The level classification at OceanSide Surf School is organized as follows. It is essential for students to identify their actual level for safe and effective learning, and for the school to be able to assign the appropriate equipment and group.
Level 1: Beginner / Initiation / First Times or Zero experience
- Criteria: Has never surfed or has very little experience. Unaware of basic equipment and safety rules.
- Objectives: Familiarize themselves with the equipment, learn to paddle in whitewater (already broken waves), the basic position on the board (lie down), the take-off (standing up) on the sand and then in the whitewater, maintain balance and to be able to dodge an obstacle.
Level 2: Advanced Beginner / Intermediate
- Criteria: Is able to stand up in the whitewater with some consistency and confidence, glide straight to the shore, and dodge an obstacle (change direction).
- Objectives: Improve the take-off technique and functional stance, start choosing whitewater on their own, improve board direction control (very gentle turns) and learn the basic priority rules (surf code).
Level 3: Intermediate
- Criteria: Catches unbroken (green) small or medium waves, can take off with agility, and is able to ride the wall of the wave to the right or left (not just straight).
- Objectives: Learn to select the appropriate wave (timing), know how to pass breaking waves (duck dive or turtle roll), generate speed on the wall (pumping), and know the surf code well.
Level 4: Advanced
- Criteria: Rides waves safely in varied conditions, rides the wall of the wave fluently, and begins to perform basic maneuvers.
- Objectives: Master the bottom turn, perform basic cutbacks and reentries, and surf both frontside (facing the wave) and backside (with back to the wave).
Level 5: Expert / Competition (or higher levels)
- Criteria: Masters basic maneuvers and executes advanced maneuvers with power, flow, and speed in critical sections of the wave.
- Objectives: Perfect advanced maneuvers (such as floaters, snaps, roundhouse cutbacks), perform late take-offs or tubes, and apply strategy in different wave conditions.