Thanks for booking your surfing lesson, what next?
GSD Surf Briefing
TXT 07739536122
(Due to the beach locations we work in, we may not always be able to receive and / or action your messages straight away)
The following information can be found below:
1) Contacting us and general information
2) Safety
3) Beach Information and meeting
4) Surf equipment hire
5) What do you do next after your surfing lesson
6) Surf news
7) Misc FAQ’s asked by customers in past
1) Contacting us
Four days prior to your surfing session please txt or email SurfGSD to confirm your booking and find out which beach your lesson will take place at and what time you should meet us. Please let us know if you are surfing on Gower or Fistral as we get many txt’s in peak season. Also due to surf conditions please be prepared to txt back night before for an update on arrangements etc
We use two beaches on Gower; Caswell Bay near Mumbles > SA3 4QP and Rhossili Bay near Rhossili village > SA3 1PP.
2) Safety Consent and information form for all participants (please select, copy and paste on to a new page section 2 then sign * notes signature required thank you)
(those under 18 will need their guardian to sign)
Name ________________________ D.O.B _ _/_ _/ _ _ (if under 18)
Email address ________________________
Emergency Contact number ________________________________________
Please note you must be able to swim 50 meters and declare any medical conditions which may cause safety problems to yourself, rest of group or instructors.
Anyone who has been drinking alcohol will not be allowed to participate in surf
session and will lose their payment.
Glasses may not be worn during the water work but can be worn for demonstrations and beach work. Please inform instructors of any hearing or visual difficulties that they will need to be aware of so they can provide a lesson that suits all.
Once we meet you at the beach we will give you wetsuits to put on; the zip should be on your back.
After everyone has changed, we assemble the group and go through a safety talk and give specific beach environment information which will come in handy for future visits to the particular beach.
Our aim is to give you enough safety information to ensure that you have the right start in surfing and a) will not endanger yourself or b) will not endanger others from your actions.
After the briefing, we will go down on to the beach and have a warm up. (If for any reason you or a member of your group cannot do a gentle jog then please feel free to warm up at your own pace.)
Remember, we will only be surfing in shallow water so at no time should you dive or jump from your board. Every time you fall off your board please fall flat and cover your head.
If there is only one instructor: If anything should happen to the instructor or you lose sight of him/ her, then please return to the water’s edge and walk along until you find them. If they have been injured please re-call the group and use the mobile phone in the dry bag to summon help. (If the lifeguards are on duty send two adults up to them; if you are all children, the whole group should stay together and summon help.)
AT NO TIME SHOULD UNTRAINED GSD CUSTOMERS ATTEMPT A RESCUE. YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY.
By accepting this briefing and booking with GSD you are confirming that you have read the above and communicated it to anyone in your party surfing with GSD.
Signed Date
*
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If you have paid online via www.shopgsd.com please bring a copy of proof of payment. N.B. when printing section 2 please try to use recycled paper.
3) Beach information and meeting
All the beaches we use have toilets, cafes and at Rhossili, a pub with an awesome view, ‘The Worms Head Hotel’. Pack lunches can also be arranged for groups. All the beaches have adequate parking but please be aware that during busy summer holidays you may need to get to beach early to avoid the stress of finding a parking space. If you are thinking of using public transport please see the following LINK Please meet at one of our vans. For a photo of what vans to look out for at Rhossili CLICK HERE If you’re surfing at Caswell Beach, we have a hut on the right hand side of the beach opposite the three cafes.
4) Surf equipment hire only
We also offer surf equipment hire to customers that have had surfing lessons with us or other BSA Approved surf schools here in the UK. SurfGSD has signed up to the RNLI Beach surf hire scheme and will only rent you suitable equipment to suit your ability level and only rent out equipment for use in safe conditions at safe approved beaches, please ask us about our hire scheme or see the following link: SURF HIRE
5) What do you do next after your surfing lesson
Please do not rush out and buy a surfboard! We know surfing is fun but by waiting and hiring for a while you will then improve your surfing faster. When the time is right, i.e., you are standing up regularly on green waves, we can advise you on what board to buy.
To hire your equipment, simply txt us on 07739 536122 to find out which beach we are at on the day you want to surf and we will book a board for you.
6) Surf news
To keep up to date with surfing why not join us on http://twitter.com/surfgsd or our blog > www.bloggsd.com
7) Misc FAQ’s asked by customers in past
What time do we start lessons?
Well we run several sessions a day so as to keep group sizes down, the times we surf are dictated to us by the tides and ocean (pretty cool a?) anyway, first session around 10 a.m ish, second sessions around 11.30 a.m ish then 13.00 ish and sometimes 15.00 ish. During the week we also run after school and after work sessions starting 16.30, 18.00 and 1930 daylight permitting.
What happens if it is raining?
Surfing is a water sport and therefore you are going to get wet and stay wet for the duration of your course, at lunch time it is well worth putting a water proof jacket over the top of your suit, which keep the wind off you.
What should we / I bring along with us?
Even if the sun is shining please dress warm, bring a towel, bathers, a large bag to put all your dry kit in and most importantly any asthma pumps medication you may need to take.
Are there any facilities?
All the beaches we use have toilets, cafes, shops, and two even have pubs!
Do you provide all the surfing equipment?
We provide the surfing equipment, wetsuit and boards
How long do sessions the last?
Most people last between an hour and a half and two hours dependant on conditions.
What is the difference between a group course and private course?
The number of surfers to one coach, the group course has 1:8 and the group course is 1:4 we provide this service as some people prefer smaller groups.
Do you cater for large groups?
Yes we cater for rugby touring teams, blue chip corporate team building events, school groups, stag groups and hen groups etc
Do you offer discounts for Local Authority, armed services, emergency services, guides and scouts etc?
Yes we value the service you guys are doing simply contact us for a quote info@surfgsd.com
Are your coaches qualified?
All are minimum BSA Level 1 up to BSA Level 4, First aid and Surf lifesaving qualified plus have an enhanced CRB certificates.
What qualifications and insurance do you have?
We are BSA approved level 4 surf school the only one in Wales, member of Wales in Style, approved by various Local Authorities including C and C of Swansea and Kent County Council. We have a long list of schools including Marlborough college, Clifton College and Millfield that all use our services.
Do you have risk assessments and a safey policy?
Yes we do, which is kept at the beach for you to look through, however, if you are a group leader then we can send you a safety info document which will help you prepare your own risk a’s
What do you do if the surf is flat?
We only need tiny little waves to get people stoked on surfing, but as most places in the world the surf does go flat from time to time. We are lucky enough to have an indoor board rider here in Swansea which we can offer our lesson 2 our customers in followed by complimentary use of the water park after.
Do you hire surfing equipment?
Yes we do, we have recently signed up to the RNLI surf safety scheme and will only rent boards suitable such as the 100% safe soft boards, all the equipment is checked and approved for use by the BSA.