Green Wave has been up and running for a while now. Give us an update. How’s it all going?
We are actually just starting out our seventh summer. It’s amazing how much support the Raglan community has shown, so we’d like to thank everyone for that. We’re also excited to see a lot of new faces in town with so many travellers arriving from overseas. We love teaching and sharing something we’re passionate about with our students. And we’ve had phenomenal feedback as well – we’ve become the top-rated surf school in New Zealand. It’s nice to know that our students are having such a positive experience.
Who’s involved with the instructing?
There are three of us that run Green Wave together: Zennor Wernham, Wes Rogers and Bing Lyons. Between the three of us we have over 30 years coaching experience. We also have a team of talented local surfers and former Raglan Surf Academy students helping us out through the busy months.
People say how difficult it is to surf, but what do you say to those who have never surfed and want to give it a go? Will they get up?
Everyone stands up on our lessons. We actually offer a stand-up guarantee or your money back, and so far, we have a 100% success rate. We don’t really put any pressure on our students. Sometimes they might feel a little nervous before we start, but we keep everything fun and relaxed. Before they know it, they’re already up and riding a wave. With free photos to prove it!
Do you offer any kind of kids’ camp / summer holiday programmes?
We are running kids camps through the school holidays! It’s a great way to introduce kids to surfing in a fun, safe environment. We offer weekly camps as well as daily drop ins to fit everyone’s schedule.
You offer daily lessons. Is it always at the same time?
Our lesson schedule is based on the best tides and conditions for each day. This ensures that our students surf at the safest time and the easiest tide for learning. This makes a huge difference in the quality of a lesson. We often run multiple lessons per day in order to keep group sizes smaller. You can check the summer schedule on our website at www.greenwaveraglan.com
Do you offer rentals as well?
Yes, we have a range of boards and wetsuits available for hire. Lots of soft-top beginner-friendly boards but also some good intermediate boards as well. You can ring us at 021 0841 3481 to inquire about rentals.
What can we expect from Green Wave this coming Summer?
Lots of happy surfers, whether they’re keen travellers or local kiwi families. Our aim is to keep the quality of the lessons very high, with emphasis on ocean awareness. We put a lot of energy into every lesson and it’s rewarding to see how excited our surfers get as their skills progress.
