HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO I NEED TO BOOK A LESSON?
We do our best to accommodate last minute bookings, even day-of bookings if we can. Several days notice is preferred, however, especially if the student is working with a tight schedule or requesting a specific instructor. During busy, late summer and holiday weekends, a week's notice may be required if the student has a limited schedule to surf and a specific appointment time is desired.
WHO WILL BE TEACHING ME?
One of our Team CoreysWave instructors will be teaching your lesson. Most are young local surfers from Montauk and NY regions, some travel from California and farther to teach with us. All instructors have a lifetime of personal surf experience to boast of and their skills as surfers are exceptional as a result. Their advanced knowledge of the ocean and wave judgment positions them as uniquely qualified to teach lessons as wave selection is essential to learning. Each of our instructors is First Aid and CPR certified and is personally trained by Corey. They are some of the most fun-loving people you will meet and will keep you smiling all day with their jokes and surf jargon, which is sometimes unintelligible to those not yet inducted into surf culture.
WILL I STAND IN MY FIRST LESSON?
Almost every single one of our students stand up during their first lesson due largely in part to the expertise of our highly-skilled surf instructors. If you can get to your feet on dry land, we can show you how to do it on a surfboard.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING A LESSON WITH COREYSWAVE?
A first lesson with CoreysWave will begin with a short land lesson spent addressing the basics of board handling, paddling, safety concerns, the pop-up, etc. The rest of your lesson is spent in the water catching and riding waves, and being instructed in between rides on wave selection and managing oneself and one's board among the waves, as well as many other important basic lessons: surfing etiquette, handling varying weather and wave conditions, environmental concerns, fine-tuning the pop-up, body positioning and weight balancing while riding waves, turning, etc.
WHY SHOULD I PICK COREYSWAVE FOR MY SURF INSTRUCTION?
CoreysWave offers an awesome and particularly unique learning experience in surfing that leaves students hooked and wanting to surf more and more. You will actually surf when you take a lesson with CoreysWave, get a taste of what surfers are always raving about, and take away lasting knowledge and skill for your next surf session. We are confident in providing an authentic surfing experience to our students, supported by a lifetime of personal surf experience, over a decade of professional surf instruction, and extensive worldwide surf travel. Furthermore, our students find a bounty of positive energy and Aloha-style vibes when they surf with us, exuded by our super stoked, fun-loving professional surf instructors.
WHAT DO I BRING?
All you need to bring is yourself, a comfortable bathing suit, sun block, towel, change of clothes - basically, your everyday beach stuff. We have all of the gear you may need for your lesson: wetsuits and booties and of course, a surfboard for your lesson. Rental fees may apply. Water and snacks are available for purchase at nearby vendors most hours of the day, and having your cell phone is useful in case you have difficulty navigating to the beach.
WHAT'S YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?
We have a 24-hour cancellation policy so if you need to cancel, please call or email us the day before. We will cancel lessons for any conditions that are unsuitable for surf lessons, including big/rough surf, strong winds, thunder and lightning, heavy rain, rip currents, flat surf. If we have decided the conditions are suitable for learning, the lesson is considered good to go! Please see further details here. Late lessons begin at the scheduled time - please be on time so you may enjoy the full complement of your surfing experience!
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT'S RAINING?
We do not cancel lessons for clouds and are not afraid of intermittent or light rain, though we will discuss such conditions with the student in advance if applicable.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?
Please allow extra time for parking and navigating to the assigned beach location. Depending on the location of the surf lesson, restrooms may not be available.
DO YOU TAKE PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF SURF LESSONS?
If you would like to have photos or videos of your surf lesson, please let us know in advance and we will arrange for a professional photographer to capture your lesson experience.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BE ABLE TO SURF?
Everyone is different. There is no telling how long it may take an individual to be able to surf until we've seen that student surf with us a few times. Becoming a competent surfer does not happen for anyone over night. All of Team CoreysWave are exceptional surfers only because they have been surfing all of their lives.
HOW OLD MUST A CHILD BE BEFORE THEY START LEARNING TO SURF?
A child can learn to surf at a very young age as long as he or she can swim. Before a kid can surf, he or she must be a confident swimmer, and comfortable with going underwater if need be. Any parents who want their kids to start surfing at a young age should get their kids on a boogie board early on. The right surf conditions are also essential when learning at a young age. Regardless of competence, the waves should always be small and gentle, preferably in water that is shallow enough for the kid to stand and at a lifeguard monitored beach. Having a bad experience on your first day is never a good idea. With a CoreysWave instructor, however, we are able to safely take kids surfing in slightly more challenging conditions where they will learn more and faster. Our specialty is judging surf conditions and ensuring all of our students receive a safe, professional experience, and we take into account what we know of each individual student in deciding where and when someone should learn to surf.
WHAT ARE THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR BEGINNERS?
The most important factor as a beginner is the size of the surf. When you are a beginner, the waves are rarely too small to surf. If the waves are small, get a bigger board! However, the waves can easily be too big for beginners on any given day. The best conditions to learn in are waves under waist high with very light winds, and preferably a gentle or mushy wave that rolls for a long time rather than a steep wave at a beach break or in shore break.
WHAT KIND OF GEAR DO I NEED TO SURF?
In the summer when the water is warm, all you really need is a board and a leash and you can be surfing - add a light wetsuit for warmth as needed. When taking a surf lesson, we provide you with use of a board and wetsuit free of charge. We encourage use of our wetsuits during a lesson unless you have one of your own. We provide wetsuit gear for most all sizes for surfing comfortably in NY from May through November.
HOW WARM IS THE WATER?
In the middle of summer the ocean temperature on Long Island is quite warm. It gets to be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is fine for going in without a wetsuit. If you try to surf in May and June, the water can be a bit cold and may require booties in addition to a full wetsuit, but by the end of June the ocean starts to warm up quickly. In mid September the water starts to cool down again, and you can comfortably surf in a full wetsuit until late November, adding booties and then gloves as the water temperature drops.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO SURF IN NEW YORK?
Long Island typically has very mellow surf, perfect for new surfers for most of the summer months. As a beginner, the best time of year to surf is probably between June and August. The end of August through October is hurricane season on the East Coast. During hurricane season, the waves can be very large while hurricane swells are pumping, however, between storms the surf can be just as small as in the summer months. The hurricane season leads into Nor'easter season so the fall is definitely the best season for experienced surfers. When the water is freezing in the winter, it takes some pretty good waves to motivate you to get out there so surfing every day is rare, but there can be lots of small wave days in the winter for beginners. The spring is beautiful and also can have epic conditions for beginners just a little bit cold.
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Please contact us if you think of any other questions we left out. Thank you!