Surf Lessons in the Week of 26 October to 1 November 2020 in Crete Greece
We started our surfing week on Monday with a great Intermediate Surf Session on the beach break of Falassarna. The goal of today was timing and correct positioning in the water in order to do an early take off on unbroken waves. The sun was shining for us, the wind was mellow to none with really nice see through waves. In the beginning of the surf session we surfed a right hander on the right side of the beach break and then moved over to an A-frame more towards the middle of the bay. An A-frame means the wave rolls towards the left and the right.
Am Dienstag vormittag hatten wir eine super Gruppe von Anfängern. Sie kamen heute das erste Mal mit dem Surfsport in Berührung. Der Surflehrer Andy erklärte alle wichtigen Aspekte ausführlich, unter anderem wie man das Brett trägt, wie man sicher über die Wellen hinauskommt und sich umdreht. Dann lernten die Teilnehmer wie man die Welle nimmt und sich richtig auf dem Surfbrett positioniert, sodass es Fahrt aufnimmt. Das ist das Ziel des ersten Surfkurstages, denn was so leicht klingt und aussieht, erfordert etwas Übung bis es Klick macht. In einem weiteren Schritt lernen die Teilnehmer dann wie man auf dem Brett aufsteht - wieder spielt dabei die Gewichtsverlagerung die wichtigste Rolle, damit das Surfbrett nicht an Geschwindigkeit verliert.
In the afternoon we had a lot of fun with a group of children together with their respective parents. For the kids it is important that they learn the very important safety rules, so we have fun while staying safe. Playing around with waves before helps with understanding the motion of catching waves. This is the most crucial step in surfing: catching the wave. Everyone did great, quickly getting the hang of it and tirelessly walking back out to the surf, turning around, catching waves and riding - no matter in what position.
The lesson on Wednesday started with explanations in safety and surfing theory on how to tackle various situations you can encounter while venturing out to surf bigger waves. On the beach we practiced the pop up, turns and the cutback. Our participants handled the new environment with great confidence. They knew where to go in and out, where to catch the wave and also how to react in various situations such as being caught in the whitewater or tackling big oncoming white water walls. In the water Andy acted as a buoy indicating the peak and helped with timing. Once they caught the wave, Oliver managed the front side turn, Moritz the back side turn, Nina and Frederik both front and back side turns. A mix of sun, rain and a rainbow made it a memorable session.
Two surfing lessons on Thursday on the Reef in Falassarna. When the beach is oversized the better option and the much more organised and fun surf spot is our reef on the west coast. There was hardly any wind which makes the waves glassy and us not having to tackle wind currents. The waves were big to medium sized. With morning group we were working on the turns and also the cutback. Each surfer succeeded in their individual goal and had another small achievement in their surfing curriculum.
In the afternoon the conditions were perfect for the level of the afternoon group. No wind at all, clean glassy waves, no current - easy to paddle without struggle. On the beach Andy first explained the reef break, how we circulate where it is safe and where the dangers are. Before entering the water we go through the dry runs of paddling, the pop up and the turns for those who are ready for the turn. In the water everyone quickly figured out the reef circle and how to be safe. They caught many waves and then surfed straight or went for the turn. Super fun afternoon session for everyone with glassy waves and bright sunshine! Due to some technical difficulty Andy could not take pictures of the afternoon session :(
Ideal conditions on Friday morning for our participants at the reef surf lesson in Crete. The waves were powerful which makes it easier to spot the good wave, to catch it and have a long ride. The surf instructor showed the participants on the beach the motion of the turn and everyone went through the simulation of paddling, catching the wave, popping up and turning the surfboard. In the water it was excellent, lots of waves caught and ridden and also some great turns all the while the sun was shining brightly from the sky.
In the afternoon we met first timers Sina and Benni as well as the kids' group of last Tuesday. We started the lesson for the kids trying to remember what we learned on the first day: positioning on the surfboard and popping up. In the water Andy assisted the first timers in learning how to catch the wave and how to glide on the surfboard. After the first half they also learned the pop up while the kids learned some fun tricks.
On Saturday morning we had the surf lesson for the participants with more experience. In the theory part, Andy spoke about where to paddle out and where to catch the wave. He also focused on some more technical aspects of surfing and the wave. Such as different types of waves and different parts of the breaking wave and how to tackle them. The goal for them was to work on their turns.
In the afternoon was the beginner and kids surf lesson at the bay of Kissamos. It was the third time for the kids, so they have gathered a lot of experience and confidence in the waves already. They were working on catching waves on their own and popping up on the surfboard. Today they also learned something new: the movement pattern for the turn. Our participants had lots of fun while playing in the water, catching waves and enjoying themselves. It's of course a pleasure for us too, when we see you having a great time!
