Community, youth & whanau

Group & youth surf programs

Not a school? Same standard. Youth trusts, holiday programmes, churches, iwi and whanau groups get the identical documented safety system, qualified instructors and all-gear-provided format, shaped around your group.

Who books this

Built for the people who look after young people

  • Youth trusts and social services: confidence-building days with a wellbeing focus, and pricing that respects community budgets.
  • Holiday programmes: a ready-made highlight day, fully supervised in the water so your ratios stay comfortable on the beach.
  • Churches and community groups: camps and beach days for all ages, shaped around what your group wants from the day.
  • Iwi and community groups: your group, your day; we bring the gear, instructors and water safety.
  • Sports clubs: cross-training and team-culture days that flatten hierarchies fast.
  • All ages welcome
  • Small crews to full cohorts
  • From $22 per person
A coach high-fives a stoked group of young surfers in blue rash shirts

Same safety spine

The school-grade safety system, for every group

Every group program runs under the same documented, WorkSafe-compliant safety system as our school work: qualified and vetted instructors, stated in-water ratios, documented RAMS available for your funder or committee, and a written weather policy. If your organisation reports to a board or funder, our paperwork makes that easy. Details on the safety page.

Group questions

What group leaders ask

Do you work with youth groups that are not schools?

Yes. Youth trusts, holiday programmes, church and community groups, iwi and whanau groups all book the same programs with the same documented safety system. We adapt the paperwork to your organisation's requirements.

Can you cater for mixed ages in one group?

Yes. We split mixed groups into ability-and-age bands with the right ratio for each, so eight-year-olds and eighteen-year-olds both get a session pitched to them.

Is funding support available for community groups?

Intermittent subsidies can be applied by us on full-day programs and our Overnight Camps in Mangawhai. Many of our community groups fund days through local grants and trusts, which has no bearing on our subsidies. We provide the proposals, safety documentation and outcome statements funders ask for, usually same day.

Can the adults get in the water too?

Absolutely, and we encourage it. Leaders and parents joining the session set the tone for nervous kids, and nothing builds group trust like everyone wiping out together. Tell us your adult numbers and we'll include them in the plan.

Do you run sessions during the school holidays?

Yes. Holiday programmes are a big part of what we do, from one-off highlight days to a session every week of the holidays. Whilst we primarily run our groups during school term days, weekends and holidays are also available pending bookings.

Can we turn a group day into an overnight?

Easily. Groups of 6 to 40 can add a night or more at the Te Arai Eco Pods or the Mangawhai Surf Lodge through our small group surf camps: accommodation and activities from $139 per person per night.

Bring your crew to the beach

Tell us who is coming and what you want the day to do for them. We will shape the rest.