a 10-week surf instructor course can provide the tools you need. Wavelength talks to the surfers that run the course, and surfers that have completed them. It might be a pathway to a better life.
“Did my surfing improve? Well, I went from riding an eight-foot learner board to a 5’4” fish. That pretty much says it all.”
That was UK surfer Anna Wotton. The dairy farmer from Devon travelled to Australia in 2019 and learned to surf. She returned home just as Covid hit and spent the lockdown on her parents’ farm. As soon as the restrictions were lifted she was looking to travel and surf.
“I came across Ticket To Ride’s ‘Zero to Hero’, a ten-week surf instructor course in Sri Lanka,” the 25-year-old said. “It sounded like just what I needed; adventure, surf, coaching, and even some qualifications at the end.”
Ticket to Ride has been running the ten-week courses out of their surf house bases in Ahangama, Sri Lanka, and Cape Town, South Africa for a decade. The courses take in the fundamentals of surfing, and all the requirements for an ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor Award and Surf Lifeguard Qualification, which enables you to work as an instructor anywhere in the world.
“I really believe the coaching is key,” said TTR’s Chris Bond, who runs the Cape Town operation and is a coach to some of South Africa’s best young professional surfers. “In Sri Lanka under Head Coach Nikita Robb, a former elite competitor, the top-level instruction means you become a well-rounded surfer. You learn to surf different waves and have the knowledge to ride different equipment. That means