Surfing lessons: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering surfing lessons
You teach surfers paddling, pop ups, wave selection and ocean safety. Your lessons work best when you start in calm water, teach the pop up on land and in the shallows, and only take students into the surf that matches their level.
What customers ask
- Can I stand up in one lesson?
- Do you supply boards and wetsuits?
- What conditions do you teach in?
- Do you teach children?
- How do I learn to read a wave?
- What should I bring?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask the student's swimming ability, comfort in the water and any surf history, then say where you will start
- Teach the pop up on dry land first, then in the shallows, so the student practices it before they are in the surf
- Pick a beach and break that fit the student's level and say so in the quote
- Put lesson length, board, wetsuit and leash supply, group size and cancellation terms in the quote
- Explain rip currents and how to get out of one before you enter the water
- End each lesson with one drill for the next session and a plan for the wave that suits the student
What to put on your profile
- Photos of your lessons on the beach and in the water, with student consent, showing the pop up and paddle work
- Your surf instruction certification and any lifeguard training listed by name
- The levels you teach, from first-timers to intermediate surfers
- The beaches where you teach and what gear you supply
- Whether you run private, semi-private or group lessons
Follow-up that helps the customer
- A dry-land practice sheet for the pop up with a target for the next session
- A wave-reading lesson for students who can catch waves and want better choices
- A group session for students who want to keep practicing with others
- A recheck before a surf trip or a season
Licenses and permits
No license is usually required to teach surfing. Keep any instructor certification current, carry liability insurance if the school or beach requires it, and check with your state or local licensing agency for any permit or access rule that applies where you teach.
Questions
Do I need liability insurance to teach at a beach?
Many beaches, schools and cities require instructors to carry liability insurance before they teach. Check the local rules and keep your certificate on your profile.
How do I handle a student who wants to go out in bigger surf?
Explain the conditions you will accept for their level, and show them what the surf looks like from the sand. Let them see the difference before you enter the water.
What happens when a request does not fit my schedule?
On infinibell you can decline a request for free. You pay only for the leads you accept.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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