Every question, answered straight

Yes. Non-swimmers stay in standing-depth water at a tightened instructor ratio, use high-buoyancy soft boards, and building water confidence is a stated learning outcome. No student is excluded for swimming ability.

We publish our in-water ratios and tighten them for juniors and non-swimmers. Generally it's a 1:4 ratio for primary students, 1:4-6 for intermediate students and 1:6-8 for secondary students. Your exact supervision structure is documented in the RAMS and proposal documents we supply before you book. Full details on the safety page.

Aotearoa Surf is EOTC compliant, WorkSafe compliant and Qualmark GOLD certified, with documentation supplied for your EOTC file. All of our lead instructors are ISA surf instructors, first aid trained and Surf Lifesaving awarded.

The biggest danger is the sun. Rips are avoided, and sharks are rarely seen and register as no more than a medium risk. All three live in our hazard register with documented controls: beach and conditions assessment before every session, supervised zones inside the banks, mandatory rash shirts and sunscreen breaks. Ask for the register; parents find it reassuring reading.

That is our core audience. Sessions start on the sand and progress at each student's pace; most first-timers ride whitewater standing on day one.

We provide wetsuits in all sizes, soft surfboards, rash shirts, qualified instructors, all safety equipment and sunscreen. Did we mention full operational management and surfing excellence! Students bring togs, a towel, warm layers and lunch.

Rain alone does not cancel a session. Unsafe surf or wind triggers our documented conditions call: the day before for day programs and 3 to 5 days before for overnight camps. We have contingency plans: a sheltered backup beach, a beach-based program, or a free reschedule.

Talk to us early and we will plan the session around your students: adaptive approaches, extra instructors and beach-based roles are all normal for us. Inclusion is planned in the RAMS, not improvised on the day.

Yes: mapped to Health and Physical Education strands and Water Skills for Life by year level, with stated learning outcomes per session and a leadership focus for seniors. See the curriculum page.

Per-student prices for every format are published on our pricing page: half days from $22, full days from $25, overnight camps from $329. Funded subsidies are available for camps and full-day programs.

Generally most of our returning schools are booking the following year ahead at all times for day programs, and longer for camps. Terms 1 and 4 are peak surf season and fill first; Term 2 often has the best availability and surprisingly good waves. If you are new to us, get in touch early: 4 to 6 months ahead usually secures a spot, pending bookings.

Start with the enquiry form. You get your Proposal Document and the full teacher pack within one school day, and a deposit locks your date. The whole process is on the teacher hub.

Yes: weekly or fortnightly blocks across a term for PE classes and school surf academies, building real progression session on session. Ask for term-block details in your proposal.

Tell us your year range and we shape the day around it. Groups can be split by age and confidence rather than strictly by year level, so a Year 4-8 kura or a whole-school trip works fine. We are very good at having mixed ages in the same group, with multiple instructors focusing separately on the younger and older surfers.

Auckland: Orewa, Long Bay, Omaha, Matakana, Tawharanui, Wenderholm, Piha, Te Arai and Waiheke, or a location near you. Northland: Mangawhai (our camps HQ), Langs Beach, Ruakaka, Matapouri, Matauri, Taupo Bay and Ahipara. Canterbury: Sumner, New Brighton, Spencer Park, Waimairi, Kaikoura and Timaru.