  
SURFING IN PORTUGAL'S LISBON & 'VALE DO TEJO' REGION
ribeira d'ilhas SURF CAMP - Surfing instructors/Surf school
The Ribeira Surf School only employs qualified surf instructors. This means you will receive professional surfing tuition with courses that follow the FPS guidelines for surf schools. All the instructors that run the Surf Lessons and Surf Clinics are skilled watermen who have many years experience surfing and coaching at different levels. They have all the necessary skills and experience to help newbies and beginners progress to a level where they can become independant surfers.
The Surf Lessons and Surf Clinics have a low student to instructor ratio for safety and to ensure you get the attention you need on dry land and in the water. All participants are placed with an instructor who specialize in teaching at a particular level. The school is open to people of all ages, skill levels and nationalities.
You will have 7 days of lessons per week, 1,5 or 3 hours daily, with two surf sessions per day.
Quick links: Accreditation | A typical week | Beginner course | Intermediate clinics | Video Analysis | Equipment
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Accreditation
The instructors at the Ribeira Surf School are qualified and licensed by the FPS Federação Portuguesa de Surf and this license includes a lifeguard and didactics degree.
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This ensures that you are taught by qualified surf instructors using proven teaching techniques and that all the courses follow the latest FPS safety guidelines for surf schools. All the instructors have grown up surfing and are well respected in the water and by the local surfing community, are multilingual and speak a good level of English.
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What to expect
Beginners will be taught the basics of surfing and by the end of the week should be up and riding waves to the shore. Intermediate level surfers will be pushed to improve their skills, as well as correct their mistakes and to attain their next personal level. Obviously surfing is dependant on your ability, the tides, surf and wind conditions.
Evenings are for chilling and a little relaxation. Get together with the group for a BBQ go for a meal in Ericeira or just relax at the beach bar, have a few beers and watch the sunset. For more details on the courses see the rough course outlines below.
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Newbies/Beginners Course
You‘ll be given a surfboard and wetsuit best suited to you. All the equipment used is specifically designed for beginners and intermediates with safety being the key factor.
Beginners will use boards specifically designed for both stability and safety. The beginners course includes all the basics from learning how to get in and out of a wetsuit ;-) to surfing 'green' (unbroken) waves. Surfing is progressive and everyone develops at a different pace, your surfing may develop to the point where you can join the advanced group and learn more advanced technique.
COURSE OUTLINE FOR NEWBIES & BEGINNERS
• Basic knowledge of surfing equipment
• Understanding the setup of the beaches, rips and currents
• Wave shapes and approaches
• Safety rules
• Paddling techniques
• Sitting on and turning the board
• The 'duck-dive' or 'eskimo-roll' (getting through waves with a board)
• Getting to your feet – Standing up and surfing broken waves to shore
• Priority rules
• Positioning in the line up to catch unbroken waves
• Surfing green waves
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Intermediate & Advanced clinics
To be on this group you don't need to be world champion. You just need to know the basics. This course is aimed at those who have surfed before or followed a beginner course at some time. This way you don't have to go through all the basics again.
The focus of this group is on your individual surfing. Once you have learnt how to take off on a wave, you start to develop your own style and this is when timely error correction will ensure that your surfing develops quickly and properly.
Learn and practice the bottom turn, start to aim for the top section of a wave, finding the pocket and the cut back.
COURSE OUTLINE FOR INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED SURFERS
• Brief surfer diagnoses
• Quick review of surfing basics
• Techniques for paddling and turning for waves (tricks and tips)
• Priority rules (review)
• How a surfboard works
• Types of waves and approach to apply to each of them
• The 'Bottom turn' and its importance for wave riding success
• The importance of the upper body for bottom turning.
• 'Duck dive' techniques
• The 'off the lip'
• The 'cutback'
• General surf manoeuvres
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Equipment
All the equipment used is specifically designed for beginners and intermediates with safety being the key factor.
Beginners use boards specifically designed for both stability and safety. Intermediates will use boards which provide a good blend of stability, manouverability and performance. The instructors will select a board suitable for your size, weight and ability.
All the equipment is checked and maintained on a regular basis to ensure you have the best material at your disposal. The surf school also provide a wide range of the latest Billabong wetsuits and rash vests.
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ribeira d'ilhas 
