How to learn to surf in New Zealand
Travels / / December 29, 2020
Elizaveta Skrobot
Traveler.
Where to go for surfing
Raglan is a small town located on the northern island of New Zealand in the coastal area of Manu Bay. Several streets lined with cafes, souvenir shops and shops selling surfer equipment. Passing the houses of the locals, you realize that every second person here is surfing: wetsuits and boards are drying everywhere.
Travelers often come to Raglan for their first wave. Residents of the town tell stories about their love for the ocean and desperate romantics who, having come on vacation, stayed here forever.
You can surf in New Zealand all year round. Do not forget that there, beyond the equator, the opposite is true: on our cold winter the islands are summer. From December to February, travel will be most comfortable for those who also want to enjoy a beach holiday.
Even such a remote corner of the globe has been affected by the coronavirus epidemic, but the situation in the country is far from critical and dangerous: business is operating as usual, people are returning to their normal life, beaches are open and surfing continue. For now, only its citizens and residents can cross the borders of the country, who upon arrival must withstand quarantine for 14 days. Raglan's surf schools are waiting for the first tourists as soon as
travels become possible again.How to get from Russia
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Publication from 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒏 | 𝓢𝓾𝓻𝓯 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓹 (@greenwaveraglan)
Before reaching Raglan, you have to fly literally half the world. The journey takes more than a day.
Destination - Auckland, the largest city on the northern island of New Zealand. All search engines with a direct query, for example, "Moscow - Auckland", will give out options with the most comfortable and short transfers. But the cost of such tickets can scare off: 80,000–90,000 rubles (round trip). You can save on tickets by booking two separate segments with stops in China, South Korea, UAE, Qatar or Singapore. For example: Moscow - Beijing (and back) and Beijing - Auckland (and back). With a successful combination of circumstances, ticket savings can be up to 30,000 rubles.
It is important to remember that some countries, even with a short connection without entering the city, require a visa. In the same Beijing, the time for visa-free transit is 96 hours, but if you get to Auckland with a transfer in another city in China, you will have to apply for a visa. So before buying tickets, it is better to call the consulate of the country in which you plan to stop, and clarify all the information about the documents.
You can get to Raglan itself from any city on the northern island of New Zealand. The journey from Auckland to Raglan by car will take just over an hour. If you use public transport, then from Auckland you first need to take a bus to Hamilton, and from Hamilton to Raglan. You can purchase tickets at the ticket office of the bus station or book on the company's website InterCity.
Where to study
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Publication from Raglan Surf School (@raglansurfschool)
There are many surf schools in Raglan that offer a trial lesson or a set of several at once. On average, a group lesson will cost 70–80 New Zealand dollars (about 3,500 rubles), an individual lesson - from 120 New Zealand dollars (about 5,500 rubles).
In addition to classes, some schools provide in-villa surf camp accommodation and island tours. A pre-booked tour can be a very convenient option: all surf spots with a sandy bottom are located five kilometers from the city, to many beaches and iconic places cannot be reached without a car, and the school provides a transfer. On average, a 4-day tour with accommodation in a surf camp and training costs from 310 New Zealand dollars (from 14,000 rubles). However, public transport in Raglan can also be counted on in most cases: it runs accurately on schedule, but it takes longer and limits maneuvers.
When choosing a school, study its official website. Write a letter to the contact address and specify if there is an opportunity to attend the lesson at a convenient for you day, is the cost indicated on the site relevant, what forms of payment are available (not all schools accept cards). Surf school staff usually respond quickly. If a specific instructor is unable to teach you a session, they will most likely recommend a colleague. So it was with me: the travel itinerary compiled in advance did not save me from an error in the schedule, so I arrived in Raglan later than planned. School Green wave by that time I had already finished classes, my lessons were on the threat of disruption, but friendly New Zealand surfers came to the rescue and shared the contacts of other instructors:
- Up Surf Coaching;
- Surf Safe Coaching Raglan;
- Raglan Surf School.
I highly recommend contacting the class organizers in advance, especially if you are interested in individual lessons. As a rule, schools work according to a certain schedule, which is strictly adhered to.
New Zealanders are very friendly and work-life balance is extremely important to them. If it says "We work until 18:00", it means, not a minute more.
How is the training going
The instructor will tell you about safety and will give you a wetsuit and a board. Everything is included in the price of the lesson. Small warm-up will help to cheer up and warm up if it is already cool outside. First, you will have to practice the stand on the shore: you need to understand which leg will be the supporting one, how to group when falling and what to do if you see a shark.
The instructor enters the water with the student, insures, prompts when a good wave is coming. You will learn how to properly hold the board in the restless ocean - this will not only help you get into the water, but also avoid injury in the form of a broken nose.
In this first test, we get used to the board and learn balance. The whole lesson consists of continuous attempts to get up on the board, this is a big load on the muscles of the arms, back and press. It is absolutely not necessary to become a super athlete before the trip, but at least minimal physical training and stretching: you have to row a lot with your hands, push off the board, sharply get up. It will be useful to train endurance. For those who are already engaged snowboarding and yoga, it will be easier.
Progress from classes depends on the student and his preparation. At least for a few seconds, it is possible to feel euphoria after the first conquered wave already in the first lesson. But do not be upset if you did not manage to cope with the ocean right away - a little faith in yourself and desire will certainly help you achieve your goal.
For some, surfing becomes a philosophy of life, for others, looking for unity with by the ocean, and someone - thrills. These are unforgettable emotions: when you close your eyes, they roll over like waves again.
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