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You understand the basic principles of surf technique. You have general basic ocean awareness, basic pop-up concepts mastered, basic paddling concepts. You need assistance in getting out through the surf, assistance getting into waves (whitewater or small open face waves). Can only surf straight…cannot turn the board on rail to trim down the line.

For who – This level is tricky as every person picks up this sport at different rates of speed. We find that kids who are super light tend to pick it up much faster than adults who have more weight to distribute on a board. That being said, this level is very important on (3) levels…one, having some high end surf instruction is very important and can speed up your learning curve exponentially. Two, having the right equipment for your height and weight and surf skill set. And finally, and most important is your environment…or what type of surf break you are surfing on. For this level you want to be on a sand bottom wave so not rocks or reef to contend with. In addition, you must find a beach where the bottom contour of the bottom has a very gradual decent. This type of bottom will slow the oncoming waves down some and they tend to break a little further from shore so as not to be “pounding” right on the shoreline. If you have these 3 elements you will have the best chance for success. The Costa Rica location for Safari Surf School is perfect for you as a surfer who is committed to improving to the vext level.

You’re proficient at paddling (both paddling out through surf & paddling to catch a wave). Depending on your board size and shape, you can “duck dive” and / or “turtle roll” surfboard well enough to get through oncoming surf / get out of impact zone. You have average + paddling capability – strength, can catch an open face wave physically unassisted, average pop up speed into the proper surf stance, can maneuver your board to turn down the line of a wave. Ocean awareness building, your able to read the ocean a bit more and understand what you are seeing with respect to wind, currents, conditions, line up etc.

For who – This is the level where most people tend to get a little frustrated either due to not being able to get in the ocean and practice enough or perhaps your technique is not what it needs to be due to lack of surfing and / or lack of quality instruction. This level is very important, as this is where you will take a very positive turn in a short period of time with high-end instruction and video analysis. This is where we perfect your current techniques of paddling, pop-ups, duck diving or turtle roll. This is where we take you to a physically stronger, sounder technical form of surf skills. But more importantly, get your mind / confidence up to where you can really start to push yourself. Just by strengthening your techniques from paddling to pop-ups and shoring up and technical flaws in weight distribution on your board to your arms not being in a proper position, you will see your surfing level boost exponentially in a very short time. But, probably more important will be the boost in your metal state …your confidence. This level is all about getting your technique and confidence level to an all time high so you can keep progressing.

All of Level 3 techniques plus – you have high confidence in your paddling ability, strong duck diving and / or turtle roll technique, comfortable in the line up. Ocean awareness and general line up identification are pretty spot-on (Watching new line up and understanding where to sit in line up, seeing who may be a liability in the water and stay clear, identifying rocks, reef, currents etc.). You can identify, paddle, and catch your own waves, can bottom turn both front side and back side with some consistency, can trim down the line after a bottom turn, small “s” turns on the open face of waves, you understand how to wipe off speed (cut back) but may need more practice.

For who – At this level you are really starting to become very comfortable in the ocean where you typically surf.
But the key here is that you must start pushing your limits, pushing you comfort zone, surfing perhaps a little bigger waves than you have in the past, trying a new surf spot or two to feel the rhythm of the ocean at a different surf location, and attempt more aggressive maneuvers closer to the pocket. Start pushing on your rails more. Instead of just drawing a straight line down the wave, start pumping the legs up and down getting your board on its rails or edges. This is where we introduce “rail to rail” surfing…or you can call it “heel to toe”…being able to transfer your body weight both forward and back as well as from heel to toe. This is where we start to get in tune with the “flow” of your surfing, how your body positioning and weight distribution is so important to how you surf a wave.

All levels of 4 techniques plus – You can take off on a wave at an angle which is headed down the line, can bottom turn consistently both front and back side and drive down the line with “s” turns, can do solid cut backs, you can do top turns and off the tops with some regularity. Strong ocean awareness, strong paddling technique for catching waves and getting back out to the line up.

For who – At this level “you” are looking to improve your style / technique, looking to take your surf skill set to the next level of aggressiveness. Looking to push your surfing standards higher and to progress. This means attempting more radical maneuvers in the “pocket” of a wave. Staying as close to the pocket, curl (or power) of the breaking wave as possible through the entire ride. At this level is where you start to develop your own “style”…how you want to surf each wave. At this stage you have to push the limits to advance, you have to try new aggressive moves in order to learn from mistakes. This level is also where you will really focus on your body positioning, distribution of weight while riding a wave, following your body mechanics to see if they are in line with the wave that you are surfing. Surfing is ALL ABOUT flow…your body MUST flow with the wave in synch…it’s a function of putting together all the techniques you’ve learned while staying in rhythm or flow of the wave you are on. This will create YOUR surf “style”. Video analysis and a surf coach is key to all levels of surf progression but none more so than this level! This is where it all comes together…form and function.