Newport Beach Vacation: Pick The Right Surf Camp
Whether you’re visiting California, Hawaii, Mexico, or some other surfing hot spot, you might decide to try your hand at this exciting sport. All of these locations have surf camps that will give you the opportunity to learn the sport under the instruction of a trained surfing instructor. It is important to find a surf camp that is reputable and safe, and offers you the level of instruction you or your family need. To find the best surf camp for your trip, you should take the five following factors into account:
1. Location And Price Of The Surf Camp.
The location and price of the surf camp are two practical things to consider. Depending on where you are vacationing, some surf camps are located within the busy tourist area. In fact, some hotels will even host their own camps, while other surf facilities are along popular beaches, with others operating in less populated areas.
The price of a surf camp can vary depending on what level of lesson(s) you want, how long the lessons last, who is giving the lessons, and the cost of equipment rental, if not included in the fee. Surf camps can range anywhere from $60 per student to over $500+ per student, depending on what level of instruction you select, lesson structure, and length of camp (day or overnight).
2. How Long The Surf Camp Has Been In Operation.
Some surf camps appear one day and seem to disappear then next. This is seen quite a bit in popular and unregulated tourist beach locations. You should find out how long the camp has been in operation, and its track record. Avoid any surf camps that are not well established. In the U.S., you can locate surf camps by state and county at surfcampsearch.com, and get information on camper staff ratios, age groups, counselor information, and any accreditation by certifying organizations, such as the American Camp Association or YMCA. An example of one camp in the Newport Beach, California area is the Newport Surf School, which is a well- established camp with history, testimonials, and private lessons.
3. The Experience Of The Surf Camp Instructors/Counselors.
Just like anything else, you should find out how much experience the surf camps instructors have in actual surfing and teaching. You want to avoid camps that have young or inexperienced surf instructors. Just because someone knows how to surf does not make them a good instructor. All instructors should know ocean safety guidelines, and water rescue procedures.
4. Safety Rating Of The Surf Camp.
Another important factor to consider is the safety rating of the surf camp. If you can, call the camp facility, and talk with their customer service representative to find out about their safety procedures and requirements, what type of life jackets or personal flotation devices are available, and if the staff and instructors are trained in basic first aid and CPR. If you have children who want to participate, you should find out if they offer classes with other children in similar age groups, or provide one on one instruction. For new surfers, it is usually recommended to take some private classes so you can learn the proper techniques directly from a certified instructor.
5. The Surf Camp Reviews and Feedback.
Some of the best ways to find out about the performance of a surf camp is to ask your hotel concierge, check with the Better Business Bureau, look at online review sites such as Yelp.com or yahoo.local.com, or talk with people who live in the area. You can even find local surfers on the beaches in the area who will give you their recommendations. This is one of most direct ways to get a good referral since the local surfers will know the best surf schools, and surfing instructors.
About The Author:
Jane Warren is a water sports enthusiast who participates in swimming, diving, boating, sailing, waterski tubing, and just about anything else related to those sports. She spends 6 months of the year at the beach in Grand Cayman, or other natural water locations. During that time, Jane has plenty of opportunity to enjoy the water, and always has plenty of friends and family who visit, and want to be out on the boat, riding around or being more active!
Out of this love of water sports, Jane developed the website TowableTubesDirect.com where she provides information and reviews on water sports equipment including towable tubes, skis, kayaks, wakeboards, and water trampolines. Some of the brands she has reviewed include Sportsstuff, Airhead, Aquaglide, and Rave Sports. One of the most popular boat ski tubes this season is the Big Slice, a great tube for 2 riders, of all ages.
Tags: beaches, California, camper, hot spot, hotels, Newport, newport beach, newport beach california, Newport Beach Vacation, surf camp, surf camps, surf school, tourist area, visiting california